Zoonotic Diseases, Climate Change, Dietary Risks Posing Threat to Human Health

KOCHI:
Highlighting major challenges to human health amid a series of issues including climate change and anti-microbial resistance, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that most of the emerging viral threats are zoonotic infections transmitted from animals to humans.

She was speaking after the launch of various initiatives undertaken as part of a major research project on water quality assessment of Vembanad Lake and water borne infectious diseases at ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) on Friday. Dr Swaminathan, who is also former Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) emphasised the critical role of integrated research, including data from weather, climate, health, and environmental sources, to predict and prevent future outbreaks.

Most of the health threats today originate from environmental factors, she said and hence suggested establishing an Environmental Health Regulatory Agency in India.

Dietary Risks
Soumya Swaminathan further pointed to dietary risks as the number one health threat in the country. “Half of Indians cannot afford a nutritionally sufficient healthy diet”, she added. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are experiencing a concerning rise in obesity and non-communicable diseases, alongside persistent issues like malnutrition, anaemia, and micronutrient deficiencies, all stemming from unhealthy dietary habits, she said.

Emphasising the potential of marine resources as a healthy diet component to improve nutrition, Dr Swaminathan said that we are yet to fully utilise these resources to address these critical dietary issues.

Climate Change
Soumya Swaminathan underscored the devastating impact of climate change, saying that India is one of the most vulnerable countries to this challenge. “Almost the entire population of the country is being exposed to at least one of the climate hazards such as floods, droughts, cyclones, and extreme heat. Heat is most dangerous to both physical and mental health. The weakest section of the society burns the brunt of these hazards”, she added, stressing the need for adaptation strategies and resilience-building measures.

Collaboration and Citizen Science
She stressed the importance of collaboration among government research agencies, academia, and the community. “Citizen science initiatives are crucial for empowering communities and gathering valuable data,” she said.

“During COVID-19, I believe nobody anticipated the development of vaccines within a year. It was a remarkable achievement facilitated by unprecedented collaboration and data sharing among research institutions and scientists. During my time at the WHO, I witnessed first-hand this extraordinary level of networking and data sharing. Scientists prioritized the rapid dissemination of findings over individual publication which paid off ultimately”, Dr Swaminathan said.

Referring to the challenge of information flooding, Dr Swaminathan said in the digital age misinformation is fast spreading across social media platforms which can hinder scientific progress and public health efforts. “This was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when everybody disguised themselves as ‘experts’ and offered advice to the people”, she said.

She appreciated the proactive public health approach of Kerala government in effectively containing the Nipah virus.

Water Clinics, integrative database for water associated diseases in coastal communities, CLEANSE App and AQUADIP APP developed as part of the joint research project on Vembanad Lake water quality assessment were unveiled at the function. The project is a joint initiative by CMFRI, National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and the Nansen Environmental Research Centre-India (NERCI).

Dr Grinson George presided over the meeting. Dr Kajal Chakraborty and Dr V V R Suresh also spoke on the occasion.