The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) head asked countries to approve the Pandemic Agreement this week to avert a repeat of the Covid-19 pandemic.
WHO member states are holding their annual World Health Assembly, a gathering of the UN health agency’s decision-making body.
“At this assembly, member states will consider, and hopefully adopt, the WHO Pandemic Agreement,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in his opening address to the gathering in Geneva. This is truly a historic moment.”
After more than three years of discussions, the agreement’s language was concluded by consensus last month.
The United States withdrew from the negotiations following US President Donald Trump’s decision to begin the country’s one-year exit procedure from the WHO.
“Even in the middle of a crisis, and in the face of significant opposition, you worked tirelessly, you never gave up, and you reached your goal,” said Tedros.
The hard-fought consensus caused “joy, triumph, relief, [and] exhaustion”, he said.
“I look forward to your adoption of the agreement.”
The pandemic prevention, readiness, and response pact is scheduled to be endorsed by the assembly on Tuesday.
Its goal is to improve pandemic detection and response by more worldwide coordination and surveillance, as well as more equitable access to vaccinations and treatments.
The negotiations were acrimonious as wealthier and underdeveloped countries clashed, with the latter feeling blocked off from vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some opposed the deal because they believed it would infringe on state sovereignty.
Countries have until May 2026 to work out the terms of the agreement’s Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system.
The PABS mechanism is concerned with sharing access to pathogens with pandemic potential, as well as the benefits that come from them, such as vaccinations, testing, and therapies.
Once the PABS system is complete, the agreement can be approved. To enter into force, the pact must have sixty ratifications.
