UN calls for global ban on wildlife markets to prevent future pandemics

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the acting executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity has called on the global community to put a blanket ban on wildlife markets operating in countries such as the one in China's Wuhan city, which is believed to be the origin of coronavirus outbreak. Elizabeth said that countries should work on preventing future pandemics by banning 'wet markets' or 'wildlife markets' that are believed to be the major cause behind disease outbreaks. 

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According to reports, China banned its wildlife markets after the coronavirus outbreak came into limelight. However, some reports emerged last week which claimed China has opened its wet markets again after the coronavirus curve in the country flattened. In the wet markets of China, animals like civet, bats, wolf pups and pangolins are kept alive in the cage, which experts believe then transmit the disease onto humans. Many scientists have also urged China to shut its wildlife markets permanently. 

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Secretary-general of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, Jinfeng Zhou also called on the Communist government to put a permanent ban on wildlife markets in the country. Zhou while talking to the press said that putting a ban on wildlife markets will not only protect humans from contracting diseases but will also save endangered animals. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

The coronavirus infection has claimed nearly 76,000 lives across the world and has infected over 13,59,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last month before Italy and Spain surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Iran have also overtaken China in terms of death toll related to COVID-19. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.

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(Image Credit: AP)