WHO Approves Landmark Pandemic Agreement to Ensure Global Access, Preparedness

By Staff, Agencies

The World Health Organization [WHO] has formally adopted a new international agreement aimed at improving global preparedness, prevention, and response for future pandemics—an initiative shaped by lessons from the disjointed global reaction to COVID-19.

The agreement, three years in the making, was approved without opposition during the WHO’s annual assembly in Geneva on Tuesday. It ensures that countries sharing virus samples will receive equitable access to diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines. Specifically, up to 20% of such medical supplies will be allocated to the WHO, helping to guarantee that low-income countries have access during future outbreaks.

The passage of the treaty was met with sustained applause, signaling widespread support for the initiative, which WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described as “historic.” He praised it as a much-needed step toward multilateral cooperation, especially at a time when nationalism has frequently overshadowed global solidarity.

Namibia’s Health Minister Dr. Esperance Luvindao, who chaired the committee that facilitated the agreement, emphasized the human cost of COVID-19, saying: “We — as sovereign states — have resolved to join hands, as one world together, so we can protect our children, elders, frontline health workers and all others from the next pandemic. It is our duty and responsibility to humanity.”

However, concerns remain about the treaty’s enforceability and global participation. The agreement lacks binding penalties for non-compliance, a common limitation in international law. Notably, the US, historically the largest contributor to the WHO, did not participate in the final stages of the treaty process. This follows the Trump administration’s 2020 announcement to withdraw from the WHO and halt funding, which still casts a shadow over US involvement in global health governance.

Despite these challenges, the agreement represents a rare moment of consensus in global health policy, setting the stage for more equitable and coordinated responses to future health crises.