NC State Study Pinpoints “Win-Win” Solutions To Protect Human Health
A far-reaching review of academic papers and reports evaluated 46 proposed “win–win” solutions for reducing human infectious disease burdens and advancing conservation goals. The study highlights diverse and widespread bright spots where there could be opportunities to simultaneously safeguard human and ecosystem health.
Skylar Hopkins, an assistant professor of applied ecology at NC State University and corresponding author of the study, said the interdisciplinary group worked on this synthesis for four years. They painstakingly searched the existing academic literature for potential solutions and then developed a new process for determining whether a specific “win-win” solution is safe, feasible and cost-effective.
“We like to think of these solutions like options on a bespoke menu. To select and design a solution that meets your needs, you’re going to need a lot of information. So we provide an evidence summary for each solution,” Hopkins said.