The question becomes: Will another pandemic occur?
Now, a new advocacy group has formed to prevent the next pandemic from occurring by overhauling how humans interact with nature.
The coalition, called Preventing Pandemics At The Source, is composed of prestigious entities like the Harvard Global Health Institute and T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Rainforest Alliance, the World Wildlife Fund, and The Nature Conservancy. Per a letter issued to leaders in Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the group’s mission is to reduce zoonotic spillover with federal investment.
“As Congress and the Biden Administration draft the emergency COVID-19 package, we ask that you ensure a significant level of new funds is directed to support programs and activities that prevent pandemics at the source through development assistance programs focused on One Health, forest conservation, and wildlife trade, including to help support frontline and Indigenous communities in zoonotic spillover hotspots,” the group writes.