The Role of Biodiversity in Reducing Zoonotic Disease Risk under Climate Change in African Socio-Ecological Landscapes: A One Health Approach

Abstract

Background

The effects of climate change are increasingly affecting the ecological systems of Africa, increasing the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems, and increasing the chance of transmission of zoonotic diseases. Biodiversity plays a key role in the regulation of disease by stabilising ecosystems and enabling the interaction of species, but research that has examined the links between biodiversity, climate variability and zoonotic disease incidence in the socio-ecological systems of Africa is limited. The One Health approach provides an integrated way of studying these linkages and the development of climate-resilient health policies..

Methods

In this study, we collected data from 873 participants from various socio-ecological settings throughout Africa using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Participants provided information about their socio-demographics, their perceptions of biodiversity, and the impacts of climate change, and the relationships between humans and animals (as well as which types of zoonotic diseases they are aware of) and lastly, how they practice "One Health" practices on a day-to-day basis using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. Researchers used descriptive statistics and inferential statistics and undertook a thematic analysis to provide context regarding the participants' comments about their communities. An ethical approval process took place and informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection.

Results

Most survey participants indicated that they observed declining levels of biodiversity as climate patterns became more unstable (e.g., longer periods of drought, unpredictable rain events). Damage to the habitat, fewer species of wildlife, and increased accessibility to communal water sources and grazing lands created conditions for increased contacts between humans and animals, which increased their perceived risk for the emergence of zoonotic diseases. Respondents who had higher scores on ecosystem integrity and better community-based conservation practices felt less at risk for zoonotic disease emergence and were better able to withstand climate-related health events. Awareness of zoonotic diseases was moderate in the region surveyed, but there was a continued lack of collaboration among the three health sectors: human, animal, and environment..

Conclusion

The findings indicate that by protecting biodiversity in Africa's socio-ecological systems, the risk of zoonotic diseases will be lowered, and climate resilience will be increased. In addition, to mitigate future zoonotic disease threats, One Health collaboration should be strengthened; ecosystems should be conserved; and community knowledge should be integrated into climate-smart adaptation strategies. Interventions based on biodiversity are likely to represent an effective long-term strategy for achieving improved public health outcomes as temperatures rise across Africa.