After more than three years of intense negotiations, the World Health Organization (WHO) is poised to finalize a historic Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Agreement, with adoption expected at next month’s World Health Assembly (WHA).
The deal aims to rectify systemic failures exposed by COVID-19 particularly the stark inequities in vaccine and treatment access but last-minute debates over pharmaceutical profits and technology transfers risk weakening its potential impact.
The draft agreement, set for approval in May 2025, includes several critical measures designed to prevent a repeat of the “vaccine apartheid” seen during the COVID-19 pandemic:
Priority Access for Frontline Workers: Guarantees healthcare workers and high-risk populations first access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics during health emergencies.
Humanitarian Corridors: Establishes faster pathways to deliver medical aid to conflict zones and vulnerable nations.
Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System: Requires pharmaceutical companies developing pandemic-related products using shared pathogen data to reserve at least 20% of their output for distribution through WHO to low- and middle-income countries, either free or at cost.
Global Supply Chain Network: Creates a logistics system to monitor and ensure equitable allocation of tests, treatments, and vaccines, with binding transparency rules for governments and manufacturers.
Despite progress, key disagreements persist:
Technology Transfer:
A compromise led by Brazil backed by the U.S. and EU states that tech transfers must occur “on mutually agreed terms,” effectively allowing pharmaceutical companies to retain control over patents and production know-how. Developing nations argue this undermines their ability to manufacture generic treatments.
Enforcement:
The agreement lacks teeth, with no financial penalties or trade sanctions for non-compliance. Instead, it relies on voluntary reporting and peer pressure a model critics compare to the failed COVID-19 vaccine donation pledges.
Mixed Reactions from Advocates
Global health organizations have welcomed the equity-focused provisions but warn of loopholes. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) called the PABS system a “step forward” but cautioned: “Without enforceable tech transfer rules, we risk repeating the same power imbalances.”
Meanwhile, African negotiators are pushing for stronger commitments to local production, citing how wealthy nations hoarded 75% of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021.
Final negotiations are to resume as soon as possible, with the text due for WHA approval by late May. If adopted, the agreement would take effect in 2026 though its success hinges on whether wealthy nations and pharmaceutical firms honor its spirit. The pact could redefine global health security, but its legacy will depend on closing enforcement gaps and ensuring affordable access for all.
Source: World Health Organization
