2019-nCoV2: An Overview of Awareness about Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases and Sustainable Development: A Retrospective and Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

The doctrine of Sustainability is known to be a holistic approach and there is an increased recognition that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are linked to one another. Within less than two decades, the present pandemic (COVID19) is the third emerged highly pathogenic and deadly human coronaviruses. Hence, risk of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) is a key component of the sustainable development approach.  In order to determine knowledge, awareness and attitude, an online questionnaire-based survey was conducted in a total of 114 members of Saudi Arabian’s staff. Results about knowledge and awareness varied between 98.2 % and 38.59%. About 77.21% (Mean value) of the participants are well awarded about the subject of the study. The constant collation of the showed that the majorities of the correlation between variables were very strong (20.87%) or strong (38.46%). Synthetically, themes such as human impact on the environment, human health and global stability, SDGs and pandemics, human susceptibility for diseases and uses of drugs were found to be interdepend in the perception of the academic staff in the Saudi Arabian universities. It is suggested that there is a need to introduce time-oriented policy, and implement awareness plans in the country for the future generation.