UN meeting urges sustained investment to guard against future pandemics

World leaders have called for sustained and more equitable investment in pandemic prevention and preparedness, warning that progress made since COVID-19 will require continued action to protect countries from future outbreaks. The appeal was made on Friday in New York at the second United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response. The meeting reviewed progress since the first high-level session in 2023, which followed the COVID-19 pandemic and the weaknesses it exposed in global health security.

In a statement, the World Health Organisation said countries recognised developments over the past three years, including the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005). WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said governments must continue strengthening health systems and local and national capacity. He also called for equitable access to vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other health tools.

Mr Ghebreyesus said the political commitments made at the meeting included demands for “concrete, measurable and urgent action” to strengthen systems and widen access to health products and resources. Countries also called for negotiations to be completed on an annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement. The annex would establish a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system intended to support the timely sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and ensure that benefits from their use, including vaccines, medicines and diagnostics, are shared equitably.

The WHO said adoption of the annex at the World Health Assembly in May 2027 would be necessary before member states could begin national consideration of ratifying the Pandemic Agreement. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, speaking for Secretary-General António Guterres, urged countries to accelerate the negotiations. The meeting’s political declaration said pandemic preparedness should involve governments, communities and sectors beyond health.

It also highlighted the One Health approach, which considers the links between human, animal and environmental health. Participants said preparedness should remain a political priority between emergencies, rather than receiving attention only during outbreaks. Mr Ghebreyesus said COVID-19 was associated with more than 20 million excess deaths between 2020 and 2023 and caused more than $10 trillion in losses to the global economy.

The President of the 81st UN General Assembly, Khalilur Rahman, said international cooperation would be needed to secure fair access to vaccines, diagnostics and other essential medical supplies.