The G7 (Group of Seven) is an organisation of the world's seven largest so-called advanced economies. They are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the United States. Recently the leaders of these countries convened at the G-7 Summit in Cornwall, England where they made several important commitments addressing the interlinked existential crises facing our planet—climate change, biodiversity loss, and zoonotic pandemics. The renewed focus on nature by these nations is an essential step for the world to successfully tackle these crises.
Whilst we applaud the G7 prioritization of a One Health approach to all aspects of future pandemic prevention, one key element is missing from the members' commitment. Although we appreciate the attention on preparedness and post-spillover responses, they missed the chance to make a commitment to take the critical actions needed to prevent the next spillover of zoonotic pathogens from wildlife and other animals to people.