SYLLABUS

GS-2: Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.  Important International institutions, agencies, and fora- their structure and mandate.

GS-3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Context: Negotiations are underway at the World Health Organization (WHO) to finalise the last unresolved part of the world’s first Pandemic Agreement, the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system.

More on the News

• Ahead of the 79th World Health Assembly in May 2026, scientists and civil society groups have raised concerns that the current draft could increase global risks if strong safety, accountability, and fairness rules are not added.

About the WHO Pandemic Agreement

• It is the world’s first global treaty focused specifically on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

• It was adopted by consensus at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2025, after more than three years of negotiations launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The agreement aims to strengthen the global health architecture through improved international coordination and equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

• Key Features:

• Establishes principles and tools for stronger global cooperation during health emergencies.
• Emphasises equitable and timely access to pandemic-related health products.
• Reinforces national sovereignty, explicitly stating that WHO cannot impose domestic policies such as lockdowns, travel bans, or vaccination mandates.
• Seeks to make the global response to future pandemics more collaborative, fair, and effective.

• Legal Status and Entry into Force:

• The agreement is the second international legal instrument negotiated under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution, after the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (2003).
• It will open for signature only after adoption of the PABS annex.
• The treaty will enter into force after 60 ratifications by Member States.

• Institutional and Implementation Mechanisms: The WHA resolution outlining the agreement also mandates key implementation structures:

• Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG): Established to draft and negotiate the PABS system and oversee preparatory steps for implementation.
• Coordinating Financial Mechanism: Intended to support pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response capacities globally.
• Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network (GSCL): Designed to ensure equitable, timely, and affordable access to pandemic-related health products during emergencies.

About the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) System

• The PABS system is a core annex of the Pandemic Agreement currently under negotiation by the IGWG.

• It aims to address inequities exposed during COVID-19, when pathogen sharing did not translate into equitable access to vaccines and treatments.

• Objectives:

• Enable rapid sharing of pathogen samples and genetic sequence data during outbreaks.
• Ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics derived from shared data.
• Create a structured global mechanism linking pathogen access with benefit sharing.

• Proposed Provisions:

• Obligations for pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in PABS.
• Manufacturers would provide the WHO with rapid access to approximately 20% of real-time production of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics during pandemics.
• Distribution would be based on public health risk and need, with priority to developing countries.
• Applicability during public health emergencies of international concern, including pandemic events.

Concerns Over WHO Pandemic Agreement 

• Weak Equity and Benefit Sharing: Commitments under Articles 12.7 and 12.8 are diluted, with no mandatory financial contributions from companies and benefit sharing treated as optional, risking a repeat of COVID-era vaccine inequities.

• Lack of Legal and Governance Clarity: The framework contains legal loopholes, weak accountability provisions, no binding obligations for users, and limited transparency with restricted civil society participation.

• Uncertain Access for Developing Countries: There is no guaranteed access to vaccines, diagnostics or treatments, no reserved WHO stockpiles, and lack of legal certainty on licensing and technology transfer during emergencies.

• Biosecurity Risks: Safeguards against misuse of pathogen genetic data are weak, with anonymous database access, no user tracking, and no mandatory reporting of risky research, lab accidents or cyber breaches.

• Emerging Technological Threats: Advances in synthetic biology and AI could enable lab recreation or design of harmful pathogens, increasing risks of accidental release, misuse or deliberate biological harm.

Recommendations by Experts and Civil Society

• Strengthen Equity Provisions: Experts recommend mandatory financial contributions, guaranteed equitable access to vaccines and treatments, and reserved supplies for WHO emergency stockpiles.

• Ensure Legal and Institutional Clarity: They call for binding obligations for all users and legal certainty for licensing and technology transfer to developing countries.

• Improve Biosecurity Controls: Recommendations include verified identities for database access and monitoring and recording of pathogen genetic sequence usage.

• Enhance Safety and Reporting Systems: Experts urge mandatory reporting of hazardous research, lab incidents, and cyber intrusions along with stronger global biosecurity norms.

• Strengthen Global Governance: Calls include improved cybersecurity protections and expanded WHO oversight and governance of pathogen-sharing systems.

Sources
Down To Earth
WHO