WHO chief, Brazil's Lula urge G7 leaders to help finalise global pandemic treaty

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have jointly urged leaders attending the G7 Summit in France to help finalise a landmark global pandemic treaty aimed at strengthening the world's preparedness for future health crises.

In an open letter addressed to leaders of the G7, G20, BRICS and other nations, the two leaders called for "political will at the highest level" to complete negotiations on the remaining portion of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, a framework designed to improve international cooperation during future pandemics.

The WHO Pandemic Agreement was adopted in principle after years of negotiations that followed the Covid-19 pandemic, which claimed millions of lives and exposed major gaps in global health preparedness. However, one crucial section remains unresolved: the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex.

This mechanism would govern how countries share pathogen samples and genetic information, as well as how benefits such as vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tools are distributed in return.

Negotiations on the annex missed a May deadline after countries failed to reach consensus on how to balance rapid data sharing with equitable access to medical countermeasures.

Developing nations have argued that countries providing pathogen information should be guaranteed fair access to vaccines and treatments developed from that data. Some industry groups, meanwhile, have expressed concerns that mandatory sharing requirements could discourage research and innovation.

Tedros and Lula said the world cannot afford delays in completing the agreement, warning that another pandemic is a matter of "when, not if".

They pointed to the devastating human and economic consequences of Covid-19, noting that the pandemic resulted in an estimated 20 million deaths worldwide and caused trillions of dollars in economic losses.

The appeal also comes amid concerns over ongoing infectious disease outbreaks, including a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which health officials say highlights the continuing threat posed by emerging pathogens.

The issue is expected to feature prominently in discussions surrounding global governance and health security at the G7 Summit being held in Évian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17.

Brazil, which is not a G7 member but has been invited to participate, has consistently advocated stronger international cooperation on health, climate and development issues.

Negotiators are scheduled to resume talks on the outstanding annex next month. WHO officials have described the agreement as a critical tool for ensuring that countries can detect, share information about and respond more effectively to future pandemic threats.