On May 15, 2025, ASAMCO organized a first expert workshop at Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mahidol University.

By gathering experts, the workshop contributed to the synthesize of existing knowledge and gaps by evaluating knowledge, gaps, and risk of viral zoonoses in order to improve the prevention of their emergence and spread at the source.

A PREACT (Prezode) project funded by the Afd (Agence Française de Dévelopment) and operated by IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development).

The main objective of ASAMCO Laos & Thailand is to develop innovative approaches to prevent / mitigate the emergence and the spread of zoonotic diseases at the socio-ecosystem level and wildlife interfaces. In particular, the project in this region will explore local context of zoonotic disease prevention in relation to land use changes (including reforestation), climate change and wildlife conservation and use (including human-wildlife conflict). This objective will have impacts on enhancing the involvement of the environmental sector and disciplines in the implementation of the One Health approach.

In order to achieve the project objective, several activities need to be performed:

• Identification of wildlife interface and gap analysis on the prevention of zoonotic disease risks (wildlife supply chain, ecosystem, land use change, livestock - protected areas, reforestation, economic corridors, urbanization, etc).

• Mapping of relevant past and ongoing projects (aims, geography, methods, outcomes).

• Identification of gaps in policies and legislation regarding wildlife and zoonotic disease risks.

• Development of a Theory of Change (ToC) to prevent/ mitigate zoonotic risks at the ecosystem level: targets, paths, indicators, and impacts.

• Implementation of innovative actions for preventing, mitigating, and making a surveillance of zoonotic diseases in local sites (local communities and administrations).