A One Health–driven assessment of primate vaccination as an innovative emerging tool to curb urban yellow fever spillover, examining its scientific rationale, operational feasibility, and potential to strengthen prevention in rapidly evolving urban environments.
Event description
Multi-sectoral panel discussion focusing on “What can the animal health sector do to protect (vaccinate) primatesin urban and peri-urban areas to prevent yellow fever spillover into urban settings?”.
Background: Accelerating migration patterns, expanding informal urban settlements, and rising vaccine hesitancy are reshaping yellow fever risk at the human–animal–environment interface. Innovative approaches are needed to safeguard non‑human primates and prevent the virus from entering urban settings / triggering urban transmission cycle. Examples will be drawn for programmes where such endeavours were pursued (e.g., rabies).
Expected outcome
Exploratory discussion to understand the potential value add and feasibility of NHP vaccination against YF – a tool so far untapped to prevent introduction of the YFV into urban or peri-urban areas.
PanelistsDr Andrea Vicari, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)Dr Renato Vieira Alves,Pan American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health (PANAFSTOSA)Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH)Dr Johannes Refisch, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)Dr Katrin Boet, World Health OrganizationDr Chadia Wannous, World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)ModeratorsDr Laurence Cibrelus, WHODr Sylvain Aldighieri, PAHOPartners
Event co-organized by multiple partners including WHO, PAHO and WOAH.
How does this event fit into the One Health approach?
The event addresses the interconnection between humans, animals, and the environment. Yellow fever is a zoonotic arbovirus, per which humans suffer severe disease, primates act as amplification hosts in sylvatic cycles, and mosquito vectors (Aedes,Haemagogus,Sabethes) bridge transmission between forests, peri-urban, and urban areas. Urbanization and environmental changes increase spillover risk.
It calls for multi-sectoral approaches andinnovations to prevent spillovers, with a systems’ thinking approach to protect human health throughinterventions at the animal health level.
The event advances multiple One Health Joint Plan ofAction byfocusing onprimates ‘healthand ecological dynamics,spilloverand epidemic prevention, strengthening multisectoral coordination and integrated surveillance and joint risk management (crosscutting).