Geneva: Over 190 countries have approved the text of the first global pandemic treaty in history, marking a significant milestone in the World Health Organization (WHO) negotiations aimed at enhancing global preparedness for future pandemics. This newly approved treaty is designed to improve international coordination and ensure a more equitable distribution of resources to effectively combat the next pandemic, which scientists caution is inevitable with the emergence of a new pathogen.
According to Lao News Agency, the treaty’s approval follows three years of intense negotiations among WHO member countries, culminating in a draft agreement set for consideration at the World Health Assembly in May. WHO has hailed this development as a major step forward in efforts to make the world safer from pandemics.
The initiative for a global pandemic treaty was first launched in December 2020, during the initial year of the Covid-19 pandemic. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus supported the concept, leading to the organization’s member states agreeing to commence negotiations. Initially, a 2024 deadline was set for the completion of these negotiations, but this was later extended by an additional year.
WHO believes that the treaty is grounded in historical and epidemiological evidence, emphasizing the likelihood that the Covid-19 pandemic will not be the last. The organization asserts that an international treaty would enhance global preparedness for future pandemics, highlighting the importance of cooperation and solidarity in addressing the threats posed by pandemics to societies and economies.