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Global Effort Underway to strengthen Pandemic Preparedness with New Pathogen Sharing System
Member States have begun initial discussions on teh draft text of a crucial annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement – the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system.This system, a key component of the global agreement adopted in 2025, aims to better protect the world from future pandemics.
The discussions took place during the Third meeting of the Intergovernmental Working group (IGWG) in Geneva, November 3-7. The IGWG was established by the World Health assembly to draft and negotiate this vital annex.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the efforts of member States, stating, “I thank Member States for their vital efforts to negotiate the first draft of the PABS annex and commend them on the progress made in finding shared positions and solutions to the shared risks and challenges posed by future pandemics. Solidarity is our best immunity. Finalizing the Pandemic Agreement, through a commitment to multilateral action, is our collective promise to protect humanity.”
The PABS system is designed to accelerate the sharing of pathogen genetic information and materials, enabling rapid advancement of tests, treatments, and vaccines. It will also ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from these resources. The draft text focuses on implementing commitments outlined in Article 12 of the WHO pandemic Agreement, ensuring equitable access to life-saving tools during health crises.
IGWG Bureau co-chair Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes, of Brazil, highlighted the importance of these negotiations: “Difficult decisions on making the world safer from the threat of future pandemics require difficult conversations. This week,WHO Member States have shown thay are capable of those. By considering complex issues head-on, these negotiations are ensuring that future pandemic responses will be fair, timely and grounded in solidarity.” He expressed optimism about delivering a finalized annex to the World Health Assembly in May 2026.
IGWG Bureau co-chair Mr. Matthew Harpur, of the United Kingdom, affirmed the global commitment, stating, “Countries across the world this week again showed their commitment to making sure we, collectively, are better protected from future pandemics by constructively engaging on making progress in these negotiations and we look forward to further discussions in December.”
Throughout the week, IGWG members also consulted with civil society and industry representatives to gather feedback on the PABS annex. The finalized document will be submitted to the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly in 2026 for consideration, after which national parliaments will begin the approval process.
