Technical Advisory Group (TAG) brings independent expert lens to N4H
Charged with bringing an independent and expert voice to Nature for Health (N4H), the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is a dynamic and engaging group of people and a significant asset to N4H. Established in October 2022, the TAG is already adding value to N4H’s work by asking questions, challenging assumptions and sharing insights. Bringing a wealth of experience and expertise, the mandate of the TAG is to provide technical and strategic advice to the N4H Steering Committee.
From experts in human-wildlife conflict to epidemiology and from advocacy, legal and policy advisers to mountain gorilla health, TAG members are leading One Health practitioners in their diverse fields. The geographic, ontological, sectoral, gender and experiential diversity embodied by this group constitutes a great strength of N4H and is a key criterion of the TAG selection process. Their broad expertise enhances the development, implementation, and monitoring of N4H activities, and the diversity of perspectives and disciplines also helps build inclusivity in the development, design and implementation of the N4H initiative and its in-country projects.
Members joined the TAG for different reasons, and each has their hope for what it can achieve. Some advocate for the need for a systems approach, helping humans to rebuild our identity as organisms within a larger system and ensuring that justice is central to decision-making and considered alongside science on declining biodiversity for equitable policy at all levels. Some want to influence the health narrative, bringing in indigenous perspectives on wellbeing, while all support the One Health paradigm. Others promote the need for cross-boundary and cross-sectoral collaboration, and look forward to engaging partners from all over the world, sharing knowledge, and promoting participative approaches and local solutions.
There are 12 TAG seats available, and the current members are:
Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine, an indigenous researcher from Mali
Franck Berthe, a French One Health livestock specialist at the World Bank
Myrna Kay Cunningham Kain, an indigenous medical practitioner from Nicaragua
Nitish Debnath, a tropical veterinarian from South Asia
Serge Morand, a zoonotic epidemiologist from France
Julius Nziza, a veterinarian and researcher from Rwanda specialising in gorillas
Christina Pettan-Brewer, a Brazilian-American professor, expert and specialist in global One Health
Marcela Uhart, a wildlife veterinarian from Argentina
Katie Woolaston, a wildlife and conservation lawyer from Australia
One of the first responsibilities of the TAG was to review over 60 Expressions of Interest that were submitted from all over the world to be partner countries for Phase I. The TAG’s diversity ensured an informed analysis across the applications and identification of those which met N4H’s interest in countries with a high risk of zoonotic disease spillover and a commitment to collaboration, as well as achieving a geographic balance. The TAG’s next major role will be reviewing the actions planned in the 6 N4H Phase I countries. As N4H moves forward into implementation, the TAG will continue to provide technical expertise, knowledge and advice to the implementing organisations and country partners. The TAG offers capable hands to which N4H and its partner organisations will turn for expert guidance throughout this process.
More detailed bios of our TAG members can be found here.
Photo by Clément Falize on Unsplash