Final negotiations on pandemic agreement begin at WHO

Member states of the World Health Organization have resumed negotiations aimed at finalizing a pandemic agreement based on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The member countries are aiming for the pandemic agreement to be adopted at the WHO's general assembly in May. The final of a series of meetings on the agreement began behind closed doors on Monday at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The draft agreement urges each party to develop and periodically update comprehensive national pandemic prevention and public health surveillance plans. The draft agreement is aimed at promoting the transfer of technology and know-how so that vaccines and drugs can be produced in developing countries.