GENEVA, June 2, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - World Health Organization members on
Saturday extended negotiations on a landmark global agreement on handling
future pandemics for up to a year, as the WHO chief warned that the next
crisis was just a matter of time.

Two years of talks on a deal ended on May 24 without a finalised agreement,
chiefly due to differences between well-off nations and those who felt cut
adrift during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The final day of the week-long World Health Assembly (WHA) -- the decision-
making annual gathering of the WHO's 194 member states -- allowed until next
year's meeting to reach an accord.

"The historic decisions taken today demonstrate a common desire by member
states to protect their own people, and the world's, from the shared risk of
public health emergencies and future pandemics," said WHO chief Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"The decision to conclude the pandemic agreement within the next year
demonstrates how strongly and urgently countries want it, because the next
pandemic is a matter of when, not if."

- Pragmatism, and realism -

In December 2021, spooked by the devastation of Covid-19 -- which killed
millions of people, crippled health systems and crashed economies -- the WHA
commissioned the drafting of an accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness
and response.

Negotiators were meant to bring a final agreement to this year's meeting.

However, despite increasing momentum in recent months, only 17 of the draft
agreement's articles had been fully approved by countries by the deadline.

The assembly "made concrete commitments to completing negotiations on a
global pandemic agreement within a year, at the latest", a WHO statement said
as the gathering in Geneva closed.

Precious Matsoso, who co-chaired the two years of talks, told a closing press
conference: "There was a spirit of pragmatism and realism. Most of them have
said that they want a pandemic agreement as soon as possible -- but it has to
be a good one."

The main disputes revolve around access to pathogens detected within
countries, and to pandemic-fighting products such as vaccines derived from
that knowledge.

In developing nations, memories remain vivid of wealthy states hoarding
vaccines. Switzerland was one country which destroyed more Covid vaccine
doses than it ever administered.

Other tricky topics were sustainable financing, pathogen surveillance, supply
chains, and the equitable distribution of tests, treatments and jabs but also
the means to produce them.

- Revamped rules for emergencies -

The assembly also agreed amendments to the International Health Regulations,
a legally-binding framework for responding to public health emergencies.

Covid-19 exposed flaws in the system, first adopted in 1969 and last updated
in 2005, with countries failing to respond when the WHO sounded the IHR's
highest available alarm in January 2020.

It was only when Tedros said the situation was a pandemic, in March 2020,
that many nations -- too late -- sprang into action.

The amended rules introduce a new, higher "pandemic emergency" level of
alarm.

It should kick in before a full-blown pandemic develops, and calls on member
states to take "rapid" coordinated action.

WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan gave the example of a house completely
surrounded by a forest fire.

"Though my house has not yet burnt down, it is an emergency," he said.

Tedros said the IHR changes "will bolster countries' ability to detect and
respond to future outbreaks and pandemics by strengthening their own national
capacities, and coordination between fellow states".

Ashley Bloomfield, who co-chaired the talks on amending the IHR, said the
experience of epidemics and pandemics, from Ebola and Zika to Covid-19 and
mpox, "showed us where we needed better public health surveillance, response
and preparedness mechanisms.

"Countries knew what had to be done and we did it."

Tedros has repeatedly warned of unprecedented misinformation and
disinformation surrounding the pandemic agreement negotiations.

Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in Geneva on Saturday to denounce the WHO
and what they perceive as an attack on the sovereignty of states.

"We don't try to silence people, but what we want is a debate that's based on
the facts and good information," Ryan said.