WHO chief urges quick completion of global pandemic treaty

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries on Monday to finalize an international pandemic treaty without delay, Euronews reported. Speaking at a negotiating meeting in Geneva, Tedros cited recent deadly outbreaks of Ebola and hantavirus as clear evidence of the urgent need for the agreement. He specifically highlighted the spread of the Ebola Bundibugyo virus currently affecting parts of Africa. [1]

According to Euronews, wealthy nations and developing countries remain divided over how the framework will function in practice. Countries initially adopted the Pandemic Agreement in May 2025 following the global COVID-19 emergency, but negotiators omitted details on key operating mechanisms, including pathogen access and benefit sharing, to ensure the initial deal passed. [1]

The push for a binding global response follows the COVID-19 pandemic, which was caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global public health emergency in January 2020 before determining that the emergency phase had ended in May 2023. [2]