WHO adopts first-ever Pandemic Agreement to strengthen global preparedness
New Delhi, May 20: Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) have formally adopted the first-ever WHO Pandemic Agreement, marking a major step toward bolstering global preparedness and equity in response to future pandemics.
The decision was made at the 78th World Health Assembly following over three years of negotiations launched in the aftermath of COVID-19.
The agreement was adopted by consensus during a plenary session after being approved by 124 votes in favour, with no objections and 11 abstentions, in committee deliberations on Sunday.
The new accord lays out a comprehensive framework for international cooperation in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. It includes provisions to improve access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics during health emergencies and aims to build a more equitable system for distributing pandemic-related resources.
As part of the agreement, Member States also endorsed the development of a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system. This mechanism is intended to ensure timely sharing of biological materials and equitable access to resulting health technologies. Under the PABS system, pharmaceutical manufacturers will be expected to allocate 20% of their real-time production of pandemic-related medical products to WHO for distribution based on public health need, with special consideration for developing countries.
The resolution adopted by the Assembly also calls for the establishment of a Coordinating Financial Mechanism and a Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network to support equitable and efficient delivery of pandemic-related health products, particularly in low-resource settings. The agreement includes language affirming national sovereignty. It specifies that the WHO Secretariat, including the Director-General, will not have the authority to impose domestic legal or policy decisions on member states, such as lockdowns, vaccination mandates, or travel restrictions.
The Pandemic Agreement is only the second international legal instrument developed under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution. The first was the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, adopted in 2003. Implementation steps outlined in the resolution include further negotiations on the PABS annex and processes for national ratification. The agreement will enter into force once 60 Member States have completed ratification. The adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement represents a coordinated global effort to prevent the scale of disruption and inequity witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The next phase will focus on operationalising the agreement’s mechanisms ahead of future public health emergencies.
