It is the second international legal agreement negotiated under Article 19 of the World Health Organization (WHO) Constitution, (first being the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, 2003).
- As per Article 19, WHA (with two-thirds vote) has the authority to adopt conventions/agreements on any matter within its competence.
Key Highlights of the Agreement
- Strengthen Pandemic prevention and surveillance: As per International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005.
- IHR aims to prevent, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease.
- Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network: Provide access to pandemic-related health products during public health emergencies of international concern.
- Sustainable Financing: Coordinating Financial Mechanism under the IHR to be used for its implementation.
- Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS): A process to draft and negotiate PABS through an Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) was launched.
- The result of this process is to be considered at WHA next year.
- PABS deals with the rapid and timely sharing of materials and sequence information on pathogens with pandemic potential.
- Pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in PABS to provide WHO with rapid access to 20% of real time production of their vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
- Enforcement: Once the PABS is adopted, the agreement would be open for signature and ratification by states.
- It would be enforced after 60 ratifications.
