WHO pandemic agreement | UN summit: Last chance for epidemic preparedness

The risk of new pandemics is increasing rapidly. While zoonoses are increasing worldwide, the UN in New York and Geneva is struggling to find reliable rules for global disease protection. Photo: DPA/Christoph Reichwein On Friday, states agreed on a joint political declaration for global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR) at the United Nations headquarters in New York. In doing so, the states renewed their commitment to global disease protection and also want to give new impetus to the deadlocked negotiations on the so-called PABS system. This set of rules is currently being negotiated as an annex to the WHO pandemic agreement adopted in 2025. It is intended to regulate access to pathogen data in the event of future outbreaks and guarantee the countries of origin fair sharing of benefits as well as vaccines and medication. But the process is polarized – and no agreement is in sight. The New York meeting served to prepare for a UN vote in December, but the USA and a few other countries have already signaled their rejection.

The need for action is acute, as shown by reports from the OECD and the GPMB monitoring committee. These warn of a rapidly increasing risk of pandemics due to climate change, environmental destruction and deforestation. Climate-sensitive pathogens such as the hantavirus are spreading more and more - and the highly pathogenic bird flu is also threatening to spread to humans.

There was broad consensus in New York that a breakthrough in the PABS system is crucial in view of this dangerous situation. The responsible Federal Ministry of Health emphasized to "nd" in advance: "We support the UN member states renewing their commitment to PPPR with the political declaration." The UN is sending a clear signal that global pandemic prevention is essential. “This can only be achieved together – through intensive international cooperation and with effective support from multilateral institutions,” the ministry also emphasizes the importance of the WHO in Geneva, under whose roof the PABS negotiations are taking place.

But the final document could not mask the deep political-economic fissures that run between the states. Representatives of the Global South are calling for a so-called federated model with legally binding standard contracts for pharmaceutical companies from the first access to data. Pathogen data should remain in national hubs and access should be immediately linked to enforceable compensation - for example with mandatory financial contributions to the WHO, fixed prices and licenses.

In its official statement at the UN summit, the 54-nation Africa Group made it clear that the transfer of pathogen data must be complemented “on an equal footing by rapid, fair and equitable sharing of benefits.” In addition to unhindered technology transfer, mandatory financial contributions from pharmaceutical manufacturers to the WHO and affordable medicines in the first 100 days of an outbreak, the group is also calling for targeted debt relief so that financially weak states can raise the funds to build their own health systems.

However, rich industrialized countries like Germany and their EU partners fundamentally reject binding advance contracts and direct financial contributions to the WHO. Although the federal government is committed to ensuring that pathogen samples and gene sequence data continue to be shared in the future, it considers the demands from the Global South to be a hindrance. “So that medical countermeasures can be developed quickly in the event of future pandemics (diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines), incentives for research and innovation are needed,” emphasized the BMG. These incentives would be prevented by rigid requirements. Instead, the EU relies on voluntary donations in kind of at least ten percent of emergency production.

“In my opinion, the position of the pharmaceutical industry is being taken too much here,” criticizes Julia Stoffner, global health expert at Bread for the World, in an interview with “nd”. "That's why we're not getting anywhere with voluntary action." She refers to the experiences from the corona pandemic, when vaccines were disposed of in Germany while low-income countries had little access. Stoffner emphasizes that trust in the Global North has been shaken. “After this experience, why should the Global South trust that in the event of a pandemic it will actually receive vaccines, testing options, medication […] on a voluntary basis?”

The Federal Ministry of Health rejects the accusation of putting industrial interests ahead of global health: Germany is committed to “realistic goals” and has been promoting capacity building for vaccine production in Africa for years. The EU also emphasized in its statement at the UN summit that technology transfer must only take place on a voluntary basis and under mutually agreed conditions - that is a "red line".

If the negotiating teams fail to reach a workable compromise by May 2027, the goal of binding global disease protection risks ultimately failing. Because then the WHO pandemic agreement cannot be ratified either. "I only have one request today," WHO Director General Tedros appealed to the UN states. “Complete PABS as quickly as possible.” Delays are not just of a bureaucratic nature. "These are delays that will cost all countries dearly when the next pandemic comes."

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