GENEVA, May 19, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The head of the World Health Organization on 
Monday urged countries to adopt this week the Pandemic Agreement, aimed at 
preventing a repeat of the Covid-19 crisis.

WHO member states are holding their annual World Health Assembly, a gathering 
of the UN health agency's decision-making body.

"At this assembly, member states will consider, and hopefully adopt, the WHO 
Pandemic Agreement," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in his opening 
address to the gathering in Geneva.

"This is truly a historic moment."

After more than three years of negotiations, the text of the agreement was 
finalised by consensus last month.

The United States pulled out of the talks, following US President Donald 
Trump's decision to trigger the country's one-year withdrawal process to 
leave the WHO.

"Even in the middle of crisis, and in the face of significant opposition, you 
worked tirelessly, you never gave up, and you reached your goal," said 
Tedros.

The hard-fought consensus spurred "joy, triumph, relief, exhaustion," he 
said.

"I look forward to your adoption of the agreement."

The agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response is expected 
to be adopted by the assembly on Tuesday.

It aims to better detect and combat pandemics by focusing on greater 
international coordination and surveillance, and more equitable access to 
vaccines and treatments.

The negotiations grew tense amid disagreements between wealthy and developing 
countries, with the latter feeling cut off from access to vaccines during the 
Covid-19 pandemic.

The agreement faced opposition from those who thought it would encroach on 
state sovereignty.

Countries have until May 2026 to thrash out the details of the agreement's 
Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing mechanism.

The PABS mechanism deals with sharing access to pathogens with pandemic 
potential, and the sharing of benefits derived from them: vaccines, tests and 
treatments.

Once the PABS system is finalised, the agreement can then be ratified. Sixty 
ratifications are required for the treaty to enter into force.