planetary health - an emerging field to be developed - advisory report

We know more about the health effects of climate change and the global pollution of air, water and soil than about the health effects of biodiversity loss and disruption of the nitrogen cycle. [...] an emerging field to be developed examples of open research questions in planetary health • What is the effect of combined global environmental changes (e.g., climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss) on the spread of infectious diseases? • What is the environmental impact of medicines, single-use gloves and other materials and equipment used in health care, and which should be prioriti. [...] introduction 19 The COVID-19 pandemic was a powerful reminder of the many potential links between human health and global environmental changes.1 This heightened awareness led the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) to establish a Planetary Health Committee whose remit is to (1) survey the state of scientific knowledge in this field and list the main knowledge gaps, and (2) prepa. [...] The texts in light blue are the aspects of Planetary Health covered in this report: health-related drivers of global environmental change (particularly the effects of health care itself on the global environment), health aspects of policies intended to mitigate or adapt to global environmental change, pathways and human health effects. [...] 22  For a summary of the short- and medium-term health effects of climate change in the Netherlands, see also the website of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) ( ).