Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: In a historic move, the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 20 formally adopted the world’s first Pandemic Agreement, after three years of negotiations. The Agreement, adopted by consensus by member countries of the WHO at the ongoing 78th World Health Assembly, aims to bridge global healthcare gaps and inequities in case of future pandemics.
Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, which killed millions of people worldwide, the WHO Member States in December 202`1 established the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement, or other international instrument, under the WHO Constitution, to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
After 13 formal rounds of meetings, nine of which were extended, and many informal and intersessional negotiations on various aspects of the draft agreement, the proposal was finalised in April this year. The Pandemic Agreement aims to prepare governments for future pandemics following the Covid-19 outbreak, which illed millions of people between the years of 2020 and 2022.
“The world is safer today thanks to the leadership, collaboration, and commitment of our Member States to adopt the historic WHO Pandemic Agreement,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“The Agreement is a victory for public health, science and multilateral action. It will ensure we, collectively, can better protect the world from future pandemic threats. It is also a recognition by the international community that our citizens, societies, and economies must not be left vulnerable to again suffer losses like those endured during Covid-19,” Ghebreyesus added.
The WHO Pandemic Agreement is the second international legal agreement negotiated under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution, the first being the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which was adopted in 2003 and entered into force in 2005.
The resolution includes launching a process to draft and negotiate a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System (PABS) through an Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG).
