UNITED NATIONS, September 27 — Political leaders at the United Nations General Assembly renewed their commitment to making the world safer from future pandemics, with countries stressing that sustained and more equitable investment in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response is needed to protect communities across the region and beyond. The UNGA held its second High-level Meeting on PPPR, following its first in 2023, staged in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and gaps in global health security.
Countries made clear that strengthening PPPR is not a health issue alone. It requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, with the involvement of communities and all relevant sectors.
Progress Since 2023
Leaders recognized the progress made in the past three years to strengthen global systems to detect, prepare for and respond to pandemic threats. That includes adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005). Capacities and infrastructure for PPPR have also been scaled up, with the establishment of global centres dedicated to epidemic and pandemic surveillance, the sharing of pathogens, and local manufacturing of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the meeting that continued action and investment were needed to sustain progress and better prepare the world to respond to threats like COVID-19, which was linked to more than 20 million excess deaths between 2020 and 2023, and wiped over US$ 10 trillion from the global economy. “The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated the fault lines of global health security, and taught the world many painful lessons,” Dr Tedros said.
“The political commitment shown today reflects those lessons, and includes important commitments to concrete, measurable and urgent action to build and strengthen local and national capacities, to invest in resilient health systems, and to expand equitable access to products, tools and resources.”
The Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System
Countries also stressed the urgent need to successfully finalize negotiations on an annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement to establish the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, currently being negotiated by WHO Member States. The purpose of the PABS annex is to operationalize a system for the timely sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential, and benefits arising from their use. This will enable research, development and timely and equitable sharing of vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other health products arising from those pathogens.
Adoption of the Annex at the coming World Health Assembly, in May 2027, is necessary for WHO Member States to start national consideration to ratify the WHO Pandemic Agreement. “The Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System, under negotiation, is critical to unlocking the full potential of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
There is no time to waste,” said Mrs Amina Mohammed, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General Mr António Guterres. “I call on Member States to accelerate these actions. Let’s get it done.
Let’s deliver the Pandemic Agreement the world is waiting for.”
Solidarity and a One Health Approach
The Declaration underscores that national health security can only be achieved with global solidarity, and that international cooperation is essential for protecting communities and countries from cross-border threats. Recognizing that preventing pandemics begins long before an outbreak, the declaration highlights the importance of a One Health approach that addresses the connections between human, animal and environmental health.
In opening the meeting, Dr. Khalilur Rahman, President of the 81st UN General Assembly, said international cooperation was essential to protect the world from inevitable future pandemics through equitable and timely access to vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics and other essential medical supplies, stronger health systems and closing persistent financing gaps to empower people and communities.
What to watch next: whether WHO Member States can finalize the PABS annex in time for adoption at the World Health Assembly in May 2027 — the step that would open the door for national ratification of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
