Yasmin Bilal
Countries have taken another step towards improving the world’s response to future pandemics.
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a political declaration on global health preparedness.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) welcomed the decision, but said countries must now follow through on their commitments.
The declaration calls for stronger disease monitoring, better national preparedness and greater investment in research and healthcare systems.
It also highlights the need for countries to work together to prevent and respond to health emergencies.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world had made progress since the COVID-19 pandemic, but more work was needed.
“The world has come a long way since COVID-19. We urge countries to now fulfil the commitments they have made,” he said.
He singled out negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system, which forms part of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
The system is intended to establish arrangements for sharing pathogens and ensuring that the benefits arising from their use are shared equitably.
The negotiations are expected to be considered at the next World Health Assembly in May 2027, or earlier at a special session.
Finalising the agreement would allow it to proceed towards ratification and entry into force as international law.
The UN declaration also calls for fairer access to medical products, expanded regional manufacturing capacity and sustainable funding for pandemic preparedness.
It stresses that pandemic prevention is not only a health issue, but also requires action across economic, development and security sectors.