Alliance Statement on the adoption of the pandemic agreement at the World Health Assembly

The Australian Global Health Alliance strongly welcomes the adoption of the world’s first ever international pandemic agreement to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics at the 78^th World Health Assembly held this year. The adoption by member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) represents a powerful commitment to global health and security and an endorsement of the importance of multilateralism.

After more than three years of negotiations and hard work by the global health community, the agreement represents a necessary step towards building a more equitable and robust framework to strengthen health systems, protect healthcare workers on the frontline, and safeguard the communities they serve. A treaty will ensure populations are better able to withstand the shocks of emergencies, such as pandemics. It also addresses a pathway towards greater production capacity and a more equitable approach to access diagnostics, vaccines and treatments which was not achieved during the COVID-19 response. The Alliance has been fully committed throughout this process and has hosted forums for its membership to feed directly into the consultations.

There are still key areas to be negotiated and agreed before the Pandemic Agreement is ready for signature and ratification, which must be by at least 60 countries, to enter into force.[1] The Alliance maintains that for this treaty to be transformative, the agreement’s provisions must be swiftly finalised, actioned and implemented into national policies over the next year. This includes, particularly the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS).

The Alliance also calls for sufficient global health financing to ensure the multilateral system is properly resourced to deliver an effective and timely response. It is critical, at this moment to take the opportunity to reinforce and advance support for existing multilateral mechanisms, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

We acknowledge and thank the Australian leadership of, Fleur Davies, Vice Chair of the International Negotiating Body and Ambassador Dr Lucas de Toca PSM, from the Department of Foreign Affairs, for working hard to get to this point and congratulate the WHO member states for their partnership and commitment to global health equity.

In a time where our institutions and the advancements in global health are being tested, this agreement is evidence and reminder that the strength and success of any global health effort lies in collective action and a regard for others – all of which are reflected in this historic milestone.

[1] Member States approve WHO Pandemic Agreement in World Health Assembly Committee, paving way for its formal adoption