Emerging zoonotic diseases and links to ecosystem health – UNEP Frontiers 2016 chapter

In 2016 the UN Environment Programme identified the issue of zoonotic diseases as a key emerging issue of global concern in its Frontiers publication series.  The chapter on zoonoses – diseases that can be passed on from animals to humans – illustrates how the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases are closely interlinked with the health of ecosystems. The risk of disease emergence and amplification increases with the intensification of human activities surrounding and encroaching into natural habitats, enabling pathogens in wildlife reservoirs to spill over to livestock and humans. The report emphasizes the critical relationship between a healthy environment and healthy people, and how human activities often undermine the long-term health and ability of ecosystems to support human well-being.