18-July-2024

Our reactive approach to public health is inherently flawed, says Neil Vora. We prepare for outbreaks so we can respond quickly, but it’s never that easy. People are unaware of viruses spreading if they aren’t sick. People may not choose to get certain vaccines. Before long, we’re confined in our houses because there’s been an outbreak-turned epidemic. These behaviors are known as medical negligence. Preparing and responding aren’t enough. Then we thought of the question: What if we can prevent outbreaks before they even happen? Turns out, we can. The West African Ebola outbreak started when an 18 month old boy died of Ebola in 2013. From there, Ebola ran across the West African region, killing more than 11,000 people. Like other viruses, Ebola was found to have emerged from an animal, bats specifically. An estimated number of unknown viruses circulating in animals is about 600,000. We humans are the cause of spillover through various activities, including a broad focus, clearing forests. Deforestation is most likely the biggest driver of uncovering new diseases. There are three main reasons for animal-borne diseases. Animals that can survive deforestation tend to live beside people. Humans moving into deforested areas come in closer proximity to wildlife, enabling the spread of germs. Finally, animals spread disease when they fear losing their homes. Climate change is another contributing factor. Many of the recent diseases have been related to climate change at some point. Climate change is known to be human health’s greatest threat today (WHO). People have thought of killing the bats as an easy solution, but they’re wrong. It would only further expose us to disease. Additionally, bats are necessary for pollination; other animals have similar importances which give us reasons not to kill. There is, however, an immediate solution that would kill two birds with one stone: Protecting tropical forests. Trees are also a crucial, overlooked component of our well-being. I mean, we get the oxygen we breathe from trees. When we understand this importance, we can figure out a way to reverse the problem. In the early 2000s, Brazil civilians made an effort to stop deforestation using tactics, and in an 8-year span, the amount of deforestation dropped by 80%. Using additional efforts later on, health began to improve correspondingly. People and the planet don’t have to be opposing forces. If we implement solutions wisely, we can protect our trees and improve our health. So the answer to how we can stop the next pandemic? Save the trees.