Geneva: In a landmark breakthrough, World Health Organization (WHO) member states have reached a consensus on the text of a legally binding treaty aimed at improving global preparedness and response to future pandemics.
The treaty, which still requires formal adoption at the World Health Assembly next month, is only the second such agreement in the WHO’s 75-year history, following a 2003 pact on tobacco control.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the development “a significant milestone in our shared journey towards a safer world,” and praised member nations for “finding common ground in a divided world.”
Key Provisions
Central to the treaty is the establishment of a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS), designed to enable quicker data sharing on emerging diseases.
This system will allow pharmaceutical companies to initiate research and development of treatments and vaccines much faster than during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The pact also mandates for the first time that the WHO maintain oversight of global supply chains for personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks and gowns- areas that suffered severe shortages during the last pandemic.
After over 3 years of negotiations, WHO Member States have finalized a draft #PandemicAccord to make the world safer from future pandemics.
The draft agreement will now be submitted to WHO’s Member States meeting at the #WHA78 for consideration and adoption
Proposals within the… pic.twitter.com/l9lcErUSvo
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 16, 2025
Another critical component is equitable access to medical resources. Participating pharmaceutical manufacturers will be required to allocate 10 percent of their pandemic-related products such as vaccines and diagnostics to the WHO, with an additional 10 percent to be sold at affordable prices. This is intended to prevent the hoarding behavior seen in wealthier countries during the COVID-19 crisis.
The treaty also encourages the transfer of health technologies to lower-income countries, provided it is “mutually agreed.”
While this clause aims to boost local production of essential drugs and vaccines, it remains a point of contention.
Developing nations have criticized the vaccine nationalism of wealthier countries, while pharmaceutical giants worry about the implications for intellectual property and R&D investment.
Notably, the United States will not be bound by the treaty, as it plans to exit the WHO in 2026 following a decision by former President Donald Trump to withdraw from the organization.
