WHO members gave birth to a project of historical agreement to prepare the world for pandemics. Finalized on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday in Geneva after more than 3 years of discussions, it must still be formally approved in May.
“History is made today in Geneva,” said some journalists the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The draft agreement is now sent to the World Health Assembly which is to validate it formally next May.
As a symbol, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had put on, like his number two Michael Ryan, a green tie, color used to validate each article in this arrangement. And champagne has been led.
After more than three years of discussion, an agreement in principle seemed to have been found on Saturday morning. It remained to finalize the text with the capitals, but everything did not follow as planned. After more than 24 hours on Friday, it took long from Tuesday to Wednesday to reach.
Widely praised by NGOs
Countries have sought to reopen divisions. At the center of divergences has crystallized an expression for the transfer of technologies to developing states. The members will, once the text is entered into force, to facilitate, “willingly and in mutually agreed”, the manufacture of vaccines and other countersures in all regions of the world.
Most NGOs, such as Borders Without Borders (MSF), greet positive parts for more “solidarity” and a first common international mechanism on this issue. Others denounce a “hypocrisy” of the rich countries which will not sufficiently guarantee equitable access. But a compulsory transfer of technologies seemed impossible. Some states want to choose with whom they collaborate, to avoid future competitors, admitted Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The stated objective was to provide the international resource community to prevent new discrimination in the event of pandemics. The delay in the delivery of doses at the time of the coronavirus had caused many additional deaths in developing countries.
Expected sharing system
Rich countries, including Switzerland, will have managed to protect their pharmaceutical companies and intellectual property. All the more at a time when this branch could in turn be targeted by customs tariffs by American president Donald Trump.
A system of access to pathogens and benefits sharing (Pabs) will be launched. The terms should still be negotiated in an annex.
In the future, 10% of volumes of any vaccine or any technology against pandemics will have to be given “quickly” to the WHO. And an equivalent part of these countermeasures will have to be sold at affordable prices to the organization.
A global network controlled by the WHO will have to lift the barriers in the supply chains is also established. But the decisions on this system will depend on the different parties to the agreement. Developing countries have sold and agreed to invest more in the preparation of pandemics, especially on animal health.
ats/asch
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