The UK has adopted a new pandemic agreement aimed at protecting the NHS, the economy, and the British public from future global health threats, the government has announced.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement provides a framework for countries to take collective action to prevent and respond to pandemics.
Adopted by 124 member states at the World Health Assembly in Geneva earlier this month (May), the agreement marks a cross-country health collaboration following a lengthy negotiation process.
Health Minister Ashley Dalton described the deal as a ‘landmark agreement’ that would ‘help protect British people from future pandemic threats and safeguard our health system.’
The agreement serves as a framework for how countries will work together to detect and tackle pandemic threats. Its core goal is to prevent pandemics from emerging and to respond swiftly if they do.
Minister of State for International Development, Baroness Chapman, said the agreement would make the world a ‘healthier and safer place’.
‘Diseases cross borders, and our diplomacy must too, if we are to prevent a repeat of the devastation caused by COVID-19,’ she said.
The framework improves disease surveillance, enabling early detection and a prompt response to health threats. It also accelerates the development of life-saving vaccines and treatments.
It will facilitate the faster sharing of information about pathogens and pathogen data, helping to limit the spread of disease. This will enable the UK to develop vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics more rapidly. Beyond saving lives, the initiative is expected to drive growth in the UK’s life sciences sector.
The pandemic agreement introduces a new, voluntary Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system.
This is designed to provide pharmaceutical companies with quicker access to the pathogens and genetic sequences needed to develop new vaccines, treatments, and tests in the event of a pandemic.
In return, manufacturers who choose to join the system will share a portion of their production with the WHO for distribution where it is most needed.
The PABS system is entirely voluntary for pharmaceutical companies, who may choose to join to gain faster access to pathogen data for innovation.
There are no requirements placed on governments to share vaccines or treatments they have purchased. It also does not grant the WHO any authority to impose public health decisions on the UK.
