Why stopping deforestation must be a priority for public health

Why Stopping Deforestation Must Be a Priority for Public Health

Most people don’t associate forest loss with pandemic risk. But the next time you hear about a novel virus jumping from animals to humans, remember: it likely started with a tree being cut down.

In a joint opinion article for The Hill, Dr. Jay Varma and Dr. Neil Vora argue that preventing the next pandemic means rethinking how public health, conservation, and global policy intersect. Their message is clear: if we want to prevent pandemics, we must prioritize stopping deforestation.

Spillover Starts in the Forest

The majority of new infectious diseases—HIV, Ebola, SARS, and likely COVID-19—begin when a pathogen jumps from animals to humans. These “spillover” events are strongly linked to land-use changes, especially tropical deforestation. As forests are cleared, humans and livestock come into closer contact with wildlife, increasing the chance that a virus crosses species boundaries.

But this isn’t just an ecological issue—it’s a public health crisis. And yet, as the authors note, deforestation is almost never discussed in meetings about pandemic prevention. It’s treated as someone else’s problem, something for climate scientists or environmentalists to solve. That must change.

Forests Do More Than Store Carbon

Stopping deforestation has benefits far beyond pandemic prevention. Tropical forests are essential for stabilizing the climate—one of the greatest health threats we face. They store immense amounts of carbon, support two-thirds of Earth’s biodiversity, and play a vital role in regulating water, air, and temperature. Losing them harms human health directly and indirectly.

And yet, we continue to lose forests at an alarming rate.

Why Public Health Has Been Slow to Act

Drs. Varma and Vora suggest two key reasons why public health leaders have not prioritized forest protection:

1. Disciplinary silos: Even as “One Health” approaches become more popular in theory, public health efforts still focus too often on downstream responses—surveillance, diagnostics, and vaccines—rather than upstream prevention like stopping spillover at the source.
2. Short-termism in politics: It’s easier to measure vaccine doses delivered than acres of rainforest saved. Elected officials—and by extension, health leaders—are often pressured to deliver immediate, tangible outcomes. Forest conservation, though crucial, doesn’t easily fit that mold.

Four Recommendations for Pandemic-Preventing Conservation

The authors call for a paradigm shift and outline four clear recommendations:

1. Fund forest protection as pandemic prevention. High-income countries and philanthropists must support tropical nations with incentives like direct payments for preserving forests and funding law enforcement. Recent pledges like the $12 billion commitment to halt deforestation need follow-through—and health outcomes must be part of the accountability.
2. Make “One Health” actionable. Negotiators at the World Health Organization must go beyond vague statements and build mechanisms to actually prevent spillover—like funding land preservation and regulating wildlife trade.
3. Expand who’s at the table. The proposed Global Health Threats Board should include environmental and agriculture ministers, not just health and finance leaders. Effective prevention requires cross-sector leadership.
4. Philanthropy must bridge the divide. Many major health philanthropists fund pandemic preparedness but neglect forest protection. The two must not be treated as separate. Protecting forests is one of the most cost-effective forms of pandemic prevention.

Final Thoughts

We cannot wait for the next outbreak to take preventive action. Covid-19 cost the world trillions of dollars and millions of lives. Preventing the next pandemic requires a shift in mindset—one that views conservation as fundamental to global health.

In Dr. Varma’s words: “Environmental conservation and public health are two sides of the same coin.” It’s time the global community started treating them that way.

Read the full article on The Hill:
👉 Why stopping deforestation must be a priority for public health
By Dr. Neil M. Vora and Dr. Jay K. Varma, published November 27, 2021