The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a staggering global death toll of at least 14.8 million excess deaths, severely impeding progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The pandemic exposed deficiencies in national pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response strategies, alongside failures in international collaboration, exacerbating existing inequalities. Disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, inadequate access to medical resources, including vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments, was aggravated by vaccine nationalism. To rectify these shortcomings, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) has initiated negotiations for an international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, alongside amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005). The World Health Assembly is expected to adopt the new instrument and amendments in May 2024, aiming to establish equitable and concrete measures for future pandemic management.

 According to the Lancet, “As INB Bureau members, we reiterate our integrity and impartiality in facilitating INB negotiation among the 194 countries that are integral to the process. Together, through mutual trust within INB and between INB and the Bureau, and our shared visions, we are confident that the INB will be able to reach consensus on the new instrument that provides concrete, timely, and equitable means of preventing, preparing for, and responding to future pandemics.”1

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References

  1. Driece, R., Matsoso, P., Da Silva Nunes, T., Soliman, A., Taguchi, K., & Tangcharoensathien, V. (2023). A WHO pandemic instrument: substantive provisions required to address global shortcomings. The Lancet, 401(10386), 1407–1410. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(23)00687-6

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