Joint Risk Assessment

GLEWS Joint Risk Analysis for Emergent Zoonotic Diseases

Risk analysis is essential to assess and provide options to mitigate risks associated with the emergence or spread of animal pathogens at the animal/human/ecosystem interface. According to the OIE Terrestrial Code (2010) the components of the risk analysis process are hazard identification, risk assessment, risk management and risk communication.

Risk analysis is one of the core areas that has been recently highlighted for increased collaboration between FAO, OIE and WHO to address emergence of pathogens, in particular on emergent zoonotic pathogens. GLEWS joint risk assessment has been promoted with the aim to provide preventive and predictive capacity to better assess risks or understand trends in disease evolution. Risk analysis benefits from a multidisciplinary approach, ultimately aiding prevention, control and effective containment of risks associated with animal or zoonotic disease outbreaks, particularly in a socioeconomic context. GLEWS regularly screens and updates risk factors, providing data analysis to identify drivers for emergence and persistence of disease.

Joint risk assessment as planned will initially be performed in specific regions for priority zoonotic diseases, such as CCHF, RVF, H5N1 HPAI, Rabies and Brucellosis. In this framework, risk analysis and mapping methodologies will be developed and validated using data available on reported outbreaks, surveillance activities carried out by countries and combining this information with other datasets including land use, trade, livestock population, animal movement, etc. Risk mapping tools are essential to enhance accuracy and sensitivity of early warning activities. Early warning messages will be made available to the international community to serve effective response purposes and aid targeting disease surveillance and control activities at the animal-human-ecosystem interface. Strengthening GLEWS joint risk assessment activities and supplementing them with relevant data on drivers for emergence and persistence of animal diseases will contribute to build a more complete body of evidence towards understanding trends, epidemiology and reinforcing preventive and predictive capacities to better assess and to ultimately aid prevention, control and effective containment of these disease risks.