GENEVA (AN) — Negotiators from the World Health Organization's 194 member nations resumed work on a landmark agreement about handling pandemics, hoping to gain passage before the end of the year.
WHO's Intergovernmental Negotiating Body took up the latest draft on Monday, continuing nearly three years of talks that were supposed to have been concluded by now but were extended until May 2025.
Compromise is what's needed, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the INB's 12th session: "No one will get everything they want. Everyone must give something, or no one will get anything."
Though the INB has until next year to try for a deal in WHO's decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, negotiators hope to call a special session before the end of this year. For procedural reasons that would mean wrapping up talks by early next week.
Among the key issues is a provision that would require nations to share viral specimens and genome sequences of pathogens that have pandemic potential with a global respository and database managed by WHO – allowing others to use that intellectual property to create vaccines, diagnostic tests and treatments.
Drug manufacturers would have to pay into the system and contribute diagnostics, therapeutics or vaccines, partly free of charge and partly at not-for-profit prices during international emergencies or pandemics.
Tedros appealed to the INB to work quickly; African nations also pressed for a December timeframe. "Time is not on our side," Tedros said. "COVID is still circulating, mpox is a global health emergency, we have an outbreak of Marburg, and H5N1 spillover. The next pandemic will not wait."
Another concern is if Donald Trump wins back the U.S. presidency in the Nov. 5 general election and again withdraws his nation – and its funding – from the U.N. health agency. Trump gave formal notice of U.S. withdrawal in 2020, but before it could take effect President Joe Biden undid the move.
