New Zealand Veterinary Expert Appointed To The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board

Veterinary Epidemiologist Dr Matthew Stone has recently returned to New Zealand after a five-year appointment in Paris, France, working as the Deputy Director General, International Standards and Science for the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE).

WOAH is the global authority on Animal Health. An intergovernmental organization, focused on the dissemination of information on animal diseases, and improving animal health globally.

In his role as Deputy Director General, Dr Stone was involved in a wide range of animal health, disease eradication, animal welfare and standard setting regulatory projects in the international setting. His expertise as a Veterinary Epidemiologist also saw his involvement and development of the One Health Policy – lead by the four international agencies, collectively known as the One Health Quadripartite; the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), who have signed a groundbreaking agreement to strengthen cooperation to sustainably balance and optimize the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment.

Recently Dr Stone has been appointed to the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB). The GPMB, established in 2018, is an independent monitoring and accountability body to ensure preparedness for global health crises. Co-convened by the Director-General of the World Health Organization and the President of the World Bank, the GPMB is comprised of globally-recognised leaders and experts from a wide range of sectors, including medicine, global health, veterinary epidemiology, environment, human rights, economics, law, gender, and development. It is tasked with providing an independent and comprehensive appraisal for policy makers and the world about progress towards increased preparedness and response capacity for disease outbreaks and other emergencies with health consequences. In short, the work of the GPMB is to chart a roadmap for a safer world.

Dr Stone will be the first veterinarian appointed to this board. The GPMB has learnt much and been challenged by the Covid-19 Pandemic. Global preparedness is a One Health challenge, requiring the involvement of multiple sectors. Reflecting on these lessons, the renewed GPMB has been selected to bring increased diversity and breadth. This group's high-level and multisectoral experience is truly impressive: spanning areas including human rights, diplomacy, economics, law, veterinary epidemiology, environment, gender, global health, and development. To have a New Zealand veterinarian on such a high-level board is reflective of New Zealand’s standing on the world stage for animal health and emergency management practices.

Dr Stone says;

“Disease emergence has long been recognised as a significant threat to public health. Many recent examples involve animal reservoirs of viruses that spill over into humans because of human activities, including intensification of agriculture and encroachment of humans and livestock into wildlife ecosystems. Pandemic threats have many of the same drivers and therefore need to be viewed with the same multidisciplinary perspectives as the climate and biosecurity crises.

WOAH’s inter-governmental work involving 182 members to agree international standards, formulate strategies for their coordinated implementation, and to support capacity development and resource mobilisation is politically and scientifically complex but far-reaching and important. With the ongoing support of my former WOAH colleagues, I hope that the animal health and welfare sector activities will be well represented in GPBM evaluations and recommendations, so that GPMB contributes to One Health preparedness for the future.”

Links for additional information;

Global Preparedness Monitoring Board https://www.gpmb.org/

GPMB announcement https://www.gpmb.org/news/news/item/30-09-2022-global-preparedness-monitoring-board-announces-new-board-membership-bringing-diverse-expertise-to-independent-monitoring

Key Messages from September 2022 GPMB Secretariat monthly update:

1. To introduce the Board and its new membership

• The GPMB is an independent monitoring and accountability body co-convened by the Director- General of the World Health Organization and the President of the World Bank in the aftermath of the Ebola outbreaks in West Africa.
• In 2019, the Board predicted the immediate threat of a major pandemic in its first report, ‘A World At Risk’. Since then, it has become a major voice advocating for preparedness to be kept high on the global political agenda.
• COVID-19 demonstrated how preparedness is far wider than just health, requiring a whole-of-society response and the engagement of multiple sectors. The 2022 renewal of the Board has sought to increase diversity, independence, and breadth of experience. Expertise includes diplomacy, human rights, economics, law, veterinary epidemiology, environment, gender, global health, and development.

1. To advocate for a greater role of independent monitoring in global health architecture reforms

• We need independent monitoring to provide oversight of progress in preparedness and
  support mutual accountability for action. The GPMB has advocated for the vital role of independent monitoring in strengthening global preparedness.
• Independent monitoring is a crucial element of a reformed global health architecture. A strong independent monitoring mechanism is essential to oversee and report upon progress of reforms.
• One element of global architecture reform is the pandemic treaty. The GPMB has said that independent monitoring should be a substantive part of the Instrument. It has called for the INB to establish a strong independent monitoring mechanism to provide evidence-based analysis, report regularly to the governing body of the Instrument, and strengthen and supplement existing monitoring mechanisms.
• A strengthened GPMB can play a central role for independent monitoring of global pandemic preparedness and response.

27 September 2022

One Health Collaboration https://www.who.int/health-topics/one-health#tab=tab_1

World Organisation for Animal Health https://www.woah.org/en/home/

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