FIVE years after Covid-19 triggered national lockdowns, economic uncertainty and killed millions, World Health Organisation (WHO) member countries agreed today on a draft “pandemic treaty.”

The treaty will provide guidelines for how the international community might confront the next global health crisis.

After what many regard as a disastrous response to the coronavirus crisis, countries tasked the WHO in 2021 with overseeing the preparation of a pandemic treaty. Early Wednesday, negotiations concluded an agreement that is expected to be adopted at the United Nations health agency’s annual meeting in Geneva next month.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the deal as a historic moment, saying countries have proved that “in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground and a shared response.”

Following US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw his country from the WHO in January, US officials were barred from participating in the talks and are not expected to sign the treaty. 

Weeks after Mr Trump’s decision, Argentina’s President Javier Milei also quit the WHO, citing “profound differences” with the UN agency.

Rachael Crockett, of advocacy group Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, described the draft pandemic treaty as “a product of compromise.”

She said it contained strong provisions and “could change what we saw in Covid, when some populations didn’t get access to what they needed.”

The draft treaty notably includes a provision to guarantee that countries sharing critical virus samples receive any resulting test results, medicines and vaccines, with the WHO to hold up to 20 per cent of such products to ensure poorer countries obtain supplies. 

However, Ms Crockett warned: “There’s not much that can be done if countries choose not to ratify or abide by it.”