By Ethel Sillah
The environment plays an important role in the health of humans and wildlife. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 was a wakeup call to pay more attention to nature if we are to live in peace. As humans, life on earth can become challenging if we continue to neglect and or destroy the very fabric of our existence. The world had seen the emergence of many infectious diseases and a change in the relationship between humans and nature.
It is believed that the COVID -19 pandemic is not the last to seriously hit humans and nature and if we fail to put an end to the trade in wildlife species we are at a higher risk to contend with many more pandemics. This means we should encourage ourselves to be more environmental friendly and avoid interference with wildlife.
The question here is how many more infectious diseases are we expecting to emerge in the future? Honestly the answer lies with us –humans. The environment and climate have experienced numerous impacts due to COVID-19 both positively and negatively.
COVID-19 has been a public health emergency of international concern and every country and sector in the world have been affected. The imposition of travel bans and restrictions around the globe resulted to a massive reduction of oil and its demands. Furthermore, there has been a reduction in the pollution of greenhouse gasses from factories and carbon emission from smokes and wastes.
However, the process in which the environment can heal completely is farfetched as humans plan to return to normal lifestyles. Lockdowns and travel restrictions were temporary positive impacts on the environment that could now pave the way for humans to adjust their way of life without negatively impacting the environment, the health of humans, animals and the ecosystem.
In the 21st century, corona virus is the third most infectious disease to have destroyed humans and also putting a halt on the world’s economy. Psychologically COVID-19 has crippled essential health services and how people live their lives on a daily base.
Meanwhile, polluting the air can affect the climate and this will result to rapid changes on our ecosystems, which on the other hand can exacerbate infectious diseases outbreaks that will affect pathogens, vectors, hosts and transmission dynamics. As and when this happens, humans and animals will suffer. However, an infectious disease when emerged amongst the animals can completely wipe out an entire family just like humans.
Also, controlling and or trying to minimize the spread of an infectious disease amongst humans and animals will be futile. Whereas humans can go to the hospital for treatment, the animals cannot and with the destruction of their habitats for them to go through any disease naturally will never happen. They will eventually end up dead.
The pandemic being a global health emergency and with adverse effects on humans has positively changed travel and production patterns that can improve air quality and reduce carbon footprint which will lead to improved environmental health for all.
Inasmuch as the world is gradually returning to production there is still more to learn about the corona virus, such as whether there is a limit on required immunity or rather will the virus be seasonal or should humans prepare to live with the virus? On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that COVID -19 and other pandemics are here to stay.
Tacugama through its environmental education programme in schools provides a platform for children to know more about wildlife and zoonoses and how closely they are linked together. Children in urban and in rural areas are taught about the health of people and animals as humans continue to daily interact with plants, animals and the environment. The sanctuary is working closely with UN agencies (WHO and FAO), INGOs and local communities to reiterate the One Health agenda stating that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.
With this in mind, humans should endeavor to protect the environment at all cost and minimize the level of wildlife and human interaction. We should also bear in mind that the environment protects us and we heavily and entirely depend on it for our day to day living. At the same time, Wildlife should be left to thrive in the wild. That is where they belong! Returning to normalcy depends on our actions.
Tacugama chimpanzee sanctuary continues to play an important role in the protection of wildlife and the environment in the country, nursing thousands of seeds for planting in degraded areas around the sanctuary and in rural communities.
