Latest news with #PABS
Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
W.H.O. member States hold first meeting after Pandemic pact
The World Health Organisation (WHO) member states have held their first meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement that was adopted a couple of months ago, according to a statement issued by the UN health body on Friday. W.H.O. member States hold first meeting after Pandemic pact The aim of the meeting was to formalize next steps on implementing key provisions of the historic legal instrument to make the world safer from future pandemics, it said. The meeting was held late on Thursday. Brazil's Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes, co-chair of the IGWG Bureau guiding the negotiations, said in a statement that the first meeting was a critical moment in the global effort to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The meeting was the first one after the World Health Assembly's landmark adoption on May 20, this year, of the WHO Pandemic Agreement. The agreement, which is legally binding, came into being because of the challenges faced during the Covid-19 crisis and the disjointed response to it, and aims to ensure countries work together for more effective prevention, preparation, and response to future pandemics. It will ensure that drugs, therapeutics and vaccines are globally accessible when the next pandemic hits. It requires participating manufacturers to allocate a target of 20% of their vaccines, medicines, and tests to the WHO during a pandemic to ensure poorer countries have access. 'Through the WHO Pandemic Agreement, countries recognized that global collaboration and action, based on equity, are essential for protecting people from future pandemics,' said Tovar. 'Now, through the IGWG, countries are breathing life into the Agreement by establishing the way forward to implement the Agreement's life-saving provisions.' The Assembly established the IGWG to, as a priority, draft and negotiate an annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement on Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS). 'This PABS system is intended to enable safe, transparent and accountable access and benefit-sharing for PABS materials and sequence information. The outcome of the IGWG's work on the PABS annex will be submitted to the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly in 2026 for its consideration,' read the statement. In addition to negotiating the PABS annex, the IGWG has been established to discuss procedural and other matters to prepare for the Conference of the Parties to the pandemic agreement and develop a proposal for the terms of reference for the Coordinating Financial Mechanism. 'Global collaboration is the foundation of an effective response to global threats,' said Matthew Harpur, fellow IGWG bureau co-chair, of the United Kingdom. The first meeting of the IGWG adopted the body's method of work, timeline of activities leading up to next year's World Health Assembly, and mode of engagement with relevant stakeholders, and elected co-chairs and vice chairs to lead the IGWG process. 'The IGWG also decided to identify experts to provide inputs on the PABS annex and possibly hold an informal briefing before the second meeting of the IGWG, which will be held on 15-19 September 2025,' read the statement.
Business Wire
07-07-2025
- Health
- Business Wire
AHF Webinar Panel Discussion—Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response After the Agreement: What Comes Next?
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), in collaboration with the University of Miami Public Health Policy Lab, will cohost a webinar, 'Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response After the Agreement: What Comes Next?,' on Tuesday, July 8 at 10:00 AM EDT, virtually via Zoom. Register here. This timely webinar will explore the future of global pandemic governance following the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement in May 2025, with a focus on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system. Recognized as a cornerstone of equity in pandemic response, the PABS annex aims to establish transparent mechanisms for sharing pathogens and the benefits derived from them, including vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments. The discussion will feature high-level diplomats involved in global health negotiations, a civil society leader focused on equity and accountability in Africa, and technical and policy experts from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and African Union Commission. Together, panelists will examine what has been finalized in the agreement, identify key unresolved elements, and explore the political, legal, and operational challenges that remain. The session will offer practical insights for governments, institutions, and advocates seeking to ensure the PABS annex delivers on its promise of equity before the agreement opens for signature in 2026. PANEL OBJECTIVES: This panel will provide attendees with timely insights into the WHO Pandemic Agreement and the next steps in shaping its Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex. Panelists—including global health negotiators, public health experts, and civil society advocates—will examine the agreement's implications for equity, assess the design of a functional and fair PABS system, and discuss political, legal, and operational challenges on the path to implementation. The session will explore how national, regional, and multilateral actors can engage in the negotiation process and ensure the agreement delivers meaningful and measurable benefits for all. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the stakes surrounding the PABS annex and learn strategies to support transparency, accountability, and inclusive governance in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 2.4 million people in 48 countries worldwide in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: find us on Facebook: and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare. The AHF Global Public Health Institute is an initiative of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation created to engage in global public health policy analysis and research to generate objective evidence that can inform improvements in public health policy at the global, regional, national, and local levels, particularly for infectious diseases. To learn more about the AHF Global Public Health Institute, visit The University of Miami Public Health Policy Lab is dedicated to advancing research, policy analysis, and collaborative initiatives that strengthen public health systems globally, with a particular focus on the Global South. Through interdisciplinary research, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-driven policy recommendations, the lab addresses critical challenges in global health governance, regional health cooperation, and infectious disease response. Our work informs strategies to enhance health equity, pandemic preparedness, and integrated health systems, fostering regional and international collaboration.
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Can WHO's Pandemic Agreement launch a new era of global health cooperation?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) achieved a historic 'first' on May 20 at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) — the Pandemic Agreement. It was announced on the fifth anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic after three intensive years of negotiations by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB). It is the second international legal agreement negotiated under Article 19 (which outlines the rights and obligations of the members) of the WHO Constitution after the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2003. India was an active member through this process and Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the WHA. Calling for a 'a shared commitment to fight future pandemics with greater cooperation,' he emphasised on addressing health inequities and particularly those of the Global South. Earlier, on May 19, the member states adopted the Pandemic Agreement resolution with 124 countries voting in favour and none objecting. The 11 abstentions included Iran, Israel, Italy, Poland, Russia, and Slovakia. The USA was a 'no-show'; earlier, 26 Republican governors had released a joint statement in August 2024 saying: 'The World Health Organisation is attempting one world control over health policy with their new 'Pandemic Agreement.' Twenty-four Republican Governors expressed concern over this development in a joint letter in May 2024. Put simply, Republican Governors will not comply.' The Biden Administration had participated in the negotiations and approved the second draft in October, 2023. The WHO Pandemic Agreement spells out the principles, approaches, and tools for better international coordination to strengthen the global health architecture for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response including equitable and timely access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. It is clarified that the WHO (through this agreement) will not 'direct, order, alter or otherwise prescribe the national and/or domestic law;' in other words, a pandemic will not in any manner undermine the sovereignty of a member state. The agreement is also in alignment with the amended International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted in last year's WHA to strengthen international rules to better detect, prevent and respond to outbreaks. What happens next? Beyond the euphoria of this 'watershed' agreement the devil will be in the details that lie ahead. The FCTC took two years to come into force. As a key next step to the agreement's implementation, an Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) will draft and negotiate an annex to establish a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS) that will be considered by the next year's WHA. The agreement will only then be open for signature and consideration of nearly 60 ratifications to come into force, including those by the national legislative bodies. The IGWG has another important task — setting up of the Coordinating Financial Mechanism for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The PABS System will link and enable the industry and companies to have access to and be able to utilise pathogen samples and sequence data with benefit-sharing obligations. The private parties accessing materials through PABS may be required to pay contributions to WHO, enter into contractual commitment to share a percentage of pandemic-related products with WHO in case of a pandemic (the target is 20 per cent, of which 10 per cent is a donation) and, potentially, agree to a wide range of non-financial benefit-sharing that include technology transfer, non-exclusive licensing, affordable pricing and global access commitments. The national Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) provisions will also need to align with the Agreement; India will likely need to amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 accordingly. Alongside, the Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network (GSCL), a worldwide system that connects all the businesses and processes involved in moving goods from their origin to the consumer, will play a catalytic role to 'enhance, facilitate, and work to remove barriers and ensure equitable, timely, rapid, safe, and affordable access to pandemic-related health products.' There are several significant but fuzzy domains — enforcement mechanisms, funding pathways and, above all, a synergistic and non-contentious sharing of products and interventions by advanced economies with less endowed countries who are expected to contribute data including genetic sequencing of pathogens. The One Health (OH) approach is a central doctrine in the Pandemic Agreement. For each member state this entails 'developing, implementing, and reviewing relevant national policies and strategies that reflect a One Health approach across the human-animal-environment interface.' India's National One Health Mission (NOHM) with an integrated framework encompassing 13 government ministries/ departments is a step in the right direction but a work in progress. The soul of OH is a multi-disciplinary approach and multi-sectoral collaborations that call for synergy across field sciences, analytical approaches, and laboratory science; the critical barriers are in the realm of politics and governance, though, and not technical. Actors with diverse sectoral and disciplinary expertise are required to work across ministries/ departments and navigate tacit institutional hierarchies and allocate leadership roles. A critical determinant is the extent to which these resonate with high-level political agendas and are amenable to buy-in across sectors. Accountability, transparency, and trust are essential ingredients but can be elusive. The key to success will be consultative and collaborative leadership that promotes innovation, adaptation, and flexibility in terms of political, financial, and administrative accountability. The writer is professor and chairperson, Centre of Social Medicine & Community Health, JNU, and member of the One Health Working Group, World Federation of Public Health Associations
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Business Standard
21-05-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
New WHO agreement on pandemic response: What's it is and what it will do
With lessons from Covid-19, WHO members back treaty to improve equity, vaccine access, and emergency coordination during future outbreaks Barkha Mathur New Delhi World Health Organization (WHO) member states have adopted a landmark agreement aimed at addressing the gaps exposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The WHO Pandemic Agreement is designed to ensure faster, fairer and more coordinated global responses during future health emergencies. What is the WHO Pandemic Agreement? The WHO Pandemic Agreement is the first legally binding international accord to comprehensively address pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Adopted under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution, it promotes data sharing, equitable access to resources and greater cooperation between countries during health crises. The agreement text states that member countries recognise 'that the international spread of disease is a global threat… that calls for the widest possible international and regional collaboration… while reaffirming the principle of the sovereignty of States in addressing public health matters.' What are the goals of the WHO pandemic treaty? The agreement outlines five primary objectives: Ensure equitable access to pandemic-related vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics Strengthen collaboration through data and pathogen sharing Support resilient health systems, especially in low-resource settings Promote knowledge and technology transfer for local production Establish sustainable funding mechanisms for rapid response How will countries benefit from the pandemic agreement? Countries that sign and ratify the agreement will be entitled to: Rapid access to 20 per cent of global pandemic-related health product output — 10 per cent as donations, 10 per cent at affordable prices A Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network (GSCL) for fair resource distribution A coordinated financial mechanism for emergency response from day one of a pandemic Access to shared technologies and production knowledge, especially in developing countries What is the WHO Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS)? The Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS), still under negotiation, will govern how countries share biological materials and genome sequences and ensure fair return benefits like vaccines and diagnostics. The PABS annex will be finalised for consideration at the 2026 World Health Assembly. The treaty also adopts a 'One Health' approach, acknowledging the link between human, animal and environmental health. What happens next? The agreement is now open for signature and ratification. It will become binding once ratified by 60 countries. Member states are expected to: Begin aligning national laws with the agreement Engage in the development of the PABS annex Support WHO-led efforts to strengthen health systems, particularly in developing nations Consider early ratification to expedite the treaty's entry into force How will the agreement promote equity in vaccine distribution? The agreement directly addresses vaccine inequity, a major issue during the Covid-19 pandemic. Pharmaceutical manufacturers will be required to reserve: 10 per cent of production for WHO-led donations 10 per cent at reduced prices for distribution to low-income nations The agreement also discourages vaccine hoarding and promotes timely and transparent supply allocation to vulnerable populations. What did WHO say about the significance of the treaty? 'The world is safer today thanks to the leadership, collaboration and commitment of our Member States to adopt the historic WHO Pandemic Agreement,' said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement. He added: 'The Agreement is a victory for public health, science and multilateral action. It will ensure we, collectively, can better protect the world from future pandemic threats. It is also a recognition by the international community that our citizens, societies and economies must not be left vulnerable to again suffer losses like those endured during Covid-19.'
Gulf Today
21-05-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
WHO Assembly approves Pandemic Agreement
There have been many questions about how well or how badly the World Health Organisation (WHO) had responded to the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020-2021 even as it spread like wildfire from China's Wuhan first to Italy and Iran, and then spread to other countries in Europe and from there to the United States and other countries in North and South America. While the economically advanced countries and the big global pharmaceutical companies located in these countries were able to get a breakthrough Covid vaccine, and speedily made available to people at large, most of the poor countries were left totally vulnerable and without the financial means to access the vaccines. There was also the issue that the governments of advanced economies refused to share the vaccines until their own needs were met. So, the big pharma firms could not see their vaccine where they wanted to. The WHO had however tried to organise relief, and countries like India, UAE and others tried to share the vaccines. Learning from the difficulties it had faced as a world organisation and responsible to the people of all countries, especially the poorer ones in places like Africa, during a global medical emergency of the Covid kind, WHO had been deliberating on the issue of how to help the most vulnerable who are not in a position to access the medicines and the finances to cope with the disaster. So, the WHO has come up with a plan to enable cooperation among member-countries and the big pharma companies. It has been called the Pandemic Agreement and the WHO Assembly had passed the agreement on Monday. It starts with the caveat that the agreement will not in any way be imposed on a country where the national laws will prevail. This is to acknowledge the principle of national sovereignty of each of the member-countries. Dr. Teodora Herbosa, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Health and present president of the WHO Assembly, said, 'Now that the Agreement has been brought to life, we must all act with the same urgency to implement its critical elements, including systems to ensure equitable access to life-saving pandemic-related health products.' The Agreement lays stress on ways and means to closer global cooperation in the wake of a pandemic in the future. Herbosa says that relevant lessons from Covid-19 have been drawn in drawing up plans for a future emergency. The Agreement as it stands now is incomplete. The annex, called the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System (PABS), needs to be negotiated by the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG), and it would need to be passed in the WHO Assembly next year. The Agreement with the PABS annex will then need to be ratified by each of the 138 countries. The member-countries have asked the IGWG to set up a Coordination Financial Mechanism for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and the Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network (GSCL) which will help bring down the barriers and facilitate access to pandemic-related life-saving drugs. The point of cheer is that all members of WHO had agreed the need to stand with each other, cooperate with each other at the time of a global emergency like the Covid. The IGWG now has to work out the mechanisms of making the agreement, which includes PABS. During Covid, WHO was only able o rustle up help in an ad hoc fashion, and it had to depend on the generosity of the member-countries. The Pandemic Agreement formally binds all the member-countries to come to the aid of WHO, which will in turn see to it that help reaches the poor and vulnerable countries.
