Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC)

Further to the IAEA’s COVID-19 response, the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) initiative was established in June 2020 to help countries prevent pandemics caused by bacteria, parasites, fungi or viruses that originate in animals and can be transmitted to humans. Using a systematic and integrated approach, ZODIAC will strengthen the preparedness and capabilities of Member States to rapidly detect and timely respond to outbreaks of such diseases.

Under ZODIAC, veterinary and public health officials from Member States can benefit from joint research and development activities and from expert guidance as well as from the technical, scientific and laboratory support of the IAEA and its partners. This includes access to coordinated joint research, training, know-how, expertise and technology packages to enhance pathogen surveillance and disease diagnostics, along with prevention and response actions. Furthermore, it will provide access to scientific and diagnostic data and a decision-making support system that can enable authorities to take timely science- and results-based decisions.

ZODIAC places research, development and innovation at its core. The outcomes of the research and development efforts undertaken by the IAEA in cooperation with its partners, using immunological, molecular, nuclear and isotopic techniques will be immediately available to institutions participating in ZODIAC.

ZODIAC will benefit from the expertise of the joint laboratories of the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and from cooperation with partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) under the One Health approach, collaboration between human health and animal health experts. It will help tackle a plethora of zoonotic diseases, such as the ones caused by coronaviruses, the Zika virus, avian influenza viruses as well as other pathogens yet unknown.

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