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Members of the World Health Organization (WHO), who met on May 19 in Committee A of the World Health Assembly, approved a resolution that called for the adoption of an historic global compact to make the world safer from future pandemics, the organisation said in a statement.
The WHO Pandemic Agreement will next be considered for final adoption by the Assembly on May 20 during the plenary session.
The approval of the pandemic agreement resolution follows a more than three-year process, launched by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its aim was to negotiate the world’s first such accord to address the gaps and inequities in preventing, preparing for and responding to pandemics.
“This watershed agreement was adopted under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution. It aims to foster stronger collaboration and cooperation among countries, international organizations like WHO, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders to prevent pandemics occurring in the first place, and to better respond in the event of a future pandemic crisis,” the statement said.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, congratulated the member states for resolving to come together in the aftermath of COVID-19 to better protect the world from future pandemics. “Their work to develop this global accord will ensure countries work better, faster and more equitably together to prevent and respond to the next pandemic threat.”
The resolution sets out several steps for taking the world forward and preparing for the pandemic agreement’s implementation. It includes the launch of a process to draft and negotiate an annex to the agreement that would establish a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS) through an Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG). The result of this process will be considered at next year’s World Health Assembly.
Once the Assembly adopts the PABS annex, the pandemic agreement will then be open for signature and consideration of ratification, including by national legislative bodies. After 60 ratifications, the agreement will enter into force.
Member states also directed the IGWG to initiate steps to enable setting up of the Coordinating Financial Mechanism for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and the Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network (GSCL) to “enhance, facilitate, and work to remove barriers and ensure equitable, timely, rapid, safe, and affordable access to pandemic-related health products for countries in need during public health emergencies of international concern, including pandemic emergencies, and for prevention of such emergencies.”
According to the agreement, pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in the PABS system will play a key role in equitable and timely access to pandemic-related health products by making available to WHO “rapid access targeting 20% of their real time production of safe, quality and effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for the pathogen causing the pandemic emergency.” The distribution of these products to countries will be carried out on the basis of public health risk and need, with particular attention to the needs of developing countries and those supported through the GSCL.
The pandemic agreement aligns with the International Health Regulations, amendments to which were adopted by governments at last year’s World Health Assembly to bolster international rules to better detect, prevent and respond to outbreaks.
It was in 2021 that the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) was established in December 2021, at a special session of the World Health Assembly. WHO member states were tasked to develop a convention, agreement or other international instrument under the WHO Constitution to strengthen pandemic preparedness, prevention and response.