EcoHealth Alliance Receives Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council

NEW YORK – October 26, 2018 – Recognizing its unique expertise, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has granted EcoHealth Alliance special consultative status. This honor allows EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit working at the intersection of animal, environmental, and human health on a global scale, the ability to engage with United Nations decision-making bodies like ECOSOC and the UN General Assembly.

“EcoHealth Alliance’s approach to development, global health, and capacity strengthening is critical for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the UN in 2015,” EcoHealth Alliance Executive Vice President for Health and Policy Dr. William Karesh said. “Especially as the world increasingly faces overlapping threats of land degradation, emerging diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and their economic consequences. We are honored to be invited to translate our innovative science to practical solutions for preventing health disasters and protecting ecosystems we all depend on.”

EcoHealth Alliance may now send representatives to United Nations meetings and submit written statements to be circulated by the Secretary-General to members of ECOSOC. The United Nations may enlist EcoHealth Alliance to conduct research or make recommendations to the council on matters of pandemic prevention, conservation, or global public health.

About EcoHealth Alliance
Building on over 45 years of groundbreaking science, EcoHealth Alliance is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting wildlife, environmental, and public health from the emergence of disease. Approximately 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases like Ebola, HIV, Zika, SARS, MERS, and West Nile virus have all originated in animals before spilling over to human populations. Using environmental and health data covering the past 60 years, EcoHealth Alliance scientists created the first-ever global disease hotspots map that identified at-risk regions to determine where research and field work are needed to help predict and prevent the next pandemic crisis. That work is the foundation of EcoHealth Alliance’s rigorous, science-based approach working in nearly 30 countries worldwide. EcoHealth Alliance’s strength is founded on innovations in research, training, global partnerships, capacity building, and policy initiatives.
Press contact: Anthony Ramos, (212) 380-4469 or ramos@ecohealthalliance.org