Did you know that 3 in 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals? The spillover of animal diseases to humans is made easier by antimicrobial resistance, intensified agriculture and livestock production, climate change, and international travel and commerce. The global COVID-19 pandemic must be a wake up call for our governments. The pandemic has exposed the fragility of our society, caused unimaginable loss and suffering, and threatened the livelihoods of communities.
If we don’t act now, drug-resistant diseases could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050. So, how can we reduce these risks? We can stop deforestation, protect habitats and ban wildlife trade. But above all, we must reduce our consumption of meat and other animal products.
Preventing the next zoonotic pandemic must surely be at the top of every politician's 'to do' list, right? Sadly, almost no other political party in Australia is talking about this.
To prevent future pandemics, the Animal Justice Party is campaigning for permanent, significant changes to the treatment of animals and their environments.
Our policies will call for an end to intensive factory farming practices and live export; for the keeping, selling, and slaughtering of live animals in Australian wet markets to be prohibited; and for international pressure to be applied to oppose overseas wet markets. By shutting down these breeding grounds for new viruses and medicine-resistant diseases, the Animal Justice Party is working to stop the next pandemic at the source. We will also stand up against new urban developments in wild animals’ habitats, which only increase the risk of spreading diseases from animals to humans.
Unless we take action where these viruses are most likely to originate, there’s every chance that we’ll continue to face outbreaks even more deadly than the one we are currently experiencing. Every intensive animal operation closed is another place where viruses cannot spawn.
We cannot continue to gamble with the lives of the most vulnerable and that of future generations.
Sign here to show your support for our calls for change, and remember to 'Vote 1' for the Animal Justice Party.
'Viral Spiral' animated by world-renowned artist Steve Cutts and produced by the Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation