Global health leaders have said an international treaty governing how the world should deal with future pandemics may not be agreed for another year or more.
After two years of negotiations, countries failed to agree on the text of an international pandemic accord by a deadline of 24 May. And at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Tuesday delegates said extensive further negotiations would be needed.
The accord contains a series of measures setting out how the world should prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics. Setting out plans for a pandemic treaty in early 2021, world leaders described it as a legacy to protect their children and grandchildren.
The former chief scientific adviser to the government Sir Patrick Vallance is among those who have warned of the threat of another pandemic, saying earlier this month that it was “absolutely inevitable”.
During a debate, some countries – including many African nations – urged efforts to conclude the treaty negotiation process before the end of 2024, in order not to lose momentum.
Others, including the US, EU and Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, called for at least another year so that thorny issues could be properly addressed.
While member states had reached agreement on many areas, serious disagreements remain, including on finance; how much product pharmaceutical companies should be required to set aside for those countries most in need; intellectual property rights and sanctions.
One leading issue has been on what access to drugs and treatments developing countries can expect in return for their efforts monitoring and sharing information on pathogens found in their territories.
The negotiations have also been the subject of widespread misinformation campaigns, with false claims that the treaty represents a power grab by the World Health Organization, giving them the ability to impose lockdowns on countries.
A large blue bus was seen driving around Geneva urging people to “say no to the pandemic treaty”.
Earlier on Tuesday, Roland Driece, who had been the co-chair of the intergovernmental negotiating body, told a panel discussion on the treaty that the issues still to be resolved were “really politically sensitive and difficult”, and suggested more than a few months of additional negotiation would be needed.
Driece warned there was a risk of a sense of urgency slipping as time got further from the pandemic and other international issues came to the fore, but said: “We all have to realise we started with nothing. We started with a blank piece of paper.”
He said all the necessary elements were on the table “if countries want to work with them”.
Parallel negotiations on how to amend International Health Regulations (IHR) from 2005 to strengthen health systems facing pandemics are thought to be closer to an agreement, and many countries are pushing for a final decision on amendments to be reached this week.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the WHO said work would continue until the end of the assembly on 1 June to complete the package of amendments to the IHR, and agree the timing, format and process to conclude the pandemic agreement.
Michel Kazatchkine, a former member of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, said: “The good news is that all countries want to continue. But we cannot wait for the accord to be agreed to accelerate pandemic preparedness at country and regional levels. Hopefully, important amendments to the IHR will be adopted at the end of the week.”