WHO pandemic agreement “must only be the first step”
WHO pandemic agreement “must only be the first step”
Release date: 16 April 2025
Responding to news that a consensus text for a Pandemic Accord has been agreed at the World Health Organization (WHO) Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), Dr. Mohga Kamal-Yanni, policy co-lead for the People’s Medicines Alliance, said:
“By reaching a deal today, WHO member states have shown that governments can collaborate to deal with health crises – even if the United States has shamefully withdrawn from negotiations, after blocking progress and watering down the agreement text. Viruses do not respect borders, and it is short sighted to believe that any one country can deal with pandemics on its own.
“Developing countries fought hard for an agreement that learnt the lessons of COVID-19 and HIV, with concrete obligations to ensure everyone has access to the medical products and technologies needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to health crises. But, after heavy lobbying from the pharmaceutical industry, rich countries like the EU, Switzerland, and UK ensured the agreement falls short of that public health aim.
“This agreement is a step towards a fairer and more just global health system – but it must only be the first step. We call on all nations to move forward with the agreement and to prioritise people’s health over commercial interests.”
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Background note
WHO member states today agreed a text of a Pandemic Agreement to guide government efforts to prepare for, prevent, and respond to pandemics. Health ministers will vote to approve the agreement at the World Health Assembly on 19–27 May 2025. https://www.who.int/news/item/16-04-2025-who-member-states-conclude-negotiations-and-make-significant-progress-on-draft-pandemic-agreement
Through the negotiations, developing countries tried to include measures to secure access to medical tools by sharing products and technologies and removing intellectual property barriers. They also pushed for clear mechanisms to ensure rapid access pathogens that is combined with benefit from the products, technology and share in the profit that results from this sharing.. EU, UK, and other wealthy countries diluted these commitments.
In March 2023, more than 200 world leaders, Nobel laureates, civil society organisations, faith leaders, and health experts called on governments to “Support a Pandemic Accord at the WHO that embeds equity and human rights in pandemic preparedness and response,” and to “never again” allow “profiteering and nationalism” to come before the needs of humanity in a pandemic. The letter was organised by the People’s Medicines Alliance (then named the People’s Vaccine Alliance): https://peoplesmedicines.org/resources/media-releases/world-leaders-say-never-again-to-vaccine-inequity/
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