Usbek & Rica - Zoonosis: why Africa is more threatened than ever

As mentioned above, several phenomena are involved here, starting with demographic development. Or more exactly one of its consequences, namely the very rapid urbanization of habitats and lifestyles, which in turn leads to an invasion of wildlife habitats. In other words: road, rail, sea and air connections are increasing and, with them, the contact fronts between animals and humans. ” There was poor transportation infrastructure [jusqu’ici] a natural barrier. As transport improves in Africa, the threat of zoonotic pathogens moving into major urban centers has increased », publicly worries Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa. According to Rodolphe Gozlan, another consequence of the increase in population concerns ” the increase in food requirements, which tends to be met through intensive farming, on vast surfaces, with species with very homogeneous genetic profiles ” – this is ” perfect bioincubators for zoonoses » observes the researcher.

As in Asia or South America, the devastation inflicted on African soils can also have harmful consequences for health. In Burundi, for example, the annual rate of deforestation is estimated at 2% of the land area, while reforestation efforts remain below 1%. With nearly 200 million hectares and six countries involved (Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea), the famous forest of the Congo Basin, often nicknamed ” second lung of the planet (after the Amazon), is also under threat. In total, ten million hectares were deforested there between 2015 and 2020, mainly by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, as the ecologist Serge Morand reminds us, the problem here is twofold: ” Not only are we losing biodiversity, but above all we are losing interactions with it, i.e. regulations (…) This amplifies and accelerates what are called overflows from wildlife to domestic animals and humans. . Similarly, Tieble Traore points out that massive deforestation can lead bats, reservoirs of some viruses such as the Marburg virus (whose outbreaks have been identified in recent decades in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Southern Africa) to migrate to new territories” for foraging near places inhabited by man, or vice versa “.

How to contain zoonoses?

Fortunately, there are solutions to reverse the trend. Among other proposals, the Center for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development (CIRAD) in a recent study advocates the multiplication of agroforestry projects, ie the association of trees with crops and/or livestock. Privileging the natural regulation of crop pests » and favoring « interactions between plant, animal and microbial communities this approach makes agroecosystems “ resistant to crop pests and diseases “, according to the scientific community. Like, among others, the National Program of AffoRestazioni (PRONAR) already partially implemented on the territory of the Republic of Congo, and whose objective is to ” promote forest and agroforestry plantations » composed of natural products such as essential oils, honey or fruits and vegetables.

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