In a bid to strengthen global collaboration on prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemic threats, World Health Organisation (WHO) Member States have agreed to a legally binding treaty.
Following the scrambling for resources and vaccines, especially in Africa, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO Member States formed the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to draft and negotiate a global agreement to better respond to another global pandemic. The draft agreement will be presented at the 78th World Health Assembly in May this year.
WHO TO VOTE ON DRAFT AGREEMENT IN RESPONSE TO NEXT GLOBAL PANDEMIC
Some of the proposals developed by the INB include facilitating the transfer of technology and related knowledge, skills and expertise for the production of pandemic-related health products and establishing a global supply chain and logistics network, among others.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the nations of the world made history in Geneva for reaching consensus on the Pandemic Agreement.
Ghebreyesus said in reaching consensus on the Pandemic Agreement, not only did they put in place a generational accord to make the world safer, they have also demonstrated that multilateralism is alive and well, and that in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground, and a shared response to shared threats.
“I thank WHO’s Member States, and their negotiating teams, for their foresight, commitment and tireless work. We look forward to the World Health Assembly’s consideration of the agreement and – we hope – its adoption,” he said.
INB Co-Chair Precious Matsoso from South Africa said she was overjoyed by the coming together of countries, from all regions of the world, around a proposal to increase equity and, thereby, protect future generations from the suffering and losses the world suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The negotiations, at times, have been difficult and protracted. But this monumental effort has been sustained by the shared understanding that viruses do not respect borders, that no one is safe from pandemics until everyone is safe, and that collective health security is an aspiration we deeply believe in and want to strengthen.”
Likewise, Ambassador Anne-Claire Amprou from France said the draft agreement is a major step in strengthening the global health security architecture so people of the world would be better protected from the next pandemic.
Amprou said in drafting this historic agreement, the countries of the world have demonstrated their shared commitment to preventing and protecting everyone, everywhere, from future pandemic threats.
“While the commitment to prevention through the One Health approach is a major step forward in protecting populations, the response will be faster, more effective and more equitable. This is a historic agreement for health security, equity and international solidarity,” she said.
ARE YOU POSITIVE THAT THE DRAFT PANDEMIC AGREEMENT WILL BE ADOPTED AT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION’S UPCOMING ASSEMBLY?
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