The Planetary Health Project
In 1993, the Norwegian doctor, Per Fugelli, wrote “the patient Earth is sick.”. Some 21 years later, an article in The Lancet medical journal called for a revolution in Public Health such that it considers not just humans, but the health of the ecosystems that humans depend on.
In 2015, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Lancet created a Commission on Planetary Health which has published a ‘State of the Knowledge Report’.
Today, Planetary Health has become a new discipline in Healthcare. It seeks to combine Medicine and Conservation in cross-disciplinary partnerships, because our future is tied to that of our planet.
As science continues to unravel our understanding of the vital links between biodiversity, its persistent loss,global health and development, we become better equipped to develop robust, coherent and coordinated solutions that jointly reduce threats to human life and to the surrounding environment that sustains it.
Braulio Ferreira de Souza DiasThe inexorable links between biodiversity, ecosystems, the provision of these benefits and human health are deeply entrenched in the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, and reflected in its 2050 Vision: “Biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits for all people.” They are central to our common agenda for sustainable development.
The dual challenges of biodiversity loss and rising global health burdens are not only multifaceted and complex; they also transcend sectoral, disciplinary and cultural boundaries, and demand far-reaching coherent and collaborative solutions.