WHO urges sustained investment to fight future pandemic threats

The World Health Organisation has urged sustained investment to improve global readiness for future pandemic threats, following a recent high-level meeting in New York. At the second United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, political leaders reaffirmed their commitment to making the world safer from future pandemics.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the pandemic's devastating impact, which caused over 20 million excess deaths and led to a loss of more than $10tn in global economic output. He emphasized that the lessons learned from COVID-19 had led to important commitments to action, including investments in resilient health systems and equitable access to pandemic-related tools and resources.

The meeting also saw countries acknowledge progress made in strengthening global systems for detecting, preparing for, and responding to pandemic threats, including the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations. However, negotiators stressed the need to finalize discussions on an annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which would establish a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system.

This system aims to facilitate timely sharing of potentially pandemic-causing pathogens while ensuring benefits are shared equitably among researchers, developers, and affected countries. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed called for accelerated negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System, stressing its importance for realizing the full potential of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.

The meeting underscored the urgent need for ongoing political commitment, international cooperation, and sustained investment in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.