WHO chief urges pandemic accord motion after US withdrawal

The pinnacle of the World Well being Group insisted on Monday it was “now or by no means” to strike a landmark world accord on tackling future pandemics, after the US withdrew from negotiations.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated no nation might shield itself from the following pandemic by itself—three days after US President Donald Trump’s administration advised the UN well being company it was leaving the pandemic settlement talks.

“We’re at a vital level as you progress to finalise the pandemic settlement in time for the World Well being Meeting” in Might, Tedros advised WHO members on the opening of the week-long thirteenth spherical of negotiations in Geneva.

“It truly is a case of now or by no means. However I’m assured that you’ll select ‘now’ as a result of you already know what’s at stake.

“You bear in mind the hard-won classes of COVID-19, which left an estimated 20 million of our brothers and sisters useless, and which continues to kill.”

An extra one-week session is deliberate earlier than the WHO’s annual meeting.

The method started in December 2021, when, fearing a repeat of COVID-19—which killed tens of millions of individuals, crippled well being programs and crashed economies—international locations determined to draft an accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

Subsequent pandemic ‘when, not if’

After returning to workplace on January 20, Trump signed an govt order to start out the one-year technique of withdrawing from the WHO, an organisation he has repeatedly criticised over its dealing with of COVID-19.

The order added that Washington would “stop negotiations” on the pandemic settlement.

Tedros stated Washington had formally notified the WHO on Friday of its withdrawal from the talks.

“The subsequent pandemic is a matter of when, not if. There are reminders throughout us—Ebola, Marburg, measles, mpox, influenza and the specter of the following illness X,” he stated.

“No nation can shield itself by itself. Bilateral agreements will solely get you to this point,” Tedros added.

“Like the choice to withdraw from WHO, we remorse this determination and we hope the US will rethink,” he stated.

System ‘beneath siege’

Non-governmental organisations following the pandemic settlement course of urged remaining member states to get the accord completed.

Pandemic Motion Community stated, “Regardless of geopolitical and coverage challenges, don’t stroll away from this important mission.”

Spark Avenue Advisors, a well being sector consultancy, stated the world had modified for the reason that final negotiations in December, with the worldwide multilateral system “beneath siege”.

“Because of this member states can not afford to fail this week. On this new actuality meant to reverse a long time of progress, the pandemic settlement is a concrete motion towards this nice dismantling,” it stated.

Whereas a lot of the draft textual content has been agreed, disputes stay over sharing entry to pathogens with pandemic potential and the sharing of advantages derived from them—vaccines, checks and coverings.

Talks co-chair Valuable Matsoso expressed hoped that proposed new wording would guarantee a breakthrough. “Let’s ensure that the three years that we have spent doesn’t find yourself being regretted—that we wasted three years of our time,” she stated.

© 2025 AFP