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For the first time in evolution, a species evolved that was able to teach its young about objects and events not present, to pass on wisdom gleaned from the successes — and the mistakes — of the past, to make plans for the distant future, to discuss ideas so that they could grow, sometimes out of all recognition, through the combined wisdom of the group.
Jane Goodall
The seventh cholera pandemic started in the 1960s. It occurs in more than sixty countries, affecting more than 7 million people. From: “Oceans, Climate and Health: Cholera as a Model of Infectious Diseases in a Changing Environment,” Lecture by Prof. Rita Colwell, former director of the United States National Science Foundation
Recent studies have associated temperatures and rainfall anomalies with diarrhea and cholera, and stress the role of climate variability in cholera transmission… Trærup et al., 2011. Int. J. Environmental Research & Public Health
Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health emergency that demands concerted management efforts. Recent World Health Organization reports reveal that multidrug-resistant TB is a substantial problem in every region evaluated. Cohen & Murray, 2014. Nature.
World-map showing the spreading of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (World Health Organisation)
“…understanding global disease dynamics has become a major 21st century challenge.” Brockman & Helbing, 2013. Science.
Sustainability: A development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987.