WHO nears landmark pandemic treaty to fortify global health
The World Health Organization (WHO) is nearing the finalisation of a pandemic treaty designed to prepare the world for future pandemics. Negotiations have been ongoing for three years, and the document is set to be binding.
The work on the WHO pandemic treaty, which aims to better prepare for future pandemics, is in its final stages. According to Reuters, negotiations have been underway for three years, aiming to create a binding document. For WHO, this is a priority following the experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Pandemic treaty - Negotiations and key challenges
One of the main challenges in the negotiations is determining how to equitably distribute medicines and vaccines between wealthy and developing countries. This is a crucial point to avoid the mistakes of the COVID-19 pandemic era, which claimed over 7 million lives worldwide.
If the treaty is finalised, it will be a historic achievement for WHO. In the organisation's 75-year history, only once has a similar agreement been signed - in 2003, regarding tobacco control. The "World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control" was the first document of its kind.
Main provisions of the new pandemic treaty
The new pandemic treaty will include provisions for monitoring, reporting, and controlling epidemic outbreaks. These are key elements that aim to better prepare for future health threats.
The completion of the pandemic treaty could be a significant step towards global cooperation in fighting future pandemics. WHO is working to ensure that the new agreement becomes a foundation for international public health efforts.
