Agreement in principle on future pandemic preparedness: update

Following three years of deliberations, members of the World Health Organization (WHO) have reached a consensus in principle on the approach to be adopted in dealing with future pandemics, according to Anne-Claire Amprou, France’s ambassador for global health. In the coming days, delegates will meet in Geneva to approve the final text concerning pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, with a view to its endorsement by all WHO members at the World Health Assembly at the end of May. The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has expressed satisfaction with the result. French President Emmanuel Macron has also welcomed the agreement. Despite its nature as a compromise, and thus its inability to fully align with the expectations of all member countries, the agreement signifies a foundational framework for addressing future global health emergencies, as asserted by Michelle Childs, head of policy advocacy at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI). However, global health concerns persist, including the emergence of H5N1 avian influenza, widespread measles outbreaks in 58 countries due to suboptimal vaccination rates influenced by vaccine hesitancy fuelled by misinformation, and the ongoing spread of Mpox in Africa.