If there is one thing we learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, which engulfed the world five years ago, it is that the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if. Thousands of Covid-like viruses are lurking in animals, waiting for an opportunity to “jump” to humans (hence the term zoonotic disease). Climate factors, biodiversity loss and the illegal and legal trade in wildlife are all contributory factors, along with increased travel.
Covid-19 was a bad experience from the point of view of the Global South, which was denied access to life-saving vaccines and medications as the First World hogged all such resources for at least one year. The rich countries were also loathe to transfer to the Global South the technology for the manufacture of mRNA vaccines, which have proven to be safe and effective despite the torrent of misinformation on the web and social media. Covid-19 brought the avarice of rich countries to the fore.
Ever since Covid-19 took over the world, the Global South has been saying that equal access to pandemic Research and Development (R&D) is vital to minimise the effects of the next pandemic, along with the equitable distribution of resources such as vaccines.
It is in this context that the World Health Organization (WHO) spearheaded negotiations for a “Pandemic Treaty” from 2022. Last week, after more than three years of negotiations, the WHO revealed a legally binding Global Pandemic Treaty. The proposal outlines measures to prevent future pandemics and strengthen global collaboration.
It is only the second time in the WHO’s 75-year history that an international agreement of this type has been reached – the first being a tobacco control deal in 2003.
The pact is intended to shore up the world’s defences against new pathogens. The pact is also meant to avoid the disorganisation and competition for resources seen during the Covid-19 outbreak.
At the core of the agreement is a proposed Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS), allowing the faster exchange of data between pharmaceutical companies.
Other key elements include the rapid sharing of data about any new diseases and ensuring that scientists and pharmaceutical companies can work more quickly to develop treatments and vaccines.
For the first time, the WHO itself will also have an overview of global supply chains for masks, medical gowns and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Under the terms agreed, manufacturing countries will have to ensure that pandemic-related drugs are available across the world in a future outbreak. WHO Member States also approved the transfer of health technologies to poorer nations. This should enable more local production of vaccines and medicines during a pandemic.
In the words of WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the pact is a “significant milestone in our shared journey towards a safer world”.
The pact also demonstrates that multilateralism is alive and well, and even in a divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground, and a shared response to shared threats.
The only dark cloud in this scenario is the absence of the United States (US), which has pulled out of the WHO. This is a huge blow to the WHO, because the US is a world leader in medical research and vaccine and drug development.
Unfortunately, in addition to pulling out of the WHO, the Donald Trump administration has gutted vital institutions such as the Centres for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of a cost-cutting initiative. These institutions played a pivotal role during the Covid-19 outbreak. USAID, another agency decimated by the new administration, engaged in health projects worldwide under the aegis of the WHO. Millions are at risk of disease and death in the countries of the Global South due to the USAID withdrawal.
On the other hand, the absence of the US could provide an impetus for both First World and Third World countries to get their act together to face global health challenges and also the glut of social media misinformation on health.
An anti-measles vaccine campaign in the US has resulted in a measles epidemic there, even as most Third World countries have eliminated it by diligently administering the highly effective Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Malaria is on the rise in many tropical countries, though vaccine trials are under way.
Ebola is still a threat in some African countries, despite the existence of a vaccine. Dengue too claims thousands of lives each year. Then there are diseases such as Mpox, avian flu, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Hantavirus (believed to have claimed the life of Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa), HIV/AIDS and Polio in the wild (Afghanistan and Pakistan). Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Diabetes, Cancer and Hypertension have also reached epidemic proportions in many countries.
Research is the number one priority in health management. The world needs more research on all these diseases and possible treatments. Some drugs may need 15-20 years of research to come to fruition. It is extensive research that made the two revolutionary diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic possible. Thus the new Pandemic Treaty must focus attention on research on every aspect of pandemics – pathogens, treatments, best practices and vaccines. The Sri Jayewardenepura University, which played a crucial role during the Covid-19 pandemic, must be an integral part of this research chain.
Only a cohesive international network will help us to face the next pandemic, which could be much more virulent than Covid-19. After all, in the words of Dr. Ghebreyesus, “No one is safe until everyone is safe” when it comes to pandemics.
