NOW Magazine
How protecting the planet can prevent pandemics
A coalition of health organizations will propose and finance new measures, such as cutting-edge behaviour change approaches
By David Suzuki
Somrerk Kosolwitthayanant / iStock / Getty Images Plus
With COVID-19 vaccines becoming more available, we can breathe a small sigh of relief – through our masks! But we can’t get complacent. This pandemic isn’t over. And if we’re not careful, others could be on the horizon.
A coalition of health and conservation organizations is trying to prevent that. It points to evidence that “increasing rates of deforestation and land-use change due to population growth and urbanization – coupled with growing globalization and excess production driven by consumerism” are increasing our vulnerability to “zoonotic” diseases, which spread from other animals to people.