The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that another pandemic is inevitable, urging governments to urgently finalize a global treaty on preparedness and response.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the opening of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Pandemic Agreement that the next pandemic is not a matter of if, but when, and stressed that it is in the interest of all countries that the process is not further delayed.
The treaty, adopted on May 20 after more than three years of negotiations, remains incomplete. It still requires ratification by 60 countries and the addition of a crucial annex on how pathogens will be shared globally and how the resulting benefits will be distributed.
Dr. Tedros emphasized that without the annex, the pandemic agreement will remain incomplete.
Talks are still stalled on key issues such as global disease surveillance, data-sharing on emerging pathogens, and fair access to vaccines, tests, and treatments. These sticking points highlight broader geopolitical tensions around health sovereignty and the distribution of medical resources.
He expressed hope that experts would reach agreement on the draft this week, paving the way for the annex to be adopted by the World Health Assembly next May.
Amendments to the International Health Regulations are set to come into force on September 19, as preparations for the United Nations high-level meeting on pandemic prevention continue.
Dr. Tedros concluded that the threat of a new pandemic is certain and called on nations to complete the work already begun.
