WHO Pandemic Agreement

WHO Pandemic Agreement: Recently, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body finalised a draft for the WHO Pandemic Agreement, ready for adoption at the upcoming World Health Assembly.

• About WHO Pandemic Agreement: Described as a major milestone to make the world safer from pandemics.

o Reduced Scope: More limited than the original proposal, but still a significant consensus achievement.

o Global Divide: Developed nations avoided firm commitments on sharing diagnostics, vaccines, treatments, and technologies.

o Developing Nations’ Concern: Reluctant to share pathogen samples and genome sequences without assured access to the benefits.

o First Agreement: Universal commitment to protecting health-care workers.

o Major Success: Global consensus on pathogen access and benefit-sharing system.

o Benefit Access: Assured access to diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines developed using shared samples/data.

o Technology Transfer Resolved: Conditions for pandemic-time tech sharing are now settled.

o Transfer Terms: Will be based on “mutually agreed terms”, not “voluntary” as pharma companies preferred.

o Nature Journal Insight: Treaty urges countries to “promote, facilitate, or incentivise” technology exchange to help developing countries manufacture their own vaccines.