WHO Pandemic Treaty Stalled Nations Miss Pabs Deadline
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- World Health Organization missed the deadline to approve the pathogen access and benefit sharing annex at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, delaying the pandemic treaty’s full activation.
- Group for Equity and Africa Group demand a mandatory contract that forces pharmaceutical companies to share any vaccines or treatments derived from shared pathogen samples, while several European nations propose a hybrid mandatory‑voluntary model.
- 60 countries must ratify the treaty for it to enter into force, after which it becomes effective 30 days later, but signatures cannot begin until the Pabs annex is finalized.
Why it matters: Low‑income countries lose timely vaccine access while 60 nations must ratify the treaty within 30 days of ratification for it to become binding, delaying coordinated response and increasing future outbreak costs.
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