World Health Assembly hopes to reinforce pandemic preparedness after bold treaty project stalls

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Member countries kicked off the World Health Organization's annual assembly with hopes of improving global readiness for deadly outbreaks like COVID-19, after an ambitious "pandemic treaty" ran aground. Health officials are racing to get the world to agree to new ways to prepare for and fight an inevitable future pandemic. COVID-19 is fading into history as elections and crises like climate change and war compete for the public's attention. A bold project to adopt a pandemic "treaty" at the World Health Assembly was shelved on May 24 as 2 1/2 years of work ran into disagreements over sharing information about pathogens that cause pandemics and the technology used to fight them. Experts say the best chance now to address pandemics at the assembly will be the proposed changes to the WHO's International Health Regulations, which were set up in 2004. Amendments would urge countries to boost alert, detection and containment capacities and cooperate internationally. One proposal would let the WHO director-general declare a "pandemic emergency." Envoys say a deal is close, but similar disagreements between rich countries and developing ones that set back the pandemic treaty negotiations linger. Issues remain over the proposed "transfer of technology" and the creation of a new fund under WHO in 2030 that would help boost pandemic-fighting capacities "particularly in developing countries." WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insists the stalled work on the pandemic treaty was not a failure, and acknowledged an "immense" task on a "very ambitious timeline"—alluding to the many years it usually takes for U.N. member countries to reach global treaties. "Of course, we all wish that we had been able to reach a consensus on the agreement in time for this health assembly and cross the finish line," Tedros said in opening remarks. "But I remain confident that you still will—because where there is a will, there is a way." "It's now for this World Health Assembly to decide what that way is—meaning the solution is in your hands," he added. This article was provided by The Associated Press.