Brasilia, Brazil, 7 November 2025 — Nine countries from the Amazon Basin and the Darién Corridor have agreed to strengthen regional health security by improving surveillance, preparedness, and response to emerging zoonotic diseases, which are transmitted from animals to humans. This initiative reinforces regional cooperation under the One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health strategies.
During the fourth technical meeting of the Amazon–Darién Network for Emerging Zoonoses with Epidemic Potential (RADE) held in Macapá, Brazil, representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, alongside national and international partners, defined guidelines for the RADE Action Plan 2026–2028. The meeting, coordinated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), also marked the official launch of RADE as a technical cooperation platform to anticipate and contain zoonotic threats before they escalate into public health emergencies.
The RADE Action Plan will guide joint efforts across preparedness, surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, epidemiological intelligence, and modeling. The Network adopted its statute and governance structure during the first General Assembly, establishing a permanent framework for coordination among the human, animal, and environmental health sectors. Technical working groups were created in four priority areas—laboratory, surveillance, preparedness, and intelligence and modeling—supported by cross-cutting pillars on intersectoral coordination, risk communication, and capacity building.
RADE will facilitate applied research, technical exchanges among laboratories, and joint training programs for professionals across member countries, fostering knowledge sharing and strengthening national capacities. Sylvain Aldighieri, PAHO Director of Communicable Disease Prevention, emphasized that integrated surveillance in the Amazon and Darién not only protects South American and Mesoamerican countries but also enhances regional health security against future epidemics and pandemics.
The initiative, supported by the PROTECT project funded by the Pandemic Fund, positions the Amazon–Darién Network as a strategic mechanism to consolidate expertise and resources, enhancing regional preparedness and response to emerging zoonotic diseases. By integrating knowledge, capacities, and intersectoral cooperation, RADE addresses one of the most critical health threats to sustainable development in Latin America.
