Forest Destruction and Environmental Degradation Fuelling the Rise of Deadly Zoonotic Diseases

Across Africa, the rapid clearing of forests for farmland and human settlement is quietly setting the stage for the next disease outbreak. Scientists and public health officials are raising the alarm: as natural ecosystems are destroyed, the risk of dangerous infections jumping from animals to humans grows sharply — a threat Kenya and its neighbours cannot afford to ignore.

Some of the world's most feared illnesses — among them Ebola, rabies, yellow fever, avian influenza, and COVID-19 — are classified as zoonotic diseases, meaning they originate in animals before crossing over to people. Experts warn that environmental destruction is a key engine driving the more frequent emergence of these pathogens into human populations.

Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, former Deputy Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (AfricaCDC), is among the leading voices making this connection. "When humans interact with forested areas and come into close proximity with animal reservoirs for the Ebola virus, the risk of transmission to humans increases significantly," he has said. Dr. Ogwell goes further, arguing that the health of every human being is ultimately tied to the health of the surrounding ecosystem.

The driving forces behind this crisis are well documented. Habitat destruction, the overexploitation of natural resources, and widespread pollution are steadily eroding the ecological balance that keeps disease outbreaks in check. As Africa's population expands, large tracts of forest are being cleared to make way for agriculture and new settlements, pushing communities deeper into territory that was previously the exclusive domain of wildlife.

Dr. Ogwell outlines several steps that governments and communities must take to reverse this trend. Reducing unnecessary human encroachment into forested ecosystems is a critical first measure. At the same time, he stresses the urgent need to invest in healthcare infrastructure — training health workers to detect outbreaks early and respond swiftly — as well as rolling out strategic public communications to combat the dangerous spread of misinformation during health emergencies.

Central to Dr. Ogwell's vision is the adoption of a "One Health" framework — a philosophy that treats animal health, human health, and environmental protection as inseparable. Rather than addressing each in isolation, this approach recognises that a disease that harms wildlife or degrades ecosystems will inevitably find its way to human communities. For Kenya, a country rich in biodiversity and dependent on healthy ecosystems for tourism and agriculture, embracing One Health is not optional — it is essential.

There is, however, a silver lining in how we can respond to these threats. Dr. Ogwell encourages nations to treat each disease outbreak not purely as a catastrophe but as a window of opportunity — a chance to assess weaknesses, strengthen preparedness systems, and build the resilience needed to withstand future health shocks. For Kenya and the wider African continent, turning this lesson into action could make the difference between surviving the next epidemic and being overwhelmed by it.