Unveiling the first Nature 4 Health investments for preventing pandemics together

The prevention of zoonotic disease emergence and spread and other health related risks require strategically interlinked approaches across different sectors to contribute meaningfully and effectively to “One Health” outcomes. However, public health policies and programmes often focus on treatment for human diseases – leaving aside long-term prevention, which necessarily requires strengthening of biodiversity conservation and integrating animal and environmental health considerations into One Health. Conversely, policymakers and other stakeholders in the broader environmental sector usually do not have the capacity or resources to integrate disease prevention into the planning, management and implementation of conservation and sustainable-use actions.

In this context, a Nature for Health Trust Fund was established to help countries develop more holistic, and coordinated policies by generating and disseminating further evidence on the links between biodiversity, climate and health. Through an initial contribution of EUR 50 million from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) via Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI), the Fund brings together leading UN agencies, Intergovernmental organizations and civil society groups in the field of environment and health.

An expression of interest was recently launched, requesting countries to apply to become part of the first phase of countries benefiting from the fund. The deadline for submissions was 21 October 2022. In this context and on the occasion of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the BMUV and N4H partners are convening a side-/parallel event for championing preventative One Health approaches. On this occasion, the list of countries that will benefit from the first phase of the Fund will be announced.