Wildlife Trust Launches One Health Alliance of South Asia (OHASA)

Global Conservation Health Initiative Concentrates on Emerging Disease Hotspot Region

NEW YORK - March 15, 2010 - Wildlife Trust, the global conservation health organization, announced the formation of the One Health Alliance of South Asia (OHASA) - a collaborative group of scientists and government agencies focused on preventing the spread of emerging diseases among wildlife and human populations.  The newly formed group will hone in on an area encompassing the West Bengal region of India and its neighboring country, Bangladesh.  In 2008, the Rockefeller Foundation funded a one-year program with a directive for Wildlife Trust to develop a health network linking these countries with a long-term goal of creating a formal alliance.  The One Health Alliance of South Asia is a direct result of that program.  "After many months of planning the participating members drafted the "Bengal Declaration" as a formalized initiative calling upon governing agencies to lend support, resources and personnel," said president of Wildlife Trust, Dr. Peter Daszak.  "We are working to implement trans-boundary measures to monitor wildlife and human populations for zoonotic disease outbreaks."

The One Health Alliance of South Asia has outlined its mission within this border region of India and Bangladesh and aspires to expand this charter to other countries in South Asia. OHASA's mission includes:

• Inter-Ministerial Collaboration:  Wildlife Trust and its independent partners will foster the growth of a synergistic initiative across Bangladesh and India among both ministry officials and scientists.
• A "Smart Surveillance" Approach:  Wildlife Trust and its independent partners will target disease surveillance in the regions where zoonotic agents are most likely to emerge.  Researchers will sample animal populations most likely to carry disease and will examine the activities that are most likely to cause these disease agents to spillover into people.  OHASA believes this preventative and predictive methodology can stop the next devastating pandemic in its tracks.

Dr. Stephen Luby, Head of the Programme on Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Sciences at ICDDRB, Bangladesh added, "We can see the links between health issues in Bangladesh and those across the border. We believe that this cross-border collaboration will be beneficial for Bangladesh and India as we strive to improve health and well-being in this region."

The number of emerging diseases among wildlife and human populations has increased exponentially in this part of the world and scientists believe the frequency of disease outbreaks requires mandated surveillance methods.  Wildlife Trust's research on global disease hotspots identified subtropical regions as a viral hotbed for disease outbreaks.  Dr. Mushtaque Chowdhury of the Rockefeller Foundation, commented, "such collaborations will build stronger wildlife surveillance protocols and testing guidelines and will reinforce our data sets and improve lines of communication between countries and between ministries and the human, domestic animal and wildlife sectors thus truly achieving a One Health approach."

The underlying causes of many diseases can be directly linked to environmental changes in population, deforestation and fragmentation, global warming, and failing ecosystems. Other factors include global wildlife trade, shrinking natural habitats, invasive species, and socio-economic changes.  "The only way to deal with these complex issues is to bring our views of human, wildlife and livestock health together - a true 'One Health' approach," states Professor Nitish Debnath, Vice Chancellor of Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Science University, Bangladesh.  Wildlife Trust scientists have identified the Indian subcontinent as one of the top regions where the next pandemic disease could arise.  OHASA delegates will work with local authorities from many disciplines and institutions in India and Bangladesh and ultimately other South Asian countries to identify zoonotic diseases and work to predict and prevent outbreaks. "Shrinking habitats and human-induced changes to the environment are forcing wildlife and people into smaller areas causing a rise in zoonotic diseases that is unprecedented," said Dr. Raman Sukumar, world-renowned Asian elephant expert and Wildlife Trust Alliance member.  "OHASA will focus on a targeted regional effort to safeguard human, wildlife and ecosystem health."

 About One Health Alliance of South Asia
The One Health Alliance of South Asia (OHASA) is a consortium of governmental agencies, independent researchers, and NGOS united to combat the threats of zoonotic disease emergence in known pathogen hotspots in South Asia.  Partners include Drs. Peter Daszak, Alonsog Aguirre, Jon Epstein and Jim Desmond of the U.S. based Wildlife Trust; Dr. Raman Sukumar Professor and Chair at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore; Dr. Naresh Jindal, Disease Investigation Officer; Dr. Milind Watve, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune; Dr. Mohammad Sabbir Haider of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research; Dr. Janhangir Hossain, International Diarrhoeal Disease Research Center, Bangladesh; Prof. Nitish C. Debnath, Vice Chancellor Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Bangladesh; and Professor Jacob Cheeran, Director, Technical Services Cheerans Lab, Kerala, India.

About Wildlife Trust
Wildlife Trust empowers local conservation scientists worldwide to protect nature and safeguard ecosystem and human health. Wildlife Trust is a conservation science innovator and leverages research expertise through strategic global alliances. Wildlife Trust pioneered the field of Conservation Medicine, a new discipline that addresses the link between ecological disruption of habitats and the effects on wildlife, livestock and human health.

Founded in 1971 by British naturalist and author Gerald Durrell, Wildlife Trust has built its reputation on 35 years of global research, education, training and experience. Research and conservation work in the United States include programs in Florida and along the coast of the Southeastern U.S.

Internationally, Wildlife Trust trains and supports a network of scientists around the world to save endangered species and their habitats and to protect the health of vital ecosystems. Wildlife Trust created the first egalitarian international network of science-based conservation organizations called the Wildlife Trust Alliance and is a founding partner organization of the Consortium for Conservation Medicine, a unique think-tank of prestigious academic institutions.

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