After three years of intense negotiations, World Health Organization (WHO) Member States finalised the long-anticipated Pandemic Agreement in the early hours of 16 April, 2025.
The deal comes at a moment of renewed urgency: global health cooperation is under strain following the withdrawal of the United States from the WHO and sweeping international aid cuts, both of which threaten to undermine pandemic preparedness and response efforts.
The Agreement’s 30+ articles represent a major step forward in global health law and equity, addressing the full range of pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response — beyond the narrower emergency focus of existing frameworks like the International Health Regulations.
The agreement outlines broad and comprehensive provisions, calling on countries to invest in resilient health systems and a well-trained health workforce, using a Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society approach. This reflects a growing recognition that effective responses to pandemics must involve economic, social, and governance systems — not just health ministries.
One of the Agreement’s noteworthy features is its focus on prevention and surveillance, with commitments to reduce outbreak risk and detect threats early. For the first time, the One Health approach — linking human, animal, and environmental health — is embedded in international law, recognising that our health is deeply connected to the health of ecosystems.
Several key provisions stand out for their potential to improve equitable access to pandemic-related health products — a major shortcoming exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. These interconnected obligations range from commitments to invest in research and development, to strengthening manufacturing capacity, enhancing regulatory review, and ensuring adequate stockpiling.
On technology transfer, one of the final provisions agreed, countries commit to promoting transfer “as mutually agreed” to support geographically diverse manufacturing. This language, shaped by last-minute compromises, stops short of requiring companies to share proprietary technologies unless they want to.
Most notably, the Agreement establishes a new Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system. It aims to ensure timely sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and the fair distribution of resulting benefits. During pandemics, countries commit to provide WHO with 10% of real-time production of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics as a donation, and an additional, flexible target of up to 10% at affordable prices. Distribution will prioritise public health need and risks, especially in developing countries.
The technical details of the PABS system will be finalised in an annex through follow-up negotiations. The treaty, set for adoption by the World Health Assembly in May 2025, will only open for signature once the annex is complete, ensuring both enter into force as a single, unified package.
Though its success will depend on implementation, the Pandemic Agreement represents a historic milestone in global health governance.