Commonground
Senior Moderator
May 2, 2026
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said progress had been made on the annex, expressing confidence that continued negotiations would resolve outstanding issues.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Member States have agreed to extend negotiations on a key annex to the Pandemic Agreement on pathogen access and benefit sharing, after concluding that more time is needed to finalise the framework aimed at strengthening global pandemic preparedness.
The decision was reached at the end of the resumed sixth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) in Geneva, where countries focused on developing the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system. The system is designed to ensure the rapid sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential while also guaranteeing fair and equitable sharing of benefits such as vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
According to WHO, finalising the PABS annex is a critical step before countries can proceed with signing and ratifying the broader Pandemic Agreement, which was adopted in May 2025 to improve global preparedness, prevention and response to future pandemics.
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WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said progress had been made on the annex, expressing confidence that continued negotiations would resolve outstanding issues.
He stressed that preparing for future pandemics remains urgent, noting that the next pandemic is a matter of “when, not if”.
continued: https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/health...mic-agreement-annex-amid-complex-negotiations
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said progress had been made on the annex, expressing confidence that continued negotiations would resolve outstanding issues.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Member States have agreed to extend negotiations on a key annex to the Pandemic Agreement on pathogen access and benefit sharing, after concluding that more time is needed to finalise the framework aimed at strengthening global pandemic preparedness.
The decision was reached at the end of the resumed sixth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) in Geneva, where countries focused on developing the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system. The system is designed to ensure the rapid sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential while also guaranteeing fair and equitable sharing of benefits such as vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
According to WHO, finalising the PABS annex is a critical step before countries can proceed with signing and ratifying the broader Pandemic Agreement, which was adopted in May 2025 to improve global preparedness, prevention and response to future pandemics.
-snip-
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said progress had been made on the annex, expressing confidence that continued negotiations would resolve outstanding issues.
He stressed that preparing for future pandemics remains urgent, noting that the next pandemic is a matter of “when, not if”.
continued: https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/health...mic-agreement-annex-amid-complex-negotiations