Strengthen the buffer from future Nipahs

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Kerala is one of the best-performing big states when it comes to healthcare. Along with a strong network of primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare systems, the state has developed a robust disease surveillance system, outbreak response and emergency preparedness. In the last 20 years, it has been the first to report 10 viral and non-viral outbreaks.

The current round of outbreak of the bat-borne Nipah virus in the state is the fourth one in five years. There are six reported cases so far, with two confirmed deaths. The state and central health ministries are working to assess the threat and contain its spread.

What now?

The state's surveillance and response capacity notwithstanding, it is now critical to focus on why Kerala has emerged as a hotspot for zoonotic diseases — diseases transmitted from non-human animals to humans. Though thousands of years old, these diseases have become more common in the last 30 years as humans have disrupted ecosystems, which form the buffer zone and protect them from wildlife-borne viruses, for food and other resources. This, along with climate change, as the Covid-19 pandemic showed, will increase the likelihood of virus mutations.

Along with keeping Nipah under control, the state needs protocols and systems that are focused on preventing the outbreak of zoonotic diseases.

It is essential that Kerala — and the rest of India — recognise that their business-as-usual approach to ecology is fraught with challenges. It is critical now to integrate better resource utilisation measures to limit spillover possibilities. Mainstreaming an approach that balances and optimises the health of people, animals and the environment can significantly limit the occurrence of such outbreaks in the