If the last few years have shown us the catastrophic consequences that a pandemic can have on our daily lives and on a planetary scale, it is clear that the future may prove to be even more problematic.
Indeed, approximately 60% of known infectious diseases and up to 75% of emerging infectious diseases are of animal origin. Animal diseases transmitted to humans, known as zoonoses, are estimated to be responsible for 2.5 billion cases of human disease and 2.7 million deaths worldwide each year, and these numbers will only increase.
Many factors are responsible for this, including the biodiversity crisis and various other environmental crises, which continue to have serious consequences for human and animal health and our common environment. We naturally have the reflex to analyze these from the environmental angle, which is quite adequate, but we must keep in mind that the health of our planet is part of a whole of which the environment is not is only a part.
The place of health in our thinking is all the more legitimate because of the upheavals we have experienced in recent years with the COVID-19 pandemic, which most likely emanated from an animal source.
Given the ease of both international and local travel and globalization, and therefore the ease with which a virus such as COVID-19 can spread, we should question our understanding of the vulnerability of human health in a globalized world.
This is exactly what the “One World, One Health” concept brings us, which encourages us to see that the health of humans is closely linked to that of animals and our common environment. The One Health approach involves a multitude of sectors, such as public health, veterinary medicine and environmental health. It is particularly relevant to food and water security, nutrition, zoonotic disease control, pollution management and the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
With a world population expected to approach 9.5 billion by 2050 and, as a result, an increase in urban sprawl and food supply, animals and humans will share a territory which, , will not grow. Thus, it is necessary to find sustainable solutions on an environmental scale, but also from a health point of view since the risks of diseases transmitted between our species will increase drastically.
Our species will be increasingly exposed to wild and farmed animals and their respective diseases. This is why we must develop solutions in this direction to avoid the appearance of other pandemics and epidemics, and this, at the same time as we must manage an unprecedented climate crisis.
Betting on the animal health sector is part of the solution. We need to put more effort into the development of new treatments, such as vaccines, which will not only improve the welfare of animals by providing them with appropriate treatment, but also limit the spread of animal diseases between species. and to humans. This progress must be made with a sustainable perspective and involve solutions that will stand the test of time.
Therefore, we are confident that the “One Health” approach will lead to the development of new animal health products and healthier animal husbandry practices, which will have positive effects on human health. and animals and on our common environment, thus contributing to collective well-being. That’s why our company, EVAH Corp, is dedicated to developing solutions that will improve animal health and reduce disease-related health issues.