Ebola outbreak shows urgent need for pandemic treaty, says WHO chief
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on nations to finalise an international agreement to protect people from future disease threats.
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday called for the completion of an international pandemic treaty during a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. According to The Hindu, the WHO chief cited the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a reason for the urgency.
The Ebola outbreak, which was declared in May, has resulted in almost 5,000 deaths from a total of more than 10,000 infections, primarily in the DRC. Tedros also noted a hantavirus outbreak in April that caused three deaths on a cruise ship.
The chief of the WHO stated that a pathogen threat in one location can become a threat to every country. He said that completing the treaty is about protecting people and noted that no country can protect itself from pandemics by acting alone.
Wealthy and developing nations are currently divided over the practical application of the agreement, which was adopted last year as a framework for future pandemics. A major point of contention is the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system.
The PABS system involves sharing access to pathogens and the resulting benefits, such as treatments, tests, and vaccines. Tedros described the PABS as the final piece of the puzzle required to secure a safer future.
The WHO chief remarked that during the Covid-19 pandemic, inequity in vaccine access cost lives and increased the risk of new variants. He noted that while vaccines were developed quickly, many countries were left waiting while others held more than necessary.