Ambassadors

Wildlife crime is the fourth largest form of organized crime, after drugs, weapons and human trafficking. According to the World Bank, the value of wildlife crime is estimated between $1 trillion -$ 2 trillion per year! The industry operates with increasingly sophisticated and well-organized criminal networks. Syndicates often evade law enforcement, while the revenues are enormous.

The implications of wildlife crime are, besides the extinction of animals, serious organized crime, terrorism, economic disruption and the spread of infectious diseases. In support of a multi-disciplinary approach, the Wildlife Forensic Academy is committed to combatting the root cause of the transmission of many infectious diseases by ending wildlife poaching, trafficking and trade.

The Wildlife Forensic Academy fights against poaching by mobilizing forensic knowledge and expertise. By providing theoretical training and practical experience to law enforcement professionals and international students, we strengthen the criminal justice chain and make our course participants aware of the enormous global implications associated with wildlife crime.

https://www.wildlifeforensicacademy.com/

Ambassador Cirion

Having worked as a clinical infectiologist in Suriname for many years, I discovered that treatment of infectious diseases was only at the very end of the cycle. I therefore got more and more interested in health information and promotion, as important means of prevention. I have been and am still involved in research and control, if not elimination of infectious diseases like HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis. Together with the team of Viroscience from the Erasmus MC, we have been working on Zika. I have observed the activities of Viruskenner in some primary schools in Suriname and am excited to be appointed as an ambassador to Cirion Foundation and thus become active in (the promotion of) similar educational projects.

“Knowledge by science; awareness by education”

In our rapidly changing world, infectious diseases, old and new, have an undisputed impact on our society. The rapid spread of infectious diseases is seen as a serious threat to the modern world. The majority of emerging infections are zoonotic, which means transmitted from animal hosts and/or vectors to human populations. A combination of factors among which urbanization, migration of human and animal populations, intensive livestock farming, living habits with a negative impact on climate, nature and environment do have a negative impact on life.

We find solutions to combat the spread of [zoonotic] infectious diseases in modern technical innovations, but the cornerstone of prevention is inducing behavior change by spreading knowledge and raising awareness. Cirion is, together with partners in the field of science, education and society, designing public education programs and supports science. We believe unconditional commitment, responsibility and leadership in the field of infection prevention is the cornerstone to contribute to a healthy plant.