Governments refine pandemic agreement ahead of May 2024 World Health Assembly

Governments of the world agreed on Thursday to keep working on a new pandemic agreement and to sharpen the draft before the 77th World Health Assembly, which opens on 27 May 2024 at the WHO headquarters in Geneva. Delegates said they will resume hybrid and in‑person talks in the coming weeks to push forward on key issues such as a global system for pathogen access and benefit‑sharing, pandemic prevention under a One Health approach, and the financing needed to boost national preparedness.

The decision comes after more than two years of intensive negotiations that began in the wake of COVID‑19. In March 2021, leaders from about two dozen countries called for a coordinated global response to future health emergencies, prompting the creation of the Member‑State‑led Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB). The INB’s Bureau, which steers the process, has been tasked with drafting a binding pact that would lock in mechanisms for sharing vaccines, treatments and diagnostics, as well as a framework for joint financial support. The urgency reflects a consensus that another pandemic is inevitable and that the world must be ready.

WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the “unwavering commitment” of member states, while INB co‑chair Dr Precious Matsoso of South Africa said the latest round of talks marked significant progress on the draft’s wide‑ranging provisions. Co‑chair Roland Driece of the Netherlands warned that the timeline is ambitious but necessary, noting that the effort was launched in response to an “unprecedented global emergency.” Both co‑chairs stressed that the agreement would be the first of its kind and that getting it right is essential for protecting citizens worldwide.

The INB Bureau will bundle its recommendations and submit them to the World Health Assembly for member‑state consideration. If adopted, the pact could reshape how nations share pathogen data, fund pandemic preparedness and coordinate responses. Observers say the outcome will test global solidarity and set the tone for health security in the decades ahead.