At the heart of the hantavirus epidemic on the HV Hondius cruise ship and the deadly Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, recent weeks serve as a reminder of how vulnerable the world remains to these health risks. However, a “global agreement” to combat pandemics is at a standstill due to a standoff between states. Since the World Health Assembly met in Geneva from May 18 to 23, the WHO has called for the conclusion of negotiations.
The hantavirus epidemic on the MS Hondius cruise ship and the deadly Ebola outbreak in Central Africa in recent days have reminded decision-makers that the pandemic risk that shook the world during Covid-19 is still relevant.
Coincidentally, the World Health Assembly, the annual event under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), took place this week from May 18 to 23 in Geneva.
Unfortunately, not all the elements were in place to make these six diplomatic days a historic moment in the fight against pandemics. The result: the world is still vulnerable to the risk of a global pandemic due to the lack of political will from member states.
Negotiations on the global agreement on pandemics adopted in May 2025 have stalled after months of unsuccessful discussions. This agreement, conceived in 2020 after the Covid-19 crisis to improve prevention, preparedness, and response against highly transmissible infectious diseases, is currently blocked.
The document cannot be ratified until member states resolve their disagreements on “Annex 12” dedicated to the so-called “PABS” system. Behind this curious acronym lies an unprecedented mechanism for global sharing of pathogen samples, genetic sequences, vaccines, treatments, and screening tools.
“We all hoped that negotiations would be completed in time for PABS to be adopted during this Assembly. This is not yet the case, but I am confident that it will happen,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, at the World Health Assembly. Member states have voted to extend discussions for a year.
Without this agreement, the WHO remains a potentially failing actor in the event of a worst-case scenario. Helen Clark, co-chair of the independent expert group on pandemic preparedness and response, expressed her bitterness in a statement earlier this month.
Doctors Without Borders also expressed regret over this latest delay and urged member states not to remain passive. Negotiations will continue, but governments can already implement concrete measures such as opening access to clinical trials for at-risk communities or more equitable distribution of resources based on needs.
The PABS system includes provisions for laboratories to guarantee the WHO a rapid access to 20% of their real-time production of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic products during a pandemic, subject to certain conditions.
This annex directly addresses the stark inequalities observed for decades between wealthy countries and low-income countries. The Covid-19 vaccine orders placed by Western countries were so massive that they far exceeded the needs of their populations, while low-income countries were left undersupplied.
Furthermore, negotiations are ongoing regarding the fair and continuous access to vaccines for low-income countries, financial contributions from pharmaceutical companies participating in PABS, and access to pathogen samples.
Despite being imperfect, the International Health Regulations have informed the United States and Argentina about recent infections of hantavirus and Ebola and the severity of the situation.
