Pandemics are human-caused, according to the leaders of UN, WHO and WWF International. They have all commented saying that the illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade, disruption of forests and other wild places are the driving forces behind the increasing number of diseases. Dipto Paul Reports.
According to a WWF report: “The risk of a new [wildlife-to-human] disease emerging in the future is higher than ever, with the potential to wreak havoc on health, economies and global security.”
World-leading biodiversity experts have also warned that even more deadly outbreaks are likely in future unless humans stop the destruction of the natural world.
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, head of the UN convention on biological diversity, has said: “We have seen many diseases emerge over the years, such as Zika, Aids, Sars and Ebola and they all originated from animal populations under conditions of severe environmental pressures,”
Maria Neira, the World Health Organization director for environment and health said: “Our own destructive behaviour towards nature is endangering our own health – a stark reality we’ve been collectively ignoring for decades.”
Leaders are calling for a green and healthy recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, in particular by reforming destructive farming and unsustainable diets.
“We must embrace a just, healthy and green recovery and kickstart a wider transformation towards a model that values nature as the foundation for a healthy society. Not doing so, and instead attempting to save money by neglecting environmental protection, health systems, and social safety nets, have already proven to be a false economy,” said Marco Lambertini, head of WWF International.
The WWF report said 60-70% of the new diseases that have emerged in humans since 1990 came from wildlife.
