Anthropocene-related disease: The inevitable outcome of progressive niche modification

Gluckman, Peter D., Low, Felicia M. and Hanson, Mark A. (2020) Anthropocene-related disease: The inevitable outcome of progressive niche modification. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 2020 (1), 304-310. (doi:10.1093/emph/eoaa042).

Abstract

While the Anthropocene is often discussed in terms of the health of the planet, there has been less attention paid to its impact on the health of humans. We argue that there is now sufficient evidence of broad and growing adverse effects on human health to consider Anthropocene-related diseases and their impact on public health as a category of conditions needing specific recognition and preventative action. Using the examples of climate change-related health challenges, non-communicable disease, antimicrobial resistance and the unique challenges of the digital environment, we discuss how the profound and pervasive environmental changes of the Anthropocene can affect our health, with broad effects on societal health. We frame this concept in terms of human evolutionary history and cultural evolution’s runaway characteristics, reflecting our drive for continual and cumulative innovation for reasons beyond simply survival and Darwinian fitness. As the causative agents are often remote from those populations most adversely affected, prevention and mitigation require collective societal and policy actions.

Lay summary: There is increasing evidence that our uniquely evolved ability to modify our environments rapidly and at an accelerating pace is having impacts on our health, particularly non-communicable diseases and poor mental wellbeing. Reframing these public health challenges as Anthropocene-related diseases emphasizes the need for collective responsibility and systems approaches to prevention.

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Contributors

Author: Mark A. Hanson

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