Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

106 ecological system (Folke et al., 2005) and all levels of biodiversity play a fundamental role in covering all areas of human well-being. Human health is essentially an expression of that well-being, which we will briefly review. One of nature’s material contributions to society is the diversity of natural components for the development of medicines, which have been synthesized from natural products to provide relief for millions of people in case of diseases, such as medications to control cancer, penicillin, corticosteroids or aspirin. All these medicines have their origins in plants or fungi. Botany and chemistry have come together to improve people’s well- being. But food also depends on a series of interconnected natural processes: the diversity of plants, fungi, pollinators, soil quality and water, among others. However, trapped in long-standing public and economic policies, these biological processes have been destabilized and affect human health. A global report released in 2016 details the severity of the impacts on pollination, pollinators and agriculture from pesticides such as neonicotinoids. The estimated global economic loss of crop production due to the declining population of pollinators ranges from USD 235 billion to USD 577 billion. This double impact affects both ecosystem health and human health. Research on the effects of these compounds on human health has been reported for decades and has led to pesticide bans in several European countries. However, decisions in Latin America and other parts of the world are slow and disregard scientific evidence. Another aspect that highlights the relationship between biodiversity and human health is vector-borne diseases that are transmitted from their natural habitats to others that have been disrupted by human activities. The release of viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms from wildlife to domestic animals and eventually to humans creates emerging diseases known as zoonotic diseases. These diseases require increased efforts from science and public health to address them. Each year, zoonotic diseases cause 700,000 deaths, which constitute 17% of all global infectious diseases. Examples of zoonotic diseases include dengue, Chagas disease and malaria (WHO 2017). A recent example of the impact of disrupting nature on human health is Covid-19, a virus that caused a catastrophic pandemic. Viruses are biological entities that lack the molecular structure of life, DNA. Their reproduction and success depend on a host organism that uses its machinery to replicate, spread and perpetuate. The diversity of viruses on Earth is estimated to be 1x10 31 . Although viruses are often associated with causing diseases, some of them play vital roles in their interactions with other organisms, including humans.