The environment is fundamental to human health. Here’s why

The 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity in Cali, Colombia, is set to adopt an international plan to improve biodiversity and human health. UNEP’s Dr. Deborah Lynn Robinson emphasizes the importance of including the environment in One Health, as it is crucial for sustainable solutions.

The Eighth World One Health Congress in Cape Town this month will address biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change, which can exacerbate health risks like antimicrobial resistance and diseases like COVID-19. The congress will also examine how intensive livestock rearing has fostered the spread of zoonotic diseases through pathogens that jump between animals and humans. 

The agenda also includes a session on antibiotic overuse, superbug resistance, and integrating women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives into the One Health approach.

DR Robinson revealed that the United Nations Environment Programme’s role in the One Health approach is to conserve, restore, and sustainably use ecosystems, which act as natural buffers between wildlife, livestock, and humans. By addressing environmental issues like industrial agriculture and deforestation, UNEP helps rebuild natural defenses against health threats like disease, malnutrition, and respiratory and water-borne illnesses.

She advocates for implementing the GBF to promote healthy ecosystems, including unpolluted water, breathable air, non-toxic food, better human-wild animal interactions, and strengthening traditional knowledge for medicine and well-being.

She said, “One Health can achieve framework targets by promoting collaboration across sectors, managing medical waste, and modifying farming and land use practices to reduce land degradation and protect ecosystems, ultimately halting the extinction of healthy ecosystems.”

The Biodiversity and Health Action Plan aims to bridge the gap between the environment and human health by promoting holistic policy-making, linking global health strategies with biodiversity protection, and requires adoption at the COP.

Dr. Robinson suggests that governments should integrate One Health principles into national policies, establish regulations, invest in research, develop health professionals, and raise public awareness about environmental aspects.

She stated that while progress has been made in various areas, more efforts are needed to ensure a healthier future for all living things on Earth.