World Health Day – on the 7th April – is a day for global movement to highlight how we got here and how we can end future threats to our health from COVID-19 type viruses and end the exploitation of our wildlife.
How can you help?
- Join us on the first Lion Coalition TWITTER Chat on Tuesday 7th April 15.00-16.00 hrs CAT/SA time
- Coalition members, including Born Free Foundation, Four Paws International, Humane Society International, World Animal Protection and Blood Lions, among other leading conservation organisations like Panthera, discuss the topic of wildlife markets and COVID-19. This chat is in conjunction with a communication to the World Health Organisation from a great number of conservation and animal welfare organisations.
- Hashtags: #BanWildlifeMarkets and #COVID19
Questions:
- 15.00 hrs – Q1: How did the COVID-19 virus originate?
- 15.10 hrs – Q2: The media uses both the terms ‘wet markets’ and wildlife markets. What is the difference?
- 15.20 hrs – Q3: Were there any early warning signs on a COVID-19 type virus? In other words, could this pandemic have been prevented?
- 15.30 hrs – Q4: What can national governments take away from the current COVID-19 pandemic to avoid similar future health and economic crises?
- 15.40 hrs – Q5: What can the public do to avoid future zoonotic viral outbreaks?
Twitter handles for tagging:
- Host: @Blood_Lions
- International: @WHO (World Health Organisation), @DrTedros (Director-General WHO)
- South Africa: @DrZweliMkhize (Min of Health), @HealthZA (Dept of Health), @BarbaraCreecy_ (Minister of DEFF), @environmentza (Dept of Environment), @DAFF_ZA (Dept of Agriculture)
- International: For those joining from overseas, please tag your health Minister and Department in your tweets.
- Media: @news24updates, @News24, @BBCBreaking, @SkyNewsBreak
Call to action: We need your help to call for a ban on the trade of wildlife in these markets.
This will also be a chance to talk to experts online about why we are in this crisis and how we can bring an end to future threats to our health, while at the same time create awareness about the effects of legal and illegal wildlife trade across the globe.
Lion Coalition 
This is Nature’s way of telling us that this has to stop. Close down and ban all wildlife markets now.
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This is totally unacceptable and wildlife should not be monetized as farm animals.
There will be problems and government won’t be footing the bill for welfare oversight.
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