Plague risks in Russia and a dangerous delay on WHO pandemic agreement | Letters
Responding to an editorial on a potential plague outbreak, Dr Darren Mann deplores delays to the agreement, while Kent Buse says Britain could do more Your editorial on the silence from Siberia after a worker died at a plague research institute there is right that the lack of information is the real worry ( The Guardian view on plague in Russia: what is most worrying is the lack of information,…
In an editorial about the potential plague outbreak in Russia, Dr. Darren Mann criticized the delay in ratifying the WHO pandemic agreement. Kent Buse, Co-CEO of Global 50/50, argued that the core issue isn't Russian inaction, but the lack of a binding system for sharing pathogens and their derivatives. Six years after the Covid pandemic, this issue persists, and it's reminiscent of the historical dispute between Kitasato Shibasaburō and Alexandre Yersin over access to plague samples in 1894.
The pathogen access and benefit-sharing annexe of the WHO pandemic agreement aims to rectify this, but it has been stalled due to reluctance from richer countries. The agreement, which includes provisions for equitable distribution of personal protective equipment, is currently on hold until the issue of pathogen sharing is resolved, with a new negotiation date set for 2027.
Dr. Mann emphasized that the International Health Regulations require immediate reporting of outbreaks, but these regulations lack enforcement mechanisms. Similarly, the UK, among other countries, has chosen not to support the WHO's implementation committee, which is designed to monitor compliance. Buse called on the UK to formally address Russia's reporting issues and propose independent verification for pathogen sharing.
He also suggested that the UK join the WHO's Universal Health and Preparedness Review, a peer-review process currently attended by only 11 countries, including the UK.
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