WHO Member States Advance Key Annex on Pathogen Sharing Under Pandemic Agreement

The fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement (IGWG) wrapped up over the weekend following discussions held from 9–14 February 2026.

Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) have concluded a weeklong round of negotiations on the draft annex for Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) — a central pillar of the WHO Pandemic Agreement aimed at strengthening the world’s ability to respond quickly and fairly to future pandemics.

The fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement (IGWG) wrapped up over the weekend following discussions held from 9–14 February 2026.

Building a Faster Global Response to Future Pandemics

To prevent future pandemics from escalating into global crises, countries must be able to rapidly detect pathogens with pandemic potential and share critical information and materials.

Timely sharing of genetic sequencing data and pathogen samples enables scientists and health systems to accelerate the development of:

• Diagnostic tests

• Treatments

• Vaccines

• Other essential public health tools

The PABS annex is intended to ensure that this sharing happens swiftly while also guaranteeing fair access to the benefits that arise from it.

Promoting Equity Through Access and Benefit Sharing

The proposed PABS system is designed to promote equitable access based on public health need by enabling:

• Rapid and timely sharing of pathogen materials

• Access to genetic sequence information

• Fair and equitable distribution of resulting benefits

This includes ensuring that countries contributing pathogen data also share in the vaccines, medicines and technologies developed from it.

“The system is designed to facilitate the rapid, timely, fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from these,” negotiators noted.

Progress Made, Differences Remain

IGWG Bureau co-chair Ambassador Tovar da Silva Nunes of Brazil said Member States remain committed to finalising the annex.

“Countries this week have again shown their steadfast commitment to getting the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex done,” he said.

“We now have a clear vision for streamlining the text, while ensuring that the more contentious elements receive the necessary consultation.”

Co-chair Matthew Harpur of the United Kingdom acknowledged that while gaps remain, there is strong recognition of the urgency.

“It is clear that important differences remain, but there is a shared recognition of what is at stake,” Mr Harpur said.

“With time running short, the coming weeks will be critical in bridging the remaining gaps and delivering a PABS annex that is fair, effective, and fit for purpose.”

May Deadline Ahead

Member States will resume negotiations next month as they work toward the May deadline, when the draft annex outcome will be presented to the World Health Assembly (WHA).

The timeline reflects the urgency of strengthening global preparedness before the next pandemic threat emerges.

Pandemic Agreement: Correcting COVID-19 Weaknesses

The WHO Pandemic Agreement, adopted last year, was created to address major weaknesses exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, including unequal access to vaccines and fragmented international coordination.

As a legally binding international instrument, it is designed to improve global cooperation and make future pandemic responses more effective and equitable.

WHO Director-General Confident of Agreement

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the progress and stressed the importance of multilateralism.

“Adopting the Pandemic Agreement last year was a huge testament to global cooperation, and we need to build on that momentum,” he said.

“Strong multilateralism remains essential as countries have to face future pandemics together, collectively.”

Dr Tedros said he remains confident that Member States will finalise the annex in time for May’s Assembly.

“Recognizing the steady progress being made, I am confident that they will reach an agreement on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex in time for the World Health Assembly in May this year,” he said.

Stakeholder Engagement Continues

Alongside formal negotiations, Member States also engaged with key stakeholders, including representatives from:

• The private sector

• Academia

• Laboratories

• Genetic sequence information databases

These dialogues aim to build broader consensus around how the PABS system will function in practice.

The continued negotiations represent a critical step in shaping a global framework that ensures pathogens — and the benefits derived from them — are shared fairly, strengthening collective security against future pandemics.