WHO says landmark pandemic deal reached after final round of talks

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that countries have reached a landmark agreement on how the world should prepare for and respond to future pandemics.

The 32-page accord was finalised after more than three years of negotiations and 13 formal rounds of talks. It will now be presented to the World Health Assembly in May for adoption.

“Tonight marks a significant milestone in our shared journey towards a safer world,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “The nations of the world made history in Geneva today.”

The agreement includes key provisions aimed at boosting equity in global health emergencies. These include commitments to share pathogen data quickly, improve knowledge and technology transfer, establish a global emergency workforce, and create a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS).

Negotiations continued until the early hours of Wednesday, with last-minute hurdles around intellectual property and technology transfer. Some wealthy countries had resisted language requiring mandatory sharing of medical technologies.

A compromise was reached by agreeing that such transfers would be “mutually agreed”.

The United States, under President Donald Trump, was absent from the final talks after Trump withdrew the country from the WHO and the negotiation process in February.

South Africa’s Precious Matsoso, one of the lead negotiators, called the agreement a “monumental effort” that “will increase equity and protect future generations.”

While the deal does not carry binding enforcement mechanisms, it is seen as a crucial framework to avoid the missteps of the COVID-19 pandemic, which left many low-income nations without timely access to vaccines and treatments.

Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand and co-chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness, said the agreement shows that “the only way to defeat the next pandemic is by working together.”

The pact will be put to a formal vote at the World Health Assembly in May, with delegates hoping for full approval.