Statement on World Health Day (7 April 2026)

Statement by the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Astrid Schomaker, on World Health Day (7 April 2026)

Theme: “Together for health. Stand with science”

“Together for health. Stand with science” is a call to action the world must heed. In these geopolitically fraught times, in which science and multilateralism have been facing strong headwinds, reflecting on their vital importance for our common future is crucial.

Advancing the One Health approach—which recognizes that the health of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems are interdependent—requires that policies and action be grounded in science, not conjecture. It also requires international cooperation, because pandemics, antimicrobial resistance or the nefarious impacts of biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change do not stop at national borders.

The science is clear. The diversity of genes, species and ecosystems constitutes a foundational determinant of the health of nature and all people. We know, for instance, that biodiversity loss is exacerbating infectious disease outbreaks that account for approximately 16 per cent of all deaths globally, and 44 per cent of deaths in low-income countries.

Invasive Alien Species are one of the top drivers of biodiversity loss.  According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), 85 per cent of them have adverse impacts on human health and wellbeing.

In December 2022, COP 15 of the CBD delivered the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), the world’s blueprint to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. By adopting it, governments representing most nations of the world chose to stand with science and work together towards a vision of unprecedented scale and ambition: living in harmony with nature. 

The KMGBF is articulated around 23 targets that contribute to strengthening the ecological foundation sustaining human health and well-being. Target 11, in particular, structures global efforts to restore, maintain, and enhance nature’s contributions to people, including the health benefits that flow from thriving ecosystems.

Adopted at COP 16, the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health constitutes a vehicle for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework through the One Health approach. It contains measures to prevent zoonotic and non-communicable diseases and promote healthy ecosystems.

We at the Secretariat of the CBD are working with our partners at the World Health Organization to support the implementation of the Global Action Plan as an enabler of integrated, cross-sectoral policies that deliver biodiversity and health co-benefits for people, animals, plants and ecosystems.

The international One Health Summit, taking place this week, six months ahead of an implementation-focused COP 17 of the CBD in Armenia, is expected to renew global commitment to science and multilateral cooperation. Both are sorely needed to accelerate the implementation of the KMGBF—the world’s most effective health insurance policy for nature and for people.