Human-induced land use changes have been identified as the primary driver of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), including many vector-borne diseases. Specifically, the range of anthropogenic activities that can influence EIDs include “agricultural encroachment, deforestation, road construction, dam building, irrigation, wetland modification, mining, the concentration or expansion of urban environments, [and] coastal zone degradation” (Patz et al., 2004). Consequently, there have been repeated calls to integrate land-use and public health policy. Nonetheless, existing regulatory and policy frameworks for land-use continue to fail to meaningfully consider infectious disease impacts. In fact, these frameworks may be exacerbating the risk posed by infectious diseases. This session will offer a legal perspective on infectious disease management with specific reference to vector-borne diseases. Barriers and opportunities to use land-use regulations to assist in effectively responding to these threats will be identified.
Results/Conclusions
The principle reasons for the failure of land-use planning to respond to infectious disease risks are: (1) jurisdiction for health, especially vector-borne diseases, and land-use are often not held by the same level of government; (2) the regulation of human, animal and environmental (including wildlife) health occurs in regulatory silos; (3) misunderstandings of the rights that accompany ownership of private property often limit the scope of land-use regulations; and, (4) most land-use planning occurs at the local level while action to prevent and mitigate infectious diseases often needs to be undertaken at a broader scale to be effective.