Negotiators miss Pabs deadline and push target to 2027 World Health Assembly
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 5
Negotiators miss Pabs deadline and push target to 2027 World Health Assembly
7 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 5
The delay means the WHO pandemic agreement cannot open for signatures after talks failed before this month's Geneva assembly over benefit-sharing rules for vaccines, tests and treatments.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Helen Clark and WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the world remains unprepared for a new outbreak and urged countries to resolve the outstanding issues urgently.
Adopted in May 2025, the treaty depends on a completed Pabs annexe, with disputes between developing countries seeking mandatory sharing and some European states favouring a hybrid model.
Will the next pandemic arrive before nations agree on the rules to fight it together?
Can global health equity and pharmaceutical profits ever truly coexist during a pandemic?
WHO Pandemic Agreement Delayed: PABS Annex Negotiations Extended to 2027 with High Stakes for Global Equity
Overview
Negotiations to finalize the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex, essential to the WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted in 2025, have been extended to 2027 due to a deep impasse. Developing countries demand mandatory, legally binding benefit-sharing to ensure equitable access to vaccines and treatments, while developed nations seek flexible frameworks to protect innovation incentives. This stalemate risks reduced pathogen sharing, perpetuates vulnerabilities in low-income regions, and fuels fragmented bilateral deals that undermine global cooperation. With key meetings scheduled in 2026, WHO leadership stresses urgent resolution to avoid repeating COVID-19 inequities and to secure a fair, effective global pandemic response system.