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Current Affairs Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination

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Topic: UN Report on Zoonotic Diseases

Why in News?

• About 60 per cent of known infectious diseases in humans and 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, according to a new report published recently by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
• The report, ‘Preventing the Next Pandemic: Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission’ was released on July 6, 2020, celebrated as ‘World Zoonoses Day’.
• The report discussed the context and nature of potential future zoonotic disease outbreaks, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is Zoonotic Diseases?

• Zoonosis is another name for a zoonotic disease. This type of disease passes from an animal or insect to a human.
• Zoonotic diseases are prevalent throughout the world; they can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi, and may cause mild or severe illness or death.
• Examples of zoonoses include HIV-AIDS, Ebola, Lyme Disease, malaria, rabies, West Nile fever, and the current novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disease.
• Zoonoses can be transmitted in various ways: ( through the air; ( by eating contaminated meat or produce; ( through close contact with an infected animal; ( by touching an area or surface that an infected animal touched; and ( through insect bites like mosquitos or ticks.

Key Messages

• It identified seven anthropogenic driving factors leading to the emergence of zoonotic diseases — increased demand for animal protein; rise in intense and unsustainable farming; the increased use and exploitation of wildlife; unsustainable utilisation of natural resources; travel and transportation, changes in food supply chains and the climate change crisis.
• About 60 per cent of human infections are estimated to have an animal origin. Of all new and emerging human infectious diseases, some 75 per cent “jump species” from other animals to people. Most described zoonoses happen indirectly, e.g. via the food system.
• The frequency of pathogenic microorganisms jumping from other animals to people is increasing due to unsustainable human activities.
• The greatest burden of zoonotic disease is borne by poor people, but emerging infectious diseases impact everyone, with monetary losses of emerging infectious disease much greater in high-income countries.
• Diseases are emerging more frequently from animals. Rapid action is necessary to fill the science gap and fast-track the development of knowledge and tools to help national governments, businesses, the health sector, local communities and other stakeholders – especially those with limited resources – to reduce the risk of future pandemics.

Recommendations

• The report made ten recommendations based on the ‘One Health’ approach that could aid a coordinated multi-sectoral response to future pandemics. These included: ( Raising awareness of zoonotic diseases; ( Investing in interdisciplinary approaches, including One Health; ( Expanding scientific enquiry into zoonotic diseases; ( Improving cost-benefit analyses of interventions to include full-cost accounting of societal impacts of disease; ( Strengthening monitoring and regulation practices associated with zoonotic diseases, including food systems; ( Incentivising sustainable land management practices and developing alternatives for food security and livelihoods that do not rely on the destruction of habitats and biodiversity; ( Improving biosecurity and control, identifying key drivers of emerging diseases in animal husbandry and encouraging proven management and zoonotic disease control measures; ( Supporting the sustainable management of landscapes and seascapes that enhance sustainable co-existence of agriculture and wildlife; ( Strengthening capacities among health stakeholders in all countries; and ( Operationalising the One Health approach in land-use and sustainable development planning, implementation and monitoring, among other fields.