While the world continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a leading global health expert has issued a stark warning: climate change is creating conditions ripe for the emergence of new viruses. This alert came from Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO), during a lecture in Hyderabad.
Unravelling the COVID-19 Origin Mystery
Addressing the ongoing debate about the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Dr. Swaminathan clarified the scientific consensus. She stated that a definitive conclusion remains elusive due to a lack of necessary data from laboratories in Wuhan, China. However, she strongly dismissed the theory of a deliberately engineered and released virus, emphasizing it holds very little scientific basis.
"The most plausible hypothesis," she explained, "is that the virus originated from an animal source, possibly jumping to humans through a secondary animal host." This event, known as a zoonotic spillover, is a growing concern in a warming world.
How a Warming Planet Breeds Pathogen Risk
Dr. Swaminathan detailed the direct link between climate change and viral evolution. Rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and the rapid loss of biodiversity are disrupting natural ecosystems. This disruption makes it easier for pathogens to jump from animals to humans.
"There is a lot of research going on in this area," she noted, citing the example of the H1N1 influenza virus. This virus is increasingly transmitting from birds to mammals and, occasionally, to humans. Such spillover events are becoming more frequent, elevating the risk of local outbreaks escalating into full-blown pandemics.
Policy Actions: A Blueprint for Prevention
During the 13th Dr. Manohar V. N. Shirodkar Memorial Lecture, Dr. Swaminathan stressed that robust public policies are our primary defence. She pointed to tangible solutions already implemented in places like China and London, which include:
- Transitioning to renewable energy sources.
- Improving and promoting public transportation.
- Strengthening waste management through segregation.
- Diversifying agriculture and promoting energy-efficient buildings.
"We are already experiencing the health impacts of heat and air pollution. Thankfully, there are solutions... There is no doubt that human activities are the main drivers," she asserted.
The Twin Crises: Biodiversity Collapse and Soaring Heat
The expert highlighted the scale of the environmental crisis, warning that a million species are at risk of extinction. This catastrophic loss of biodiversity has unpredictable and severe consequences for ecosystem stability and human health.
Furthermore, she noted that global temperatures have already surpassed the critical 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels. Current projections suggest a rise of 2.5°C to 3°C by the century's end, which would dramatically intensify health threats from extreme weather.
Extreme Weather as a Health Catastrophe
Heatwaves, floods, droughts, and cyclones are not just environmental disasters—they are major public health events. Dr. Swaminathan explained that these crises directly cause death and injury, disrupt healthcare systems, destroy livelihoods, and force large-scale migration. "Mitigation and adaptation are both critical," she emphasized.
A Call for Borderless Cooperation
Drawing a parallel between pandemics and climate change, Dr. Swaminathan concluded that both are global challenges that "do not respect borders." The key to effectively combating these intertwined threats lies in international collaboration and the open sharing of scientific knowledge, even amidst political differences. The health of the planet and its population, she argued, depends on this united front.
