Trend: A healthy environment

A trend indicates a direction of change in values and needs which is driven by forces and manifests itself already in various ways within certain groups in society.

There is increasing realisation that health is a multifactorial outcome with strong causal links to the environment in which humans live. This idea is summarised under various concepts such as ‘one health’ or ‘planetary health’, with the latter emphasising the connection of human health with nature. A clean environment is essential for human health and well-being. Approximately 19 million premature deaths are estimated to occur annually because of the pollution of air, soil, water and food globally. Despite air quality improvements, many cities and regions still exceed the regulated limits. The climate crises, depletion of stratospheric ozone, loss of biodiversity and noise pollution are all adversely affecting human health.

Addressing climate change involves reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases (mitigation) and planning and acting to address the consequences that cannot be avoided (adaptation). Evaluating how different factors from the environment, human activity and diseases combine to affect the earth and human health can provide an integrated way to address challenging issues, and should involve wide participation of different sectors, disciplines and groups. The same holds true for the health sector. For e.g., advances in gene editing brings possibilities for our food system and the changing environment - potentially increasing plants, crop yields and quality, inferring drought resistance and so on.
 

This Trend is part of the Megatrend  Shifting health challenges

Manifestations

Developments happening in certain groups in society that indicate examples of change related to the trend.

Climate change and health

Scientists warn that new diseases will emerge (or re-emerge) from the impact humans are having on the environment. For e.g., by human encroachment on wild animal’s habitat and due to thawing of permafrost (frozen ground). The rise of temperatures could bring new surprises, or reintroduce previously (locally) eradicated disease vectors, including mosquitoes (i.e. malaria, chikungunya and dengue) and ticks (Tick-borne encephalitis). There are increasing challenges associated with access to clean water, which is critical for healthy ecosystems and for human survival itself.

The health-care sector contributes about 5% to total carbon emissions. Mitigation measures within health systems could bring benefits to health, for e.g. through greener hospitals, improved patient diets and new models of care (e.g. digital health). Alongside broad decarbonisation plans, integrating health into climate-change adaptation policies, building policies to protect the vulnerable, monitoring progress with the relevant sustainable development goals (SDGs), and building resilience in high-risk areas will help.

Signals of change: EC, WHO, UNWater, EASAC

Pollution

Humans are exposed to environmental stressors such as air, water, soil, light, food, and noise pollution, which are linked to a range of disease outcomes, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory and neurological disorders. Pollution effects combine and reinforce each other and the effects differ, with the most vulnerable in society being the hardest hit. Air pollution and noise are among the biggest environmental risks.
While substantial progress has been made to increase access to clean drinking water, there are still complex challenges to ensure everyone has access. In addition, WHO data shows that 9 out of 10 people breathe air that contains levels of pollutants exceeding guideline limits, with low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures. Some pollutants found in the EU have their origin elsewhere, and effective control of them requires cooperation (such as carbon monoxide, atmospheric ozone, or persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

High CO2 levels have been shown to affect the nutrient content of some plants. Increasingly ‘forever chemicals’ and microplastics coming from a variety of sources are present in oceans, freshwaters, air, soil, plants, food and animals (including humans). As pollution levels rise, so do the risks. 

Signals of change: UNwater, SAPEA, Vegetable Growers News, WHO, EEA

One health and planetary health

The 'One Health' and 'Planetary Health' concepts recognise that human health is connected to the health of animals and the environment. One Health is a collaborative, multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approach, working from the local to global level to achieve optimal health outcomes. The planetary health concept brings an even broader framing – flourishing health of the Earth means the flourishing of humans.

Animal and human food, animal and human health, and contamination of the environment are all closely linked and influence each other. Infectious agents can jump across animals into new species. Zoonotic diseases are those that spread between animals and humans, such as coronaviruses, influenza, West Nile Virus and rabies. We have all experienced the impacts of COVID-19. There are existing and emerging threats of zoonotic diseases - many with unknown effects on human health.

A One Health approach is also relevant for food safety and antibiotic resistance. The problem of antibiotics being used inappropriately has worsened because of the pandemic and the EU now risks an accelerated spread of anti-microbial resistance (AMR). There is a shortage of new antibiotics and other medicines to treat AMR. Subsequently, AMR diseases have to rely on drugs at an experimental stage. It has been estimated that AMR might cause more deaths than cancer by 2050.

Signals of change: OnehealthEJP, EAT, UN Climate Change, JRC

Interesting questions

What might this trend imply, what should we be aware of, what could we study in more depth? Some ideas:

• What if the COVID-19 pandemic never ends, or if it is replaced by a new infectious agent that emerges (due to space exploration, or the degradation of the environment, or melting ice caps)? 
• How can we create systemic interventions to improve health in the context of planetary health? 
• What if pollution and CO2 levels impact the nutrient levels of foods detrimentally
• What if only rich people can afford new foods?
• Should the EU funding system cover in future research related to establish a link between climate change and mental health?
• What if everyone becomes allergic and/or gets cancer/an NCD, but we still can’t control pollution?