Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) have reached an agreement to better prepare the world for future pandemics, reports "Reuters", reports News.bg.
The negotiations lasted more than three years and ended with the drafting of a legally binding pact aimed at strengthening global protection against new pathogens.
The initiative comes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which between 2020 and 2022 led to the deaths of millions of people around the world. The new agreement aims to prevent similar crises in the future by strengthening international cooperation and response capacity.
Key measures include creating a system for accessing pathogens and sharing the benefits of scientific discoveries, as well as building a geographically diverse research infrastructure. It also envisages establishing a global logistics network and supply chain, and strengthening the resilience of health systems around the world.
“After more than three years of intensive negotiations, WHO Member States have taken a major step forward in their efforts to make the world safer from pandemics,“ the organization said.
The agreement is seen as an important success for the WHO, especially in the context of reduced external funding from the United States. American participation in the negotiations has been limited since President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February to withdraw the country from the WHO and bar it from further discussions.
The draft agreement will be formally presented at the World Health Assembly's policy meeting in May.
“This is a historic moment and shows that with or without the United States, countries are committed to working together and in the spirit of multilateralism,“ said Nina Schwalbe, founder of global health think tank Spark Street Advisors.