The World Health Organization (WHO) and Brazil are urging global leaders to finalize a major international agreement designed to strengthen preparedness and cooperation against future pandemics.
In a joint appeal, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the urgent need for countries to prevent a repeat of the devastating impacts of COVID-19, which caused millions of deaths and significant global economic losses.
The call comes after countries adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement, a framework aimed at improving international collaboration in preventing, preparing for, and responding to future health emergencies. However, the agreement has not yet entered into force because negotiations over the pathogen access and benefit-sharing (PABS) annex remain incomplete.
The PABS framework would establish rules for rapidly sharing information about dangerous pathogens while ensuring fair access to vaccines, treatments, and other medical tools developed through global research. Supporters say the system is essential to building trust between countries and improving outbreak response.
Negotiators are expected to meet again in July to resolve outstanding issues, including how benefits from shared pathogen information should be distributed and how global cooperation can remain fair and effective.
WHO and Brazil called for stronger political commitment, equitable solutions, and urgent action from world leaders. They emphasized that pandemic prevention is a shared responsibility and that delays could increase risks as new disease threats continue to emerge.
The leaders warned that future pandemics remain a possibility due to environmental changes, global travel, and evolving biological risks. Completing the agreement, they said, would represent a major step toward a safer and more coordinated global health system.
