Open letter to World Health Organisation

The below open letter was sent to Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Dr Zhang Qi of the World Health Organisation on the 6th April to coincide with World Health Day and on the 21st April for World Earth Day. Please find the covering emails and open letter below.

Covering email dated 6^th April 2020

On behalf of the Lion Coalition, I am sending the attached joint letter signed by 241 leading animal welfare and conservation organisations to World Health Organisation. 

In the midst of a global pandemic and on the occasion of World Health Day, this letter calls upon WHO to state the proven link between wildlife markets and their serious threats to human health. We outlined concrete measures that WHO and its member States should take to be able to avert another pandemic.

We are looking forward to hear your response and stand ready to assist.

Covering email dated 21st April 2020

Further to our joint letter sent on the 6^th April 2020, to which we are eagerly awaiting a response, please find attached said letter now signed by 339 leading animal welfare and conservation organisations from all around the world.

Subsequent to the original release of our letter, on the 17^th April Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus held a media briefing to clarify among others the WHO’s position on “wet markets”. He stated:

.@DrTedros clarified WHO’s position on “wet markets” in today's media briefing. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/icQDCt6ERo

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 17, 2020

We applaud WHO for stating that governments must rigorously enforce bans on the sale and trade of wildlife for food. However, in most countries such bans don’t exist. We also note that there are many ways in which wildlife is utilised, like the use of wild animals for the production of traditional medicine, that could pose a risk to human health.

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, acting Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, is another of dozens of experts, who have shared these concerns in recent weeks. She stated:

“The message we are getting is if we don’t take care of nature, it will take care of us. It would be good to ban the live animal markets as China has done and some countries.”

In addition to the concrete measures that WHO and its member States should take in order to avert future zoonotic pandemics (as outlined in the attached letter) and in light of the statements by Dr. Nabarro (WHO Special Envoy on COVID-19), Ms. Mrema, and other public health experts, scientists and political leaders, we call on the WHO to release a formal position statement containing clear advice to governments to institute comprehensive and rigorously enforced bans on live wildlife markets and to close down the commercial wildlife trade which poses a risk to public health.

We would like to emphasise our focus on the need to tackle the commercial trade in wildlife, and to close markets that sell live wild animals or products, rather than markets at which other types of fresh produce might be traded.

We are looking forward to receiving your response and stand ready to assist.

Open Letter sent on both occasions

Dear Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Dr Zhang Qi,

The undersigned organisations acknowledge and commend the World Health Organisation’s current efforts to contain the pandemic spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

On the occasion of World Health Day, in the midst of a global pandemic believed to have originated in a live wildlife market, we call upon the WHO to publicly and unequivocally state the proven link between these markets and serious threats to human health. In line with its stated mission to serve public health at all times, we urge the WHO to recommend that governments worldwide permanently ban live wildlife markets and the use of wildlife in traditional medicine. This decisive action, well within the WHO’s mandate, would be an impactful first step in adopting a highly precautionary approach to wildlife trade that poses a risk to human health.

While a robust global response is critical in detecting, treating and reducing transmission, it is equally necessary to take vital measures to prevent similar emerging infectious diseases developing into pandemics with the associated threats to human life, and social and economic well-being.

The COVID-19 outbreak is believed to have originated at wildlife markets in China, and transmitted to humans as a result of close proximity between wildlife and people.^[2] Further research suggests that bats and pangolins may have been involved in the transmission chain of the virus to people^[3]. But let us stress that it was the actions of people that created the environment in which this transmission was possible.

This is not the first time that infectious diseases have been linked to wild animals in recent years. Between 2002 and 2003, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), inflicted by a coronavirus which is also believed to have emerged from wildlife markets in China, resulted in more than 8,000 human cases across 29 countries, and 774 deaths^[4]. Failure to enforce permanent bans on all wildlife markets then allowed for a similar, but more severe, disease to emerge. Other significant zoonotic diseases, the transmission of which has been associated with wildlife, include Ebola, MERS, HIV, bovine tuberculosis, rabies, and leptospirosis.^[5]

Zoonotic diseases are responsible for over two billion cases of human illness and over two million human deaths each year.^[5] How many of these cases directly or indirectly originate from wildlife is hard to calculate, due to overlapping reservoirs in livestock and wild animal populations. However, considering the significance of wildlife as a reservoir of emerging infectious diseases, wildlife origins of zoonoses must be of primary concern. Sixty percent (60%) of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic and 70% of these are thought to originate from wildlife.^[6]

The risk of zoonotic disease transmission is heightened further by the unregulated and unhygienic conditions associated with wildlife markets, where close proximity between humans and animals provide the perfect opportunity for pathogens to spread. This risk is further exacerbated by the conditions in which animals are typically farmed or collected from the wild, transported to and held at such markets, which inevitably result in large numbers of animals of different species being held in crowded conditions in close proximity, causing immense stress and weakening their immune systems. Such conditions, coupled with close proximity to people at wildlife markets, provide the ideal situation for pathogens to replicate, spread, and potentially infect people.

Pangolins, which are considered likely by some researchers to be involved in the transmission chain of COVID-19, are commonly used as ingredients for Traditional Medicine, as are many other wildlife species such as turtles, leopards, tigers, lions and bears, with bear bile injections being officially recommended as a treatment for COVID-19.^[7] These animals are either farmed or poached from the wild to supply the demand – a practice that is entirely unnecessary given the viable plant or non-wildlife based alternatives recognized by Traditional Medicine. Risk of disease transmission is prevalent across all aspects of wildlife trade, which supplies products to the Traditional Medicine industry. For example, bovine tuberculosis has been documented among wild and captive-bred lions, posing a substantial risk of zoonosis to consumers and people involved in the lion bone trade, particularly those who work in breeding farms, slaughter and processing facilities in South Africa. Reptiles such as snakes and geckos, which are also used in Traditional Medicine, are frequent sources of Salmonellosis infections in people.^[8]

While Traditional Medicine is a recognized medicinal system in many countries and cultures, and can play an important health role, the vast majority of ingredients are plant or mineral based, with hundreds of recognized alternatives to ingredients derived from wildlife. The trade in wildlife and parts and products derived from them for Traditional Medicine is unnecessary and indefensible, as it poses a risk to global health. Studies have highlighted that over 80% of Traditional Medicine consumers would consider herbal or synthetic alternatives to wild animal products.^[9],[10] In China, academics recognized that a ban on wildlife consumption is not enough to protect public health from wildlife-associated diseases. They called on the government to support transitioning the wildlife farming industry away from the production of Traditional Medicine.^[11]

Any policies and practices that sustain the wildlife trade carry a huge and unpredictable public health risk that could lead to future outbreaks and pandemics of zoonotic diseases among human populations.  

The impact of COVID-19 in terms of loss of human life, physical and mental health, the global economy, livelihoods and the quality of public life has been utterly devastating and cannot be underestimated. At the time of writing, COVID-19 has led to 1,218,114 confirmed cases and 65,841 deaths across 208 countries. According to calculations by the UN and others, the COVID-19 pandemic could cost the global economy between US$1 – 2.7 trillion and is triggering a global recession forcing states to introduce costly stimulus packages.^[12],[13] The costs to the international community of fighting a global pandemic are vastly higher than the costs of preventing it in the first place, including eliminating live wildlife markets and funding the coordinated global response needed to bring an end to the wildlife trade.    

In conclusion, the demand for wildlife and wildlife products is a primary cause of the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases and a severe risk to global health. We call on the World Health Organisation to recognise that it has a significant role to play to mitigate such global health risks.

We therefore strongly urge the World Health Organisation to:

• Recommend to governments worldwide that they institute a permanent ban on live wildlife markets, drawing an unequivocal link between these markets and their proven threats to human health.
• Recommend to governments that they address the potential risks to human health from the trade in wildlife – including collection from the wild, ranching, farming, transport, and trade through physical or online markets for any purpose – and act to close down or limit such trade in order to mitigate those risks.
• Unequivocally exclude the use of wildlife, including from captive bred specimens, in the WHO’s definition and endorsement of Traditional Medicine and revise WHO’s 2014-2023 Traditional Medicine Strategy accordingly to reflect this change.
• Assist governments and lead a coordinated response among the World Trade Organisation, World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and other multilateral organisations worldwide in awareness-raising activities to clearly inform of the risks of wildlife trade to public health, social cohesion, economic stability, law and order, and individual health.
• Support and encourage initiatives that deliver alternative sources of protein to subsistence consumers of wild animals, in order to further reduce the risk to human health.

We welcome your consideration of this important matter and stand ready to assist.

For and behalf of the following 339 organisations

AAP Animal Advocacy and Protection

Aaranyak – India

Action for Dolphins

Action for Elephants

Advocates4Earth

Africa Network for Animal Welfare

African Pangolin Working Group

Albert Schweitzer Stiftung für unsere Mitwelt

All Life In A Viable Environment

Alliance for Earth, Life, Liberty & Advocacy

Amboseli Trust for Elephants

Ananta Jyoti Dhayn Kendra

Andean Cat Alliance

Anima International

Animal Aid International

Animal Alliance of Canada

Animal Concerns Research & Education Society

Animal Defenders International

Animal Friends Croatia

Animal Friends Jogja

Animal Guardians

Animal Kingdom Foundation

Animal Law Reform South Africa

Animal Legal Defense Fund

Animal Liberation Sanctuary

Animal People Forum

Animal Projects & Environmental Education Sdn Bhd

Animal Protection Agency

Animal Protection and Environmental Sanctuary

Animal Protection Denmark / Dyrenes Beskyttelse

Animal Protection Party of Canada

Animal Rescue Cambodia

Animal Research Connections

Animal Rights Center Japan

Animal Sanctuary Trust Indonesia

Animal Society for the Protection of Animals (Macau)

Animal Talk Africa

Animal Welfare And Anti Harassment Society

Animals Asia Foundation

Animals Australia

Animals Lebanon

Annamiticus

Ape Alliance

ARCA Brasil

Association Daridibó

Association de Défense des Ressources Marines

AWARE: Animal Welfare Awareness, Research and Education

Baboon Matters

Bali Animal Welfare Association

Bali Street Dog Fund Australia

Ban Animal Trading

Bat Conservation Africa

Bat Conservation Trust

BatLife Europe

BatLife Ghana

Bats without Borders

Bears in Mind

Beauty Without Cruelty – South Africa

Big Cat Rescue

BIOCONCIENCIA A.C.

Biofuelwatch

Blood Lions

Blue Cross of India

Blue Sky Society Trust

Bolivian Bat Conservation Program

Bonobo Conservation Initiative

Born Free Foundation

Born Free USA

Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Borneo Nature Foundation

Brighter Green

Bring the Elephant Home

Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting

Campaigns and Activism for Animals in the Industry (CAAI)

Cape Leopard Trust

Captured in Africa Foundation

CATCA Environmental and Wildlife Society

Center for Biological Diversity

Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education

Centre for Wildlife Studies

Cetacean Society International

Change for Animals Foundation

Cheetah Conservation Botswana

Chelui4lions

Coalition of African Animal Welfare Organisations

Code Animal

Community Dog Welfare Kopan

Compassion in World Farming

Compassion Unlimited Plus Action

Compassion Works International

Conservación de Mamíferos Marinos de Mexico

Conservation Action Trust India

Countryside Management Association

CPR Environmental Education Centre

Danau Girang Field

David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Defenders of Wildlife

Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Taraba State University Jalingo

Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V. (Germany)

Djurskyddet Sverige (Animal Welfare Sweden)

Dogstop

Dutch Gorilla Foundation

Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming)

Dynamic Planet

Earth Island Institute Asia Pacific

Earth Island Institute Int’l Marine Mammal Project

Eco Activists for Governance and Law Enforcement (EAGLE Network)

Elephanatics

Elephant Human Relations Aid

Elephant Reintegration Trust

Elephants Alive

Elephants DC

ElephantVoices

Elephation

EMS Foundation

Endangered Species Coalition

Environmental Investigation Agency

Equilibrium Futures

Eurogroup for Animals

FAADA, Spain

Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations

FIAPO

Fish Welfare Initiative

FLIGHT

Fondation Brigitte Bardot

Fondation Franz Weber

For Elephants

For the Love of Wildlife (FLOW)

For Tigers

Foundation Chimbo

Four Paws – International

Four Paws – South Africa

Franciscan Order – Hong Kong

Frankfurt Zoological Society

Fraternité pour le respect animal

Freeland

Friendicoes SECA

Friendicoes SECA – India

Friends of Animals

Friends of Conservation UK

Friends of the Orangutans Malaysia

Future 4 Wildlife

Future for Elephants e.V.

Gearing Up 4 Gorillas

Gibbon Conservation Society

Global Action in the Interest of Animals

Global Animal Law

Global Biodiversity Youth Network – Kenya

Global March for Elephant and Rhino Poaching

Global Sanctuary for Elephants

Global White Lion Protection Trust

Global Youth Biodiversity Network – Kenya

Gordon Consulting New Zealand

Great Ape Project

Great Apes Film Initiative

Greek Animal Welfare Fund

Green Girls in Africa

GREY2K USA Worldwide

Greyhound Compassion

Hands Off Fernkloof

Help Animals India

Himalayan Animal Rescue Trust

Hollow Paws

Humane Research Australia

Humane Society International – Africa

Humane Society International – Australia

Humane Society International – Global

HUTAN – Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Programme

In Defence of Animals – India

In Defence of Animals – USA

In Defense of Animals – International

Institute for Critical Animal Studies – Africa

International Aid For Animal Foundation

International Animal Rescue

International Otter Survival Fund

International Primate Protection League

International Wildlife Bond

Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Israeli Primate Sanctuary

Jakarta Animal Aid Network

Japan Anti-Vivisection Association

Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund

Japan Wildlife Conservation Society

Kasanka Trust Limited

Korea Animal Rights Advocates

KYMA sea conservation & research

La Fondation Droit Animal, Ethique et Sciences (LFDA)

Lady Freethinker

Landmark Foundation

Latin American and Caribbean Network for Bat Conservation (RELCOM)

Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization

Lawyers for Animal Protection in Africa

Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection

Lifelong Animal Protection

Loomus (Estonia)

Love Animal House Thailand

LUSH UK

Mabula Ground Hornbill Project

Melbourn Dolphin

Monkey Helpline

Moving Animals

National Association of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

National Council of SPCAs – South Africa

National Park Rescue

Natural Resources Conservation Network

Neotropical Primate Conservation

Nepal Animal Welfare and Research Center

New Zealanders for Endangered Wildlife

NOAH – For Animal Rights

Nsefu Wildlife Conservation Foundation

NY4Whales

Oceanic Preservation Society

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

One Nature Films

One Voice (France)

OneKind

ONG Sante Animale Afrique

Orangutan Appeal UK

Orangutan Foundation

Orca Rescues Foundation

OSCAP

Outraged South African Citizens Against Rhino Poaching

Painted Dog Conservation – Zimbabwe

Pan African Sanctuary Alliance

Panthera

Panthera Africa

PEACE (Put an End to Animal Cruelty and Exploitation)

Pegasus Foundation

Penguin Global Society

People for Animal Care and Kindness

People for Animals, Odisha

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

Performing Animal Welfare Society

PETA Asia 亚洲善待动物组织

Pettus Crowe Foundation

Pit-Track K9 Conservation & Anti-Poaching

Plants and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS Asia)

Pro Elephant Network

Pro Wildlife

Protecting African Lions

Pup Aid

Rapad Maroc (Morocco)

reEarth

Responsabile Nazionale Diritti Animali

Rettet den Regenwald (Rainforest Rescue)

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

RSPCA Australia

SAI (Save Animals Initiative) Sanctuary Trust

Sanctuary Education Advisory Specialists

Sanctuary for Health & Reconnection to Animals & Nature

Santuário de Elefantes Brasil

Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Save The Asian Elephants

Scorpion Foundation Indonesia

Sea Shepherd Legal

Sea Shepherd South Africa

SEY Animal Welfare Finland

Shark Research Institute

Showing Animals Respect and Kindness

Small Mammal Conservation Organisation

Snow Leopard Conservancy

Society for Dolphin Conservation, Germany

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Selangor

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Singapore

Society for the Protection of Animals Ljubimci

Society for Travelers Respecting Animal Welfare

Soi Dog Foundation

South Peninsula Customary Khoisan Council

Southern African Fight for Rhinos

Species Survival Network

Stichting Painted Dog Conservation

Stichting SPOTS

Sumatran Orangutan Society

Sun Bear Centre – Kalimantan

Sustainable Travel  and Tourism Agenda – Kenya

Taiwan SPCA台灣防止虐待動物協會

Tanglewood Foundation

Taraba Nature Conservation Initiative – Nigeria

Teyeliz, A.C

The Corbett Foundation

The Elephants and Bees Project

The Emergent Disease Foundation

The Gorilla Foundation

The Humane League Japan

The Humane Society of Canada

The Jane Goodall Institute – Nepal

The Kerulos Center for Nonviolence

The Philippines Animal Welfare Society

The Rufford Foundation

The Wildlife and Environmental Protection of Trinidad and Tobago

The Winsome Constance Kindness Trust

Transfrontier Africa

Tree of Compassion

Trésor Foundation

TRUNKS & LEAVES Inc

Tusk Trust

Two Million Tusks

Ulinzi Africa Foundation – Kenya

Unexpected Wildlife Refuge

Vancouver Humane Society

Vervet Monkey Foundation

Vogelgat Private Nature Reserve

Voice for Asian Elephants Society

Voice for dogs abroad

Voice4Lions – South Africa

Voice4Lions – UK

Voices for Animals – Russia

VShine Animal Protection Association

Water and Environment Media Network – Uganda

Wellbeing International

Wild Futures

Wild Law Institute

Wild Welfare

WildAid

WildAid Southern Africa

Wildlife ACT

Wildlife Alliance

Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM)

Wildlife At Risk International

Wildlife Impact

Wildlife Protection Society of India

Wildlife Rescue

Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Association, Guatemala

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre

Wildlife SOS

Wildlife SOS – India

WildlifeDirect

Working Wild

World Animal Net

World Animal Protection – Africa

World Animal Protection – International

World Cetacean Alliance

World For All Animal Care And Adoptions

World Parrot Trust

Yangon Animal Shelter

Zimbabwe Elephant Foundation

Zoocheck Canada

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[1] In this document the term ‘wildlife’ refers to fauna in the wild or bred in captivity.

[2] Shereen, M.A., Khan, S., Kazmi, A., Bashir, N. and Siddique, R., 2020. COVID-19 infection: origin, transmission, and characteristics of human coronaviruses. Journal of Advanced Research.

[3] Andersen, G.A., Rambaut, A., Lipkin, W.I. et al. The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2. Nat Med (2020)

[4] World Health Organisation. Summary of probable SARS cases with onset of illness from 1 November 2002 to 31 July 2003. https://www.who.int/csr/sars/country/table2004_04_21/en/

[5] Grace, D., Mutua, F., Ochungo, P., et al. Mapping of poverty and likely zoonoses hotspots. Zoonoses Project 4. Report to the UK Department for International Development. 2012

[6] Jones, K.E., Patel, N.G., et al. Global trends in emerging infectious diseases. Nature. 2008

[7] Office of the Chinese Medicine Bureau, General Office of the Health and Health Commission. Notice on Issuing a New Coronary Virus Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Plan (Trial Version 7). issued March 03 2020. Available as PDF on http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2020-03/04/content_5486705.htm

[8] Mermin, J., Hutwagner, L., Vugia, D., et al. Reptiles, Amphibians, and Human Salmonella Infection: A Population-Based, Case-Control Study. Clinical Infectious Diseases 38 (Supp 3). 2004

[9] World Animal Protection. Cruel Cures – The industry behind bear bile production and how to end it. 2020

[10] Moorhouse, T.P., Coals, P.G.R., D’Cruze, N., Macdonald, D.W. Reduce or redirect? Which social marketing interventions could influence demand for traditional medicines? Biological Conservation 242.2020

[11] Wang, H., Shao, J., Chuai, Z., et al. Wildlife consumption ban is insufficient. Science. Vol 367, Issue 6485. 2020

[12] United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Coronavirus: Can policymakers avert a trillion-dollar crisis? 9 March 2020: https://unctad.org/en/pages/newsdetails.aspx?OriginalVersionID=2300

[13] Bloomberg. Coronavirus Could Cost the Global Economy $2.7 Trillion. 6 March 2020: https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-coronavirus-pandemic-global-economic-risk/