For more than two years, countries of the world have worked together towards one historic and generational goal – to ensure we are better prepared for the next pandemic through learning the lessons from the devastation caused by COVID-19.
At a time when conflicts, politics and economics have wrought destruction, discord and division, sovereign governments have found a way to work collaboratively to forge a new global agreement to protect the world from future, inevitable, pandemic emergencies.
This essential effort, being driven by hundreds of negotiators tasked by over 190 nations, was launched in the middle of the most devastating event in our lifetimes.
Based on official counts, COVID-19 left more than 7 million dead. But the real toll is likely many times higher. It wiped billions, if not trillions, from the global economy. Social upheaval, from job losses to school closures, scarred communities worldwide.
At the height of this disaster, with hospitals around the world crowded with patients being cared for by overstretched health workers, over two dozen world leaders came together to issue a global call and say never again.
They said their communities, and all those of other nations, must never again be left so vulnerable to another pandemic. They concurred that governments must never again fail to cooperate in sharing vital information, medical equipment and medicines. And they stressed that never again can the world’s poorest countries and communities be left at the end of the queue when it comes to access to life-saving tools like vaccines.
Equity, we said then, and continue to say now, must be our guiding light.
What was needed, the presidents and prime ministers said then, was a historic compact that commits countries to work together, across frontiers, recognizing that deadly viruses do not respect the borders you live within, the colour of your skin, nor how much money is in your pocket.
This spurred a decision, by the 194 Member States of the World Health Organization, to undertake two landmark, parallel, efforts: to start negotiating a first-ever pandemic agreement to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics, while at the same time make a series of targeted amendments to the exisitng International Health Regulations, the global playbook which countries use to detect, alert and respond to public health emergencies.
These efforts were launched during a time when social and political division and polarization have created seemingly impenetrable barriers between many countries.
But rather than succumb to such geopolitcs, these government-led efforts playing out in Geneva have brought nations together to make the world safer from the next pandemic.
Negotiations on these truly vital efforts are ongoing this week and next, and are scheduled to be considered at the 77th World Health Assembly that starts in Geneva on 27 May.
With the finishing line so close, the stakes facing the world have never been higher. Key issues remain to be resolved, above all when it comes to how the pandemic agreement will ensure equity for all countries when it comes to making them ready to prevent or respond to the next pandemic.
“Operationalizing” equity is a regular refrain during the talks.
This entails ensuring countries have real-time assured access to the capacities needed to protect their health workers and communities from a pandemic threat, so that we do not see a repeat of the inequities in access to vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, personal protective equipment and other vital tools.
Operationalizing equity is about all countries having strong health systems to ensure collective prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemics, wherever they may emerge.
Global health security depends on ensuring there are no weak links in the chain of defense against pathogens with pandemic potential; and global health equity is key to ensuring that every link in the chain is strong.
It requires collaboration between countries to share what is needed, from pathogens and diagnostics, to information and resources, to work better together to prevent a repeat of the horrors caused by COVID-19.
And it is hallmarked by political leadership, from the highest levels of all countries, that ensures global collaboration, not narrow nationalism, will be strengthened to overcome the gaps the world faced during the COVID-19 response.
The agreement provides the foundation on which to build the world’s future collaborative approach to preventing the next pandemic threat. It will fill the gaping hole that COVID-19 laid bare in the world’s readiness to work together, effectively, to prevent the spread of life-threatening viruses.
It is underpinned by a recognition that we can only truly have global health security when each and every country is stronger.
It reinforces that global health security is stronger when there is real global health equity, reminding is all that no one is safe from a virus of pandemic potential until everyone is safe.
And global health equity will be stronger, and assured, with a pandemic accord.
The pandemic agreement is not a piece of paper. At its heart it is a life-saving instrument that will set out how countries will engage with each other on wide set of issues to respond to the next pandemic.
It will assure all populations that their sovereign State has reached an agreement with all other countries to work together to save lives, protect health and avoid unnecessary disruptions to societies and economies.
At a time of such global friction and tension, I salute all efforts by the international community to grasp this unique opportunity to make the world safe from pandemics. The weight of this shared responsibility is matched by the benefits that a strong agreement will provide for the health and security of all.
In other words, the pandemic agreement is a life-saving instrument, akin to a defibrillator for the world. This tool must be built and made available to benefit everyone, recognizing that no one can be left behind. We all must agree on, and know how, to use it. And, above all, it must work to protect and promote global health when it is needed, for our loved ones, young and old.