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Pandemic accord: Final round of talks on landmark agreement faces frantic last push this week
After bring shaken by the Covid-19 pandeic, countries have joined together to find a solution on how to tackle further pandemics.
This week marks a hectic final push toward a historic pandemic deal as nations continue to diverge on how to respond to future international health emergencies. Nations are attempting to reach a consensus during the negotiations, which end on Thursday, to ensure that the globe is better equipped to handle the next pandemic or, better yet, stop it before it spreads.
Countries come together to tackle further pandemics
After COVID-19 destroyed economies, upended civilizations, damaged health systems, and claimed millions of lives, nations resolved in December 2021 to create a framework of legally binding agreements to ensure that such tragedies never occurred again. But there are still significant issues as the two years of negotiations draw to an end.
On March 18, the ninth and final round of negotiations began, with daily discussions continuing long into the night. Though the different groups still appear to be very different, diplomats believe they are still eager to agree. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, has cautioned countries time and again that "everyone will have to give something, or no one will get anything."
African countries want the expertise and resources to make pandemic prevention effective, as well as appropriate access to pandemic "counter-measures" like vaccines and treatments. European countries, which spearheaded proposals for a pandemic treaty, want more money invested in pandemic prevention.
The United States is pushing for rapid and transparent data and sample sharing among all nations in response to rising outbreaks, while underdeveloped nations are pleading with companies for guaranteed equity to avoid falling behind.
The World Health Assembly, which will convene from May 27 to June 1, will strive to adopt a definitive agreement on pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response. The WHO has 194 member states.
However, there is a feeling in diplomatic circles that more discussions in April would be necessary to push developing countries beyond their limits as they become weary of Western obduracy. Tedros stated on Monday that while nations were "making progress, more negotiation is still needed in certain areas of difference."
The primary issues that are still being debated include access to newly emerging pathogens, improved disease outbreak prevention and monitoring, dependable funding, and technology transfer to developing nations.
Precious Matsoso of South Africa and Roland Driece of the Netherlands are co-chairing the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body that is holding the negotiations. The pharmaceutical industry's ability to develop the requisite tests, treatments, and vaccines—and, perhaps most importantly, how they are distributed—may make all the difference in the success or failure of the next pandemic.
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