Attendees will hear from a number of experts including Dr David Nabarro, the special envoy of the WHO director general on COVID-19.

The Centre for One Health at NUI Galway will launch its Spotlight Series on Monday, July 27, from 2.30pm-4pm with a live online event ‘COVID-19: A One Health Challenge’.

The One Health concept recognises that human health is linked to the health of animals and the environment we share. It is essential to take a One Health approach to tackle many of the human health challenges we face in today’s world.

Example of a zoonotic disease

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 is believed to have spread from bats via an intermediary host to humans and therefore COVID -19 is an example of a zoonotic disease, which is a disease spread from animals to humans.

Professor Dearbháile Morris, director of the Centre for One Health and Head of the Discipline of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, NUI Galway, said: “It is estimated that six out of every 10 known infectious diseases in humans originate in animals, and three out of every four new or emerging infectious diseases in people are spread from animals. Therefore is it only by taking a One Health approach that we can adequately address issues such as COVID-19 and prepare for future pandemics.”

To register for this free event which will be delivered on Zoom visit https://bit.ly/2ZwdARC. For further details, contact Professor Dearbháile Morris at dearbhaile.morris@nuigalway.ie.