The Global Struggle for a Pandemic Treaty: Challenges and Progress
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva |
| Dates | May 27 to June 1, 2024 |
| Objective | Enhance global pandemic preparedness, establish prevention mechanisms, and address inequities. |
| Key Outcomes | Amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, introducing the Pandemic Emergency (PE) category. Extension of the intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) mandate to finalize the Pandemic Agreement by the 78th WHA in May 2025 or earlier. |
| Contentious Issues | Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS), technology transfer and intellectual property rights, and the One Health approach. |
| Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) | Ensures genetic resources and pathogen samples shared by developing countries are reciprocated with benefits like vaccines and diagnostics. Proposal: Manufacturers donate a portion of products to WHO for global distribution. Disagreement: LMICs seek at least 20% of shared products, while high-income countries resist this threshold. |
| Technology Transfer and IP | Critical for LMICs' self-sufficiency in pandemic response. Articles 10 and 11 of the Pandemic Agreement address governance of production and technology transfer. Disagreement: High-income countries favor Voluntary and Mutually Agreed Terms (VMAT), while LMICs advocate for mandatory approaches under TRIPS flexibilities. |
| One Health Approach | Recognizes the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health. Supported by high-income countries but viewed as an unfunded mandate by LMICs. Proposed Conference of Parties (COP) to review implementation every five years. |
| Challenges | Lack of consensus on PABS, technology transfer, and the One Health approach. Need for skilled diplomacy, political will, and compliance mechanisms. |