Addressing the Environmental Drivers of Pandemics
As the world builds forward to be far more effective in preventing future pandemics, it is vital that we address the environmental drivers of disease outbreaks. The SARS Cov-2 pandemic, just like the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, clearly showed how diseases spread from wild animals to humans. Anthropogenic activities, including habitat destruction, wildlife trafficking, wet markets and climate change contribute to humans and wild animals coming into close contact with each other. This increases the chance of a disease jumping from its animal host to a human.
This panel will discuss:
- How these environmental changes increase the risk of spillover
- What can be done to address these environmental drivers
- How a OneHealth approach can address these challenges
- How efforts to reduce spillovers can also improve the social determinants of health and environmental outcomes.This information can be useful in engaging policymakers and the public.
- It is clear that we will not be able to effectively prevent future pandemics without addressing the environmental challenges that underpin disease spillover events.
Moderator
- Keith Martin, Consortium of Universities for Global Health
Speakers
- Hernan Caceres-Escobar, Species Survival Commission of International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Isabella Eckerle, Geneva Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases
- Catherine Machalaba, One Health High-Level Expert Panel EcoHealth Alliance
- Serge Morand, One Health High-Level Expert Panel CIRAD