Preventing the Next Pandemic through a Planetary Health Approach: A Focus on Key Drivers of Zoonosis

Abstract

The ever-increasing global health impact of SARS-CoV-2—the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)—coupled with its socio-economic burden, has not only revealed the vulnerability of humanity to zoonotic pathogens of pandemic potential but also serves as a wake-up call for global health communities to rethink sustainable approaches towards preventing future pandemics. However, since the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) convened experts have declared that future pandemics are likely to be zoonotic in origin, it is imperative that we understand the key drivers of zoonosis such as biodiversity loss, climate change, wildlife consumption, and population mobility, as well as the scientific evidence underpinning them. In this article, we underscore the correlations of these drivers with the emergence and re-emergence of zoonosis. Consequently, we highlighted the need for multidisciplinary collaboration under the planetary health approach between researchers across the fields of environmental and human health to fill the knowledge and research gaps on key drivers of zoonosis. This is to prevent or limit future pandemics by protecting the natural systems of the Earth and its resources and safeguarding human and animal health.

Hybrid-Capture Target Enrichment in Human Pathogens: Identification, Evolution, Biosurveillance, and Genomic Epidemiology

“…In the last decade alone, the emergence and re-emergence of viral infections were reported globally [ 181 , 182 , 183 ], and future epidemics are inevitable [ 184 , 185 ]. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and population mobility today are likely to exacerbate the effects of zoonoses [ 185 , 186 ]. Technological advances in genomics have transformed the playing field, allowing for surveillance and early detection in real-time [ 184 , 187 , 188 , 189 ], which can be augmented using HC.…”

Emerging Arboviruses of Public Health Concern in Africa: Priorities for Future Research and Control Strategies

“…The Stockholm Paradigm addresses the climate-related health threat of infectious diseases, leveraged on ecological fittings, the geographical mosaic of co-evolution, taxon pulses, and the oscillation hypothesis. The application of both a planetary health approach and the Stockholm paradigm in tackling the profound threat of arboviral diseases in Africa can be achieved through the implementation of well-established and coordinated entomological surveillance coupled with adequate monitoring of arthropod vectors to allow for early detection and response [68]. Since the planetary health approach advocates for intersectoral collaboration and global partnership, this will allow for cost-resource and knowledge sharing across related translational fields within the concerned stakeholders in response to the arboviral threat at human and environmental interfaces.…”

Adopting a Statistical, Mechanistic, Integrated Surveillance, Thermal Biology, and Holistic (SMITH) Approach for Arbovirus Control in a Changing Climate: A Review of Evidence

“…Furthermore, the underpinning anthropogenic drivers, such as urbanization, changes in land use, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity, have significantly affected arthropod vector habitat, lifecycle dynamics, and consequently, the vulnerability of animal and human populations to arboviral threats [7,8]. Prevention and control strategies are of great importance today in tropical and subtropical regions highly susceptible to the dual risk of climatic changes and arboviruses spread [9]. This requires addressing all these interconnected environmental and anthropogenic dynamics with a long-term implementation plan and a transdisciplinary approach, such as 'planetary health' [9].…”

“…Prevention and control strategies are of great importance today in tropical and subtropical regions highly susceptible to the dual risk of climatic changes and arboviruses spread [9]. This requires addressing all these interconnected environmental and anthropogenic dynamics with a long-term implementation plan and a transdisciplinary approach, such as 'planetary health' [9]. Furthermore, coordinated statistical and mechanistic entomological surveillance studies that focus on thermal biology and how it influences the TRENDS of arboviruses can provide a meaningful database to track vector-borne and arbovirus spread across time and space [10].…”

“…This framework combines statistical, mechanistic, integrated surveillance, thermal biology, and holistic components that involve both One Health and planetary health approaches. Planetary health further promotes cross-sectoral and international cooperation with local stakeholders in response to the arboviral threat at the interfaces between the vector, the host, and the environment [9].…”