WHO nations reach agreement ‘in principle’ on future pandemic treaty: report
The breakthrough came after a marathon 24-hour negotiation for a pandemic deal, which ended in applause from delegates.
Read here: https://firstcheck.in/who-pandemic-treaty-draft-agreement-2025/
Geneva, Switzerland: After nearly three years of negotiations, member countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) have reached an agreement “in principle” on how the world should respond to future pandemics, AFP reported on Saturday.
Anne-Claire Amprou, who also serves as France’s ambassador for global health, told the AFP that the final version of the agreement still needs to be formally approved by all member states. Delegates will meet in Geneva on Tuesday to finalize the draft of what is being called a landmark treaty on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The final vote is expected during the World Health Assembly in late May.
The breakthrough came after a marathon 24-hour negotiation session, which ended in applause from delegates. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who stayed with negotiators through the night, called the deal “a very good signal.”
“This is a good gift to our children and our grandchildren,” he said.
Parity during pandemic
One of the key sticking points during the talks was Paragraph 11 of the 30-page draft, which addresses the transfer of technology to produce pandemic-related health products — particularly for developing countries. This issue gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, when poorer nations struggled to access vaccines and testing kits as wealthier countries secured large stocks.
While several countries, including those with major pharmaceutical industries, pushed back against making such technology transfers mandatory, insisting they remain voluntary, sources said the matter has now been resolved. However, the latest version of the text had not been made public as of Saturday.
Amprou said the negotiations had been “constructive and positive” and that countries had shown a genuine willingness to reach an agreement that could make a real difference in future crises.
The need for such a treaty remains urgent, as public health experts warn of emerging threats such as the H5N1 bird flu, ongoing measles outbreaks in 58 countries due to low vaccination rates, and the spread of mpox in Africa.
The negotiations began in December 2021, two years after COVID-19 brought global health systems and economies to a standstill. The United States, which had earlier cut ties with the WHO under President Donald Trump, did not participate in the latest round of talks.
Also read: COVID-19 pushes 100M into extreme poverty, global economy loses $22 trillion — First Check
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