Planetary Health News | Climate Change | Health of People and Planet
Why We Need A Pandemic Treaty Built For Accountability & Financial Assistance To Countries That Need It
The initial COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent variant emergence has proven that the world’s ability to detect and respond to outbreaks is only as strong as its weakest link, and any gap in a country or the larger international system is a risk to people everywhere. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen this narrative play out – from the “lost month” of February 2020 where multiple countries were slow to report information and respond, to today’s vaccine nationalism, which has left over 80% of the population across Africa unprotected against the virus.
The most consequential gap in our current global health architecture is the lack of accountability and compliance to ensure all countries prepare for outbreaks, act in concert if one spreads and distribute life-saving resources equitably. In the last two years, many countries took a piecemeal approach, defied what few regulations were in place and ignored sound public health recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO). We cannot afford another piecemeal approach. We need a global system that holds all countries to account and ensure assistance for those that need it.
Countries have recognized the cracks in our system and are taking action to fill them. Late last year, they began the process of crafting a new international treaty, convention or instrument for pandemic preparedness and response. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) is taking this forward, with a two-year mandate to negotiate and deliver a plan for consideration to the World Health Assembly in May 2024. This plan should address existing gaps and build an accountable international architecture that enables countries at every income level to detect, alert and respond to health threats.
Read more here.
The most consequential gap in our current global health architecture is the lack of accountability and compliance to ensure all countries prepare for outbreaks, act in concert if one spreads and distribute life-saving resources equitably. In the last two years, many countries took a piecemeal approach, defied what few regulations were in place and ignored sound public health recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO). We cannot afford another piecemeal approach. We need a global system that holds all countries to account and ensure assistance for those that need it.
Countries have recognized the cracks in our system and are taking action to fill them. Late last year, they began the process of crafting a new international treaty, convention or instrument for pandemic preparedness and response. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) is taking this forward, with a two-year mandate to negotiate and deliver a plan for consideration to the World Health Assembly in May 2024. This plan should address existing gaps and build an accountable international architecture that enables countries at every income level to detect, alert and respond to health threats.
Read more here.
