The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has approved a new political plan on how to prevent and respond to pandemics. The plan emphasizes the need for better international teamwork and long-term investment to protect the world from future outbreaks.
The plan was approved on Tuesday after 153 countries voted in support, three opposed, and two countries abstained, according to the voting details.
The United States, Israel, and Argentina voted against the plan, while New Zealand and Paraguay chose not to vote.
This declaration includes steps to improve disease tracking, strengthen health systems in countries, and ensure fair access to vaccines, treatments, and other vital medical supplies during health crises.
It also urges countries to boost their readiness and response efforts, especially to fix the gaps revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO welcomes initiative
The World Health Organisation (WHO) praised the approval, calling it a renewed promise from countries to collaborate in preventing and responding to future pandemics.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus urged countries to turn their promises into real actions. He highlighted the need to wrap up discussions on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system.
"WHO welcomes this strong commitment by UN Member States to continue working together on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response," he stated.
Mr Ghebreyesus added that finishing the PABS discussions is crucial for moving forward with the Pandemic Agreement. This agreement will need signatures, ratification, and then come into effect.
The declaration was reviewed by member states at the second UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response on September 25, 2026. It was then sent to the full General Assembly for approval.
Focus on pandemic readiness
The declaration calls for ongoing investment in local, regional, and international capacities to prevent, spot, and tackle new pandemic threats.
It also sees pandemic readiness as an important issue for development, economy, and security. This requires teamwork that goes beyond just the health sector.
Key points include better disease tracking, improved national readiness, and putting in place the updated International Health Regulations (2005).
The plan also asks for more community involvement, fair access to pathogens, and benefit-sharing, along with boosted local and regional manufacturing capabilities. It emphasizes the need for more funding in research and development and sustainable financing for pandemic readiness and response.
These actions are meant to help countries spot threats sooner, respond better to outbreaks, and ensure the availability of essential health products during emergencies.
The focus on fair access shows concerns about the differences in vaccine availability, treatments, and other medical resources during global health emergencies.
Importance of PABS negotiations
The declaration highlights finishing the negotiations on the PABS annex as a pressing task for member countries.
The results of these discussions are expected to be reviewed at the next World Health Assembly in May 2027 or earlier in a special session.
Finalizing and adopting the annex is key to moving towards the Pandemic Agreement's implementation.
This agreement aims to enhance international collaboration in preventing and handling future pandemics, especially by improving coordination and sharing benefits from access to pathogens.
WHO stated that the declaration offers a guide for boosting global health security through teamwork, unity, and fairness.
But its success will rely on countries turning their political promises into real actions with enough funding, stronger health systems, and continued cooperation at local, regional, and global levels.
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed serious flaws in global health systems, such as poor disease tracking, limited emergency readiness, and unequal access to vital medical supplies.
Many nations, especially those with low manufacturing abilities, struggled to get vaccines, tests, and treatments during the pandemic.
These issues led to renewed global efforts to enhance health security and create better responses to future outbreaks.
The WHO Pandemic Agreement was created to address these challenges, focusing on global cooperation, fairness, and improved readiness.
Although the newly approved UN declaration strengthens these commitments, it is a political statement and not a legally binding agreement.
Its success will depend on what member states do to meet their promises, including more funding, stronger health systems, and ongoing international cooperation.
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