IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency

09/21/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/21/2021 13:44

Preparing for Zoonotic Outbreaks: Scientific Forum Opens

The obvious lesson from the pandemic is the lack of global preparedness to respond early to the outbreak of zoonotic diseases. The IAEA dedicated its Scientific Forum to investigate the future and how nuclear science can further help the world to prepare for future zoonotic outbreaks.

"We are under a pandemic as we speak and it is not an abstract problem," said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the opening of the 2021 Scientific Forum. "We want this Forum to be a space to exchange views with a robust scientific content, but most importantly we want to address what needs to be done now, and what is needed to put this [pandemic] behind us and to prevent such a thing from happening again."

Introducing the other opening speakers, Director Generals Qu Dongyu of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Tedros Ghebreyesus of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Monique Eloit of the World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE), Mr Grossi added: "We will bring together the best we can do with a one health approach." The one health approach recognises that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.

With technological and scientific progress in the use of nuclear and related techniques in detecting zoonotic diseases - diseases transmitted from animals to people - this year's Scientific Forum examines how these techniques play a role in helping countries detect, mitigate and prevent the outbreak of zoonotic diseases.

The Forum is taking place in Vienna along with the IAEA's 65th General Conference over the next two days. Senior officials and leading experts discuss the latest developments in the preparation and mitigation of global zoonotic outbreaks. The event features five sessions. For the full programme, click here.

The live streaming of the Scientific Forum is available here.