The 78th World Health Assembly adopted the first-ever WHO Pandemic Agreement to enhance global equity, preparedness, and collaboration in future pandemics.

WHO Pandemic Agreement

• Background: The Agreement emerged in 2024 from three years of negotiations addressing global gaps and inequities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Legal Significance: It is the second international legal agreement under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution, after the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (2003).
• Objective: Aims to strengthen global pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, based on equity, solidarity, transparency, and scientific evidence.
• Implementation Timeline:  The Agreement will come into force after:
  • 60 countries ratify it.
  • Key mechanisms (like PABS)  will be finalized by May 2026.
• Respect for Sovereignty:  WHO cannot impose laws or actions (e.g., lockdowns, vaccine mandates, travel bans); states retain full sovereignty in public health decisions.

Key Components of the Agreement

• Prevention and Surveillance:
  • Encourage national pandemic prevention plans.
  • Strengthen early detection of infectious diseases.
  • Focus on immunization, lab biosafety, AMR, and zoonotic disease control.
• Sustainable Local Production: Promote equitable distribution and rapid production scale-up of vaccines and other health products.
  • Ensure fair access to these during pandemics.
• Technology Transfer: Support tech and knowledge transfer to developing countries.
  • Use licensing, financing, and regulatory incentives.
  • WHO to facilitate regional/global technology hubs.
• Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS):Rapid sharing of pathogen data with manufacturers.
  • Manufacturers to allocate 20% of real-time production to the countries which are part of the agreement.
    • 10% as donations.
    • 10% at affordable prices.
  • Applies to all companies, regardless of location.
  • Detailed framework to be finalized by May 2026.
• Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network: A new WHO-coordinated network will:
  • Ensure timely and equitable distribution of health products.
  • Address barriers during emergencies.

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