Watch now: Webcast makes the connections between wildlife trade and the coronavirus pandemic

Do you know how the illegal wildlife trade and the coronavirus pandemic are connected?

You can find out more about the global picture and China’s role in it for yourself in this new webcast co-hosted by ourselves and Asia Society.

Illegal wildlife trade is worth an estimated $20 billion a year but until recently it’s largely been treated as a low-priority issue.

However, initial speculation that COVID-19 may have been linked to wildlife trade and mounting concerns over future pandemic risk have spurred a renewed focus on wildlife trade in China and other countries around the world.

In this special webcast, EIA campaigner Aron White discussed the key issues with Nadya Hutagalung, UN Environment Ambassador, Lixin Huang, former president of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Sarah H Olson, Associate Director for Epidemiology for the Wildlife Conservation Society Health Programme.