02212nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001260001000042653004700052100001600099700001600115700002100131700001500152700001400167700001500181700001400196245011300210856006300323300001400386490000700400520155000407022002501957       2021                            d  bWiley10aPediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health1 aWilliams PC1 aBartlett AW1 aHoward‐Jones A1 aMcMullan B1 aKhatami A1 aBritton PN1 aMarais BJ00aImpact of climate change and biodiversity collapse on the global emergence and spread of infectious diseases  uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jpc.15681  a1811-18180 v573 a<p>The reality of climate change and biodiversity collapse is irrefutable in the 21st century, with urgent action required not only to conserve threatened species but also to protect human life and wellbeing. This existential threat forces us to recognise that our existence is completely dependent upon well-functioning ecosystems that sustain the diversity of life on our planet, including that required for human health. By synthesising data on the ecology, epidemiology and evolutionary biology of various pathogens, we are gaining a better understanding of factors that underlie disease emergence and spread. However, our knowledge remains rudimentary with limited insight into the complex feedback loops that underlie ecological stability, which are at risk of rapidly unravelling once certain tipping points are breached. In this paper, we consider the impact of climate change and biodiversity collapse on the ever-present risk of infectious disease emergence and spread. We review historical and contemporaneous infectious diseases that have been influenced by human environmental manipulation, including zoonoses and vector- and water-borne diseases, alongside an evaluation of the impact of migration, urbanisation and human density on transmissible diseases. The current lack of urgency in political commitment to address climate change warrants enhanced understanding and action from paediatricians – to ensure that we safeguard the health and wellbeing of children in our care today, as well as those of future generations.</p>
  a1034-4810, 1440-1754