Oluwatobi Adu 
GENEVA, Switzerland — World Health Organization (WHO) Member States have moved closer to establishing a global pandemic pathogen sharing framework, marking significant progress in negotiations aimed at accelerating the sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential while ensuring equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments.
The development follows the conclusion of the seventh meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) in Geneva, where delegates spent two weeks refining the draft Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex, a key component of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
According to a WHO news release obtained by Africa Health Report on Monday, Member States resolved several technical and policy issues while continuing negotiations on outstanding provisions required to finalise the framework.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended Member States for sustaining dialogue despite differences, stressing that the world cannot afford delays in strengthening global pandemic preparedness.
“I commend Member States for their continued dedication to multilateralism, dialogue and to finding common ground. While differences remain, those differences can be bridged if we keep our shared goal in sight: a world where pathogens and scientific information are shared rapidly, and the benefits they generate are shared fairly and equitably,” Tedros said.
“The task is vital, and urgent. The next pandemic will not wait. Neither should we.”
The proposed global pandemic pathogen sharing framework is designed to speed up the exchange of pathogens with pandemic potential while ensuring countries receive fair access to vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and other benefits derived from scientific research.
Negotiators also discussed legal agreements, laboratory networks and procedures for handling pathogen samples and genetic sequence data.
IGWG Bureau Co-Chair Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes of Brazil said delegates made meaningful progress on some of the most technically and politically complex issues but acknowledged that further negotiations would be needed.
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