WHO members reach historic agreement to address future pandemics.

GENEVA, Switzerland — Years of negotiations have culminated in an agreement from countries on a groundbreaking accord aimed at addressing future pandemics and preventing the errors made during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Following over three years of discussions, delegates at the World Health Organization's headquarters concluded their final session in the early hours of the morning, around 2 a.m. (0000 GMT), after a lengthy negotiation process. "Tonight signifies a crucial milestone in our collective effort toward a safer world," remarked WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

"The nations of the world have made history in Geneva today." Five years after the onset of COVID-19, which resulted in millions of deaths, economic devastation, and disrupted health systems, a sense of urgency permeated the discussions, heightened by emerging threats such as H5N1 bird flu, measles, mpox, and Ebola. The concluding phase of the negotiations was also influenced by concerns regarding cuts to U.S. foreign aid spending and potential tariffs on pharmaceuticals.