WHO countries prolong talks on pandemic accord

GENEVA, Switzerland — World Health Organization members on Saturday extended negotiations on a landmark global agreement on handling future pandemics for up to a year, as the WHO chief warned that the next crisis was just a matter of time.

Two years of talks on a deal ended on May 24 without a finalised agreement, chiefly due to differences between well-off nations and those who felt cut adrift during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The final day of the week-long World Health Assembly (WHA) -- the decision-making annual gathering of the WHO's 194 member states -- allowed until next year's meeting to reach an accord.

"The historic decisions taken today demonstrate a common desire by member states to protect their own people, and the world's, from the shared risk of public health emergencies and future pandemics," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"The decision to conclude the pandemic agreement within the next year demonstrates how strongly and urgently countries want it, because the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if."

In December 2021, spooked by the devastation of Covid-19 -- which killed millions of people, crippled health systems and crashed economies -- the WHA commissioned the drafting of an accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

Negotiators were meant to bring a final agreement to this year's meeting.

However, despite increasing momentum in recent months, only 17 of the draft agreement's articles had been fully approved by countries by the deadline.

The assembly "made concrete commitments to completing negotiations on a global pandemic agreement within a year, at the latest", a WHO statement said as the gathering in Geneva closed.

Precious Matsoso, who co-chaired the two years of talks, told a closing press conference: "There was a spirit of pragmatism and realism. Most of them have said that they want a pandemic agreement as soon as possible -- but it has to be a good one."

The main disputes revolve around access to pathogens detected within countries, and to pandemic-fighting products such as vaccines derived from that knowledge.

In developing nations, memories remain vivid of wealthy states hoarding vaccines. Switzerland was