WHO Member Countries Agree On Draft Pandemic Treaty

The AP (4/16, Cheng) reports the World Health Organization’s member countries on Wednesday “agreed on a draft ‘pandemic treaty’ that sets guidelines for how the international community might confront the next global health crisis.” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus “heralded it as a historic moment, saying countries have proven that ‘in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground and a shared response.’” The draft treaty notably “includes a provision to guarantee that countries that share critical virus samples receive any resulting tests, medicines and vaccines, with the WHO to hold up to 20% of such products to ensure poorer countries get supplies.” The agreement is “expected to be adopted next month at the U.N. health agency’s annual meeting in Geneva.”