World Pandemic Treaty Proposal Finalised by WHO

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

In News

• Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) have finalized a proposal for the World Pandemic Treaty.

More About the News

• The proposal was finalised by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), established in December 2021 to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement or other international instrument, under the WHO Constitution, to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
• It would be presented in May at the 78th World Health Assembly for consideration.

Objective of the Treaty

• To ensure coordinated global response to pandemics while strengthening national and global:
  • Prevention strategies
  • Preparedness capacities
  • Resilience of health systems
  • Equitable access to pandemic-related resources

Need for the Treaty

• Fragmented Global Response: Countries responded in disconnected, uncoordinated ways—closing borders, hoarding supplies, and imposing export bans.
  • The treaty would promote international cooperation and harmonised policy responses during public health emergencies.
• R&D and Technology Gaps: Disparity in research and production capabilities limited rapid response, especially in the Global South.
  • The agreement promotes technology transfer, capacity building, and geographically diverse R&D.
• Lack of Timely Information Sharing: Delayed reporting of outbreaks and inadequate transparency in data sharing worsened the global spread of the virus.
• Disruption in Global Supply Chains: Shortages of essential medical supplies revealed the fragility of global supply chains.
  • The agreement aims to establish a resilient global logistics and supply mechanism for future crises.
• Unequal Access to Health Products: During COVID-19, high-income countries secured vaccines and treatments disproportionately.
  • Low- and middle-income nations faced delays in accessing diagnostics, vaccines, PPE, and treatments.

Key Provisions of the Draft Treaty

• Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System: It establishes a framework for sharing pathogens and ensuring equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments derived from them.
• Pandemic Prevention via One Health Approach: Treaty encourages integrated surveillance of human, animal, and environmental health.
• Technology Transfer and Capacity Building: Promotes sharing of technology, knowledge, and skills to enhance R&D and production across diverse geographies.
• Health Workforce Mobilisation: Proposes a global pool of trained and multidisciplinary professionals for rapid pandemic response.
• Coordinated Financial Mechanism: Sets up a fund or mechanism to support preparedness and emergency response, especially in lower-income countries.
• Resilient Health Systems: Calls for strengthening core health infrastructure, preparedness drills, and public health communication systems.
• Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network: Establishes a coordinated mechanism for uninterrupted supply and distribution of essential health commodities.

Current Frameworks to Deal with Pandemics

• International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005): Legally binding international instrument coordinated by WHO.
  • Requires countries to detect, assess, report, and respond to Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC).
  • Example: COVID-19 was declared a PHEIC under IHR in Jan 2020.
  • Limitations: No enforcement power; countries can delay reporting or ignore WHO recommendations.
• Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN): A network of over 250 institutions coordinated by WHO.
  • Provides rapid deployment of experts during outbreaks.
  • Example: Mobilized teams for Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19 responses.

Source: DTE