Applying NASA Satellite Data to Examine Emerging One Health Threats: Going Beyond Traditional Epidemiologic Methods

Abstract

Emerging environmental health threats, such as exposure to air pollutants, extreme temperatures, and infectious pathogens, directly affect human and animal health. These exposures can affect morbidity and mortality rates as a result of increased risk of developing acute or chronic illnesses. The World Health Organization has quantified the direct human impact of these environmental risks, including living or working in unhealthy environments (12.6 million deaths), vector-borne disease transmission (700,000 deaths), and ambient and household air pollution (6.5 million deaths). In order to advance future environmental health research applications and field interventions, traditional epidemiologic methods must be integrated with innovative approaches that encourage cross-cutting One Health topics and foster transdisciplinary collaborations. One innovative approach highlights the value of integrating NASA Earth-observing satellite data (e.g. chlorophyll, nitrogen dioxide, surface temperature, vegetation) into traditional research methods. Scientists and stakeholders can analyze these data of public health importance and examine associations between variables, identify disease or vector hotspots, and forecast real-time environmental exposure levels. These efforts can alert health authorities and inform their health decision-making for policy and public health recommendations. In this paper, we will define the One Health concept as a holistic view of environmental health research applications, as they relate to aquatic, atmospheric, and terrestrial ecosystems. We will describe the need to integrate innovative approaches to traditional epidemiologic methods and practices, focusing on the value of satellite data to closely examine the impact of an array of environmental exposures. We will present three examples that exemplify how satellite data can advance scientific knowledge, strengthen communication with stakeholders and decision-makers, and support policy decision-making and practice guidelines. These novel approaches have the potential to strengthen global health systems, foster innovation in environmental health research applications, and reinforce capacity building for the global health workforce.