Speakers call for prioritising public health, environment

Highlighting the devastating effects of Covid-19 on health and economic activity, speakers at the inaugural session of a three-day virtual symposium recently held at the Aga Khan University in Pakistan underscored the need for prioritising public health and environment to manage pandemics in the making. Speakers pointed out that human actions such as deforestation, encroachment on diverse wildlife habitats coupled with growing population, urbanisation and travel were playing a major role in the spread of viruses.