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WHO Urges Nations to Finalize Pandemic Treaty Now
2 Nov
Summary
- WHO chief cited Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks as reasons for urgency.
- Wealthy and developing nations disagree on treaty's practical implementation.
- The treaty aims to ensure fair sharing of vaccines and treatments.
Recent outbreaks of Ebola and hantavirus underscore the critical need for nations to finalize a global pandemic treaty, according to World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Speaking at a meeting in Geneva on Monday, he highlighted that these deadly diseases serve as stark reminders of potential global threats.
The ongoing negotiations for the treaty, intended to frame future responses to pandemics, have revealed a significant divide between wealthy and developing countries. The core of their disagreement lies in the practical operation of the treaty's Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system.
This PABS system is designed to govern how pathogens with pandemic potential are accessed and how resulting products, such as vaccines and treatments, are distributed. Tedros emphasized that completing the treaty is fundamentally about protecting people worldwide, asserting that a threat in one location can rapidly spread everywhere.
He recalled the inequities observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, where vaccine development was rapid, but access was uneven. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, echoed these concerns, noting that timely access to affordable medicines was a consistent issue raised by member states. A fair system for sharing pathogen samples, data, and subsequent medical advancements is crucial to prevent repeating past inequalities.
