Following the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement resolution at the 78th World Health Assembly, Health Action International published the following statement:
Endorsement of Pandemic Agreement resolution is a historic moment that comes after a long and difficult process, one which Health Action International was proud to have supported.
We commend the bureau of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, World Health Organization (WHO) secretariat and the majority of Member States for their efforts and constructive approach to a very complex negotiation. However, it is a matter of a concern that the text was not approved by consensus, with a few governments casting doubt about the legal status of the document and others refusing to endorse a text approved by a vast majority.
This is not the end of the journey and some critical issues, such as the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS), must still be defined and articulated; may we stress that this process must be transparent and accountable. Public interest civil society still has a major role to play in ensuring an equitable Pandemic Prevention Preparedness and Response, a fact that must be acknowledged by WHO secretariat and Member States.
Finally, only with a ratified instrument and universal support can we bring about the kind of response the next pandemic outbreak will demand. We encourage governments and other stakeholders to use the Intergovernmental Working Group on PABS as an opportunity to truly finalise the pandemic agreement and ensure equitable and affordable access to vaccines and other health technologies.
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