Vegan International has applied to the World Health organization (WHO) Scientific Advisory Group for the origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO).
Vegan International is a United Nations Economic and
Social Council Non-Governmental Organization applicant. One of the most important issues VI works on
is the elimination of zoonotic disease: pandemics transmitted from exploited
animals to humans.
Zoonotic disease has its origins in animal
exploitation, including use of animals for food, clothing, medicine,
entertainment, and experimentation. habitat destruction and species extinction. Zoonotic diseases are the deadliest in the
history of the planet. They will become
more frequent and deadlier if the root cause is not recognized and addressed.
WHO
is calling for applications from the fields of social
science/anthropology/ethics/political science and biosafety/biosecurity. The rapid emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2
has highlighted the importance of being prepared for any future event, to be
able to identify novel pathogens early and to address the risk factors that
contribute to their emergence and spread.
World
Health Assembly requested the Director-General of the World Health Organization
(WHO) to continue to work closely with the World Organization for Animal Health
(OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and
countries, as part of the One Health approach, to identify the source of the
SARS-CoV-2 virus and the route of introduction to the human population.
There
have been an increasing number of high threat pathogens emerging and reemerging
in recent years with, for example, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Lassa, Marburg, Ebola,
Nipah, avian influenza, the latest being SARS-CoV-2.
There
is not only need for robust surveillance and early actions for rapid detection
and mitigation efforts, but a need for a robust and systematic processes to
establish the study around the emergence of these pathogens and routes of
transmission from their natural reservoirs to humans.
