An Urgent Call to Integrate the Health Sector into the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Recommendation 1: Explicitly Identify the Health Sector as a Major Actor and Ally in the Effective Implementation of the Post-2020 GBF
3. Recommendation 2: Leverage the Core Competencies and Resources of the Health Sector to Effectively Enable the Implementation of the Post-2020 GBF
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Year | Milestone | Source |
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1993 | CBD comes into force, noting “that conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity is of critical importance for meeting the food, health and other needs of the growing world population, for which purpose access to and sharing of both genetic resources and technologies are essential.” | CBD 1992 (http://www.un-documents.net/cbd.htm) |
2005 | First International Conference on Health and Biodiversity is held in Galway, Ireland. | |
2008 | COP nine called for the strengthening and cooperation with WHO and biodiversity and human health. | UNEP/CBD/ COP/9/INF/46 16 May 2008 (https://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/cop/cop-09/information/cop-09-inf-46-en.pdf) |
2010 | 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, part of the UN CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, are released. Target 14 calls on Parties to the CBD to “By 2020, ecosystems that provide essential services, including services related to water, and contribute to health, livelihoods and well-being, are restored and safeguarded, taking into account the needs of women, indigenous and local communities, and the poor and vulnerable.” | CBD (https://www.cbd.int/aichi-targets/target/14) |
2012 | Parties at the eleventh meeting of the COP to the UN CBD requested the establishment of a joint work programme with WHO, in collaboration with relevant organizations and initiatives. | UNEP/CBD/COP/11/35 5 December 2012 (https://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/cop/cop-11/official/cop-11-35-en.pdf) |
2014 | COP twelve adopts its first full decision on biodiversity and health and encourages Parties to “consider the linkages between biodiversity and human health in the preparation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans, development plans, and national health strategies…” and to “…continue efforts under the joint work programme between the Secretariat and the World Health Organization…”. | UNEP/CBD/COP/DEC/XII/21 17 October 2014 (https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-12/cop-12-dec-21-en.pdf) |
2014 | WHO adopts resolution WHA67.12 and releases the Health in All Policies (HiAP) report. HiAP is defined as “an approach to public policies across sectors that systematically takes into account the health implications of decisions, seeks synergies and avoids harmful health impacts in order to improve populations health and health equity”. The HiAP approach recognizes that “Many of the determinants of health and health inequities in populations have social, environmental, and economic origins that extend beyond the direct influence of the health sector and health policies. Thus, public policies in all sectors and at different levels of governance can have a significant impact on population health and healthequity.” | Resolution WHA67.12 (2014) (https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/162850/A67_R12-en.pdf) |
2015 | WHO and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen collaboration and, with relevant partners, capitalize on their respective scientific and technical expertise on the links between health and biodiversity (co-chaired by both Parties). | CBD and WHO 2015 (https://www.cbd.int/doc/agreements/agmt-who-2015-07-23-mou-en.pdf) |
2015 | WHO and the CBD release the report entitled Connecting global priorities: biodiversity and human health: a state of knowledge review. The review details how biodiversity and ecosystems provide essential services upon which humans depend and warn of the need to stem the tide of infections and non-communicable diseases arising from the destruction of nature. | WHO and CBD 2015 (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241508537) |
2016 | COP thirteen adopts its second full decision on biodiversity and human health considering the implications of the findings of the joint publication on state of knowledge review on biodiversity and human health. The decision invites governments and other parties to promote the “understanding of health-biodiversity linkages with a view to maximizing health benefits, addressing trade-offs, and where possible, addressing common drivers for health risks and biodiversity loss” and “decides to consider biodiversity and human health interlinkages when addressing the follow-up to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.” | CBD/COP/ DEC/XIII/6 14 December 2016 (https://www.cbd.int/decisions/cop/13/6) |
2018 | At the 71st World Health Assembly, WHO releases the report entitled, Health, environment and climate change: human health and biodiversity by the Director General. | 29 March 2018 A71/11 (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/A71_11) |
2021 | The WHO, through its Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health (ECH), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (FEBA) network are establishing a new expert working group (EWG) on Biodiversity, Climate, One Health and Nature-based Solutions. | IUCN (https://www.iucn.org/news/ecosystem-management/202103/new-who-iucn-expert-working-group-biodiversity-climate-one-health-and-nature-based-solutions) |
2021 | The First Draft of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework is released. The 2050 Vision and 2030 Mission of the framework notes that “The vision of the framework is a world of living in harmony with nature where: By 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people.” Nature’s contributions to human health are recognized, often in a non-explicit manor, in several targets, including Target 5 (harvesting), Target 11 (air and water quality, hazards), and Target 15 (biotechnology). Target 12 recognizes human health the most explicitly, noting: “Increase the area of, access to, and benefits from green and blue spaces, for human health and well-being in urban areas and other densely populated areas.” | CBD/WG2020/ 3/3 5 July 2021 (https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/abb5/591f/2e46096d3f0330b08ce87a45/wg2020-03-03-en.pdf) |
2021 | Part 1 of the CBD COP 15 Kunming Declaration to keep the political momentum of the negotiations delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Declaration calls upon the parties to “mainstream” the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in decision-making by recognizing its integral contribution for human well-being and health. | The Kunming Declaration (https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/df35/4b94/5e86e1ee09bc8c7d4b35aaf0/kunmingdeclaration-en.pdf) |
2022 | CBD COP 15 Part 2 to be held in Montreal, Canada in December. It is expected that the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will be agreed to by COP at this event. | CBD/COP 15 (https://www.cbd.int/meetings/COP-15) |
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Section of Post-2020 GBF: D. Theory of Change | |
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Original wording in the Post-2020 GBF: “6. The framework’s theory of change assumes that transformative actions are taken…” [and] “7. The theory of change for the framework acknowledges the need for appropriate recognition of…” | Proposed new wording: “The framework’s theory of change acknowledges that biodiversity conservation is a public health initiative and highlights the need to make it relevant and attract the involvement of all professionals in the health sector.” |
Rationale: The ToC recognizes a need for substantial societal change but fails to identify specific actors that will enable and support the implementation of the Post-2020 GBF. |
Section of Post-2020 GBF: E. 2050 Vision and 2030 Mission | |
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Original wording in the Post-2020 GBF: “9. The vision of the framework is a world of living in harmony with nature where: By 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people.” | Proposed new wording: “9. The vision of the framework is a world of living in harmony with nature where: By 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, and sustaining a healthy planet and people.” |
Rationale: The language links health to planet, but not to people. It refers to ecosystems delivering ‘benefits’ to people. We propose that this is a problematic message and tends to invite a utilitarian perspective where humanity focuses on what it can get from nature. We see a need to integrate and focus the message. |
Section of Post-2020 GBF: I. Enabling Conditions | |
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Original wording in the Post-2020 GBF: “15. It will require a participatory and inclusive whole-of-society approach that engages actors beyond national Governments, including subnational governments, cities and other local authorities (including through the Edinburgh Declaration), intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, indigenous peoples and local communities, women’s groups, youth groups, the business and finance community, the scientific community, academia, faith-based organizations, representatives of sectors related to or dependent on biodiversity, citizens at large, and other stakeholders.” | Proposed new wording: “15. It will require a participatory and inclusive whole-of-society approach that engages actors beyond national Governments, including subnational governments, cities and other local authorities (including through the Edinburgh Declaration), intergovernmental organizations and interdepartmental offices, non-governmental organizations, indigenous peoples and local communities, women’s groups, youth groups, the healthcare community, the business and finance community, the scientific community, academia, faith-based organizations, representatives of sectors related to or dependent on biodiversity, citizens at large, and other stakeholders.” |
Rationale: This section lists many potential actors to support the implementation of the framework, but nowhere is there an explicit mention of the health sector or health-related professions as actors. |
Section of Post-2020 GBF: A. Background Information | |
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Original wording in the Post-2020 GBF: “Biodiversity and the benefits it provides, is fundamental to human wellbeing and a healthy planet.” | Proposed new wording: “Biodiversity is fundamental to the health and well-being of both people and planet.” |
Rationale: The original language in the Post-2020 GBF communicates a link between biodiversity and health in the frame-setting opening sentence. However, it divides biodiversity’s benefit, linking ‘healthy’ to ‘planet’, but ‘wellbeing’ to people. We recommend unifying this statement for clarity and strength. |
Section of Post-2020 GBF: K. Outreach, awareness and uptake |
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Proposed new statements: “Successful execution of the framework will require a broad societal valuing of healthy ecosystem conditions and dynamics. Governments will need to invest in techniques to move society’s value system in this direction, including all levels of education. The health sector has a particularly relevant role to play in this regard.” “Biodiversity should be fully integrated into the training curricula for all health professionals at medical schools and training colleges, with a special focus on doctors and community care nursing training. Courses should be developed for post-graduate qualification for medical professionals to prepare them to prepare practitioners of all kinds with the competencies they will need to work more effectively on human and ecosystem health.” |
Rationale: The message in this section is echoed elsewhere, that ‘mainstreaming’ and generating awareness, participation and support is essential to effective implementation. The framework refers here to uptake by ‘all stakeholders’ but we propose that the health sector and its skill sets, and influence have a particular relevance to this sociological work and deserves mention. |
Section of Post-2020 GBF: G. 2030 Action Targets |
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Proposed new target: “Target XX: Ensure that the health sector actively takes up biodiversity values and projects, through their official inclusion in curricula for health professionals, and creation of liaison roles between departments of health and the environment.” |
Rationale: Arguably, human health could be more explicitly recognized in several Targets. However, we focus our attention on targets focusing on “Tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming.” The message in this section of the targets is that health is a passive, down-stream factor impacted by the state of the environment, but not as a societal force that can be used to improve it. This message runs the risk of disenfranchising and alienating health professionals, communicating to them that they have no role to play. This is even more important because other actors (Indigenous Peoples, local communities, etc.) are identified as actors who can contribute to the goals. However, the health sector is not identified. |
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King, S.; Lemieux, C.J.; Lem, M. An Urgent Call to Integrate the Health Sector into the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 861. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010861
King S, Lemieux CJ, Lem M. An Urgent Call to Integrate the Health Sector into the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(1):861. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010861
Chicago/Turabian StyleKing, Simon, Christopher J. Lemieux, and Melissa Lem. 2023. "An Urgent Call to Integrate the Health Sector into the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 1: 861. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010861