Neil Vora, MD

Climate and health strategies must address the biodiversity crisis Safeguarding biodiversity is not simply an environmental concern but a foundational element of preventive and clinical care.

www.statnews.com/2025/10/20/b... via @statnews.com

Health professionals are uniquely positioned to lead this charge — by generating evidence, shaping policy, and embedding biodiversity into clinical practice and public health programs. Let’s make biodiversity protection a core duty of care.

Now it's time for the health sector to catch up. We argue that protecting nature is a medical intervention in itself.

🌱 The good news? Momentum is building. Recent international agreements — from the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to the WHO Pandemic Agreement — recognize biodiversity as a key determinant of health.

🦇 From collapsing bat populations linked to infant mortality, to vulture die-offs contributing to rabies outbreaks, the evidence is clear: biodiversity loss has direct and deadly consequences for human health.

This neglect is dangerous. Without integrating biodiversity into climate and health strategies, we will undermine efforts to protect public health and stabilize the climate.

While climate change has rightly gained attention in health circles, biodiversity — the very foundation of our food, water, air, and disease regulation — remains largely overlooked.

🌍 New OpEd Alert! Biodiversity is not just an environmental issue — it's a health issue.
Yesterday, @cwalzer.bsky.social and I published an OpEd in @statnews.com calling for the health sector to confront a critical blind spot: biodiversity loss.

Rest in power, Jane Goodall.

And while the challenges ahead are daunting, I know Jane would remind us: “Action is the best antidote to despair.”

It’s up to us to carry her legacy forward. We owe it to her.

Right now, I grieve for all of us who were touched by her existence and now must carry on without her. Jane was our beacon of hope in a world where nature is collapsing around us — a crisis that has only intensified in recent months.

Jane lived a life of deep purpose. She squeezed every drop out of it, dedicating herself to what mattered most to the very last moment. In a recent interview, she spoke of death as her “next great adventure.” I believe she was ready.

Her courage to defy expectations and follow her dreams as a young woman has inspired millions, including me.

As a middle schooler, I was captivated by her journey to Tanzania, as told in a legendary issue of National Geographic. I even had the incredible honor of meeting her when I was 13 — she signed that very magazine.

Jane Goodall was my first example of how a childhood love for nature could evolve into a lifelong purpose.

Thank you to everyone who’s been part of this journey; I’m grateful to do this sacred work alongside you.

Onwards.

It’s also a call to action: while we’ve made progress, there’s still so much more to do, especially in the current moment.

It reflects deep collaboration with incredible teammates with whom I share a vision for a future where both people and the planet thrive, and the generosity of so many mentors who have helped me achieve my childhood dream to work at the intersection of public health and environmental conservation.

Recognition like this is always a bit complicated for me. While it’s meaningful to be acknowledged, the truth is that my work is never done alone.

Neil Vora Is on the 2025 TIME100 Next Find out why Neil Vora is on this year’s list

I’m deeply honored to be named to this year’s #TIME100Next list.

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It’s easy to feel discouraged right now—especially if you work in public health, climate action, civil rights, or any mission-driven field. But it’s an honor to do this work. It’s sacred. And the world needs it more than ever.

They proceeded to thank me for my service—which wasn’t necessary. But what has stayed with me from this interaction is that even with the recent absence of strong ethical leadership at the top, many Americans still recognize and value the work of the CDC, NIH, and other federal health agencies.

As far as I know, there has been no acknowledgment from the President, and only a delayed, lukewarm response from the HHS Secretary, RFK Jr.

That sparked an unexpected conversation. Another staff member joined in, admitting that he hadn’t heard anything about the attack. Sadly, I wasn’t surprised. The act of terrorism barely registered in the media.

I replied, “Yes—and it’s remarkable, considering many of its members just survived an attempted massacre.”

While at a winestore in rural New York State this weekend, I happened to be wearing a t-shirt from my time in the U.S. Public Health Service. At checkout, one of the staff asked, “Does that even still exist?”

Wishing everyone strength, inspiration, joy, and hope as we continue this journey of creation together. If you’re feeling the weight of the current moment, go to your local bookstore, library or wherever you get audiobooks and get this book. Your soul will thank you.

Even if your current line of work doesn’t fully align with your “life purpose”, there are still things you can do. As Clover Hogan says, “We don’t need a hundred perfect activists; we need a million imperfect ones”.

While I hope I'm making the most of my potential, I do feel grateful every day that I get to do the work I do, and it’s even more meaningful that I get to do it surrounded by so many wonderful people striving to build a better world.

At one point, Jane notes that “We can never attain our full potential unless our head and heart work together”. This reminds me of an analogy shared by the activist Satish Kumar: “All of us have potential, just like every acorn has the potential to become an oak.”