As the population grows, so does the demand for material resources such as food and fuel. As people earn more, demand rises further. Meeting these needs creates more opportunities for animal-to-human spillovers and higher prevalence of zoonotic diseases. Reducing possibilities of such spillovers is possible through better resource management. Also, there should be continued surveillance to identify a zoonotic disease and its spread potential, studies of the genomic structure to identify its impact on human health and development of drugs. Creating institutions, systems and capacity for continuous surveillance must become the new ‘new normal’. Governments should roll out plans to ensure accessible, affordable primary healthcare. For those better placed such as readers of this column, focus must shift to individual-specific check-up and treatment for specific bodies.
On the broader front, central and state governments along with local authorities must work together to develop a roadmap, ensuring human and physical infrastructure. Focusing on clean habitations, effective waste collection and management, and enhanced awareness among people is critical to improving human well-being and reducing the incidence of vector diseases. Improving health and healthcare systems must become a priority.
