WHO presents ‘blueprint’ for pandemic treaty

The World Health Organization (WHO) has presented a conceptual draft of an international treaty, convention or similar legal instrument to combat the future pandemicswhich, among other things, offers greater transparency for pharmaceutical companies or permanent drug distribution networks.

The draft provided by WHO today was presented at the third meeting of the intergovernmental negotiating body, which is taking place from 5 to 7 December, as a possible initial text, although a real commission will be established in February and March 2023 to prepare the draft. treaty, and it is not expected to end until 2024.

In the first lines of the draft, it is emphasized that “the threat pandemics this is reality and they disastrous consequences health, economics and politics”, so it is necessary to “learn the lessons of covid” and recent outbreaks such as Ebola, Zika or even monkeypox (renamed smallpox).

However, the draft text also states that the response to these threats “should be proportionate, limited health riskand should avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade.”

The practical application sections of the treaty propose building a global production and distribution system to respond to the pandemic in order to avoid a recurrence of supply problems, which covid was especially indicative of at the beginning of 2020, when there was even a shortage masks.

Similarly, I would call for the development of mechanisms for the transfer of technology and knowledge in the fight against pathogens with probability of a pandemicwhich may include the suspension of patents that, according to the project, “are a barrier to the production” of medicines and other anti-pandemic agents.

This will contrast with what happened in pandemicwhere patents for anti-covid vaccines were suspended only in mid-2022 after difficult negotiations in World Trade Organization (WTO), and are currently still valid in case of treatment and diagnosis.

WHO proposals

The draft of a possible treaty or convention also calls for guaranteeing public funding for vaccines, treatments and other products against possible pandemics and for measures to limit confidentiality clauses in commercial contracts between pharmaceutical companies and governments.

For these pharmaceutical companies, the draft contract, which WHO insists that this is just a “concept” document, before moving on to the development and negotiation phase, I would ask them for “greater transparency regarding funding for research and product development for pandemic response.”

In this sense, these companies, for example, should make public their prices and contract terms when selling medicines, vaccines and other products against pandemics to the states, the preliminary text insists.

It also proposes to improve preparedness and response systems, the ability of health workers to “protect their jobs and well-being” and develop national pandemic response plans that “identify priority populations” for accessing health care.

It also proposes that countries periodically conduct pandemic readiness simulations of their systems and take action to counter the misinformation that has circulated widely during the coronavirus health crisis.

The text will call for the establishment of a governing body for a treaty, convention or similar legal instrument, which will meet periodically in the format of a conference of the parties, similar to, for example, signatory countries to the Framework Convention. do. United Nations at Changing of the climate .

At this week’s meetings WHO It also proposes an agenda for continuing negotiations, which includes a fourth meeting of the intergovernmental group in February and March 2023, already with a draft drafting committee.

Others will follow until the ninth and final meeting in March 2024 produces a final text in March 2024 for possible signing at the WHO annual meeting in May of that year, according to the organization’s agenda.

Project submitted today WHO acknowledges in its introductory paragraphs that “women make up 70% of the global health power, and in responding to COVID-19 were disproportionately affected pandemic”.

EFE