The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Monday called on countries to adopt a landmark Pandemic Agreement this week, designed to prevent a repeat of the Covid-19 crisis.
Member states are currently attending the annual World Health Assembly in Geneva, the decision-making body of the UN health agency.
“At this assembly, member states will consider, and hopefully adopt, the WHO Pandemic Agreement,” Tedros said during his opening speech. “This is truly a historic moment.”
After over three years of intense negotiations, the text of the agreement was finalised by consensus last month. However, the United States withdrew from the talks after then-President Donald Trump initiated the country’s one-year withdrawal process from the WHO.
“Even in the middle of crisis, and in the face of significant opposition, you worked tirelessly, you never gave up, and you reached your goal,” Tedros told delegates. The consensus, he added, brought “joy, triumph, relief, and exhaustion.”
He expressed optimism about the outcome, saying, “I look forward to your adoption of the agreement.”
The agreement, focusing on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, is expected to be formally adopted by the Assembly on Tuesday. It aims to improve global coordination and surveillance while ensuring fair access to vaccines, tests, and treatments.
Tensions during negotiations often centred on disagreements between wealthier nations and developing countries—many of which felt sidelined during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly regarding vaccine access. Some countries also raised concerns that the agreement might infringe on national sovereignty.
A key component of the deal still under discussion is the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) mechanism. This system will govern how pathogens with pandemic potential are shared globally, along with the equitable distribution of the benefits derived from them, such as vaccines and treatments.
Countries have until May 2026 to finalise the PABS mechanism. Once completed, the agreement can be ratified—requiring at least 60 countries to formally adopt it for the treaty to enter into force.
