Posted on May, 26 2021

Hanoi, 25 May 2021 – The report builds on the study “Opinion Survey on COVID-19 and Wildlife Trade in 5 Asian Markets” conducted in 2020 by WWF and GlobeScan to understand public attitudes and behaviours regarding COVID-19 and future pandemics. More than a year after the COVID-19 outbreak, the new data shows that there is a strong understanding that risky human-animal interaction, often connected to deforestation and high-risk wildlife trade, can lead to serious disease outbreaks, with 46% of all participants listing disease transmission from animals to humans as the root cause most likely to trigger future pandemics. The World Health Organisation's (WHO) recent investigation also points to wildlife as a likely source of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, the majority of those surveyed believe that preventing future pandemics begins with addressing root causes, including high-risk wildlife trade and deforestation. People from all five surveyed countries - China, Myanmar, Thailand, the US, and Viet Nam - strongly support government efforts to close high-risk markets selling animals from the wild (85%) and stop deforestation (88%). In Vietnam, the agreement rates to these matters are 94% and 95%, respectively.

In addition, 85% of respondents in all five countries strongly support or support the “One Health” approach to dealing with future pandemics, with the approval rate in Viet Nam being the second highest at 93%. “One Health’ is an approach to designing programs, policies, and legislation where different sectors communicate and work together for better health outcomes across people, animals, plants, and their shared environment, especially for animal health, disease transfer between animals and humans, and combating antibiotic resistance.

More specifically, 39% of Vietnamese participants said they consume less wildlife or have stopped consuming wildlife because of COVID-19 - this figure remains stable compared to 41% in 2020. In Thailand, this rate nearly doubles from 21% in 2020 to 41% in 2021 while the rate is at 28% in China in 2021. However there remains 9% of participants intent on buying wildlife products in the future in all five countries. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned people's lives upside down and forced the humans to think more deeply about the relationship between people and nature. The only way to prevent future pandemics is by reducing destructive human activities that drive the loss of nature – such as deforestation, unsustainable wildlife trade and consumption - rather than reacting to outbreaks after they have emerged.

“Prevention of pandemics is estimated to cost 100 times less than responding to them. The pandemic has made it blatantly clear that investing in planetary health and nature is the only way to avoid paying such a terrible social and economic price again in the future”, said Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF International.

“In July 2020, the Prime Minister of Viet Nam issued a Directive On Urgent Solutions for Wildlife Managemen, we expect the government to closely direct the implementation of the directive by rewarding ministries, sectors and regions for good compliance, while strictly handling localities that continue risky practices,” Ms. Nguyen Dao Ngoc Van, National IWT Manager of WWF-Vietnam, shared.

“The closure of wildlife markets and hotspots is supported by nearly 90% of the people is an opportunity for the Government to eradicate high-risk wildlife markets, the killing of wild birds and deforestation, in order to prevent the source of infection and the risk of future outbreaks.” Ms. Van added.

The report results serve as an important foundation for Viet Nam and other countries in the region to consider decisions on closing wildlife markets, closing forests to proactively prevent COVID-19 pandemic. WWF is calling on decision makers to include interventions needed to address key drivers of zoonotic disease outbreaks in their pandemic prevention plans. Closing forests and high risk wildlife markets, for example, will help recover wildlife populations and maintain local and global biodiversity that naturally help regulate disease, as well as help ensure sustainable use of natural resources.

To support the fight against Covid-19, citizens are highly recommended not to buy, sell or consume wildlife products to prevent pandemics and ensure safety for themselves and the community.