The United Nations General Assembly on Monday, October 12, adopted a political declaration calling for stronger health systems, better disease monitoring and increased funding to help countries prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics, following negotiations co-facilitated by Rwanda and Armenia.

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Member States first considered the text at a high-level meeting on September 25, but it was left for further consideration because some countries still had reservations. The draft was later submitted for a decision at a plenary meeting of the General Assembly.

153 countries voted in favour of the political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response; United States and Israel and Argentina voted against it, while Paraguay and New Zealand abstained.

The declaration seeks to address gaps exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, including unequal access to vaccines and other medical supplies, weak coordination and insufficient funding, particularly in developing countries.

It calls on countries to strengthen early warning systems, improve disease surveillance, invest in health workers and ensure that communities can access essential health services during emergencies.

It also stresses the need for countries to work together, share scientific information and improve access to vaccines, medicines, diagnostic tools and other health products.

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It further recognises that the world remains insufficiently prepared for future pandemics despite progress made since Covid-19. It also notes that outbreaks can disrupt education, economies and livelihoods, with the greatest effects often felt by vulnerable populations and developing countries.

WHO calls for action

The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the adoption, saying countries must now turn their commitments into action.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said the declaration reaffirmed the importance of countries working together to prevent and respond to future health emergencies.

"WHO welcomes this strong commitment by UN Member States to continue working together on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response,” he said.

Tedros urged countries to complete negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement. The annex is intended to support the sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and the fair sharing of benefits arising from their use.

Finalising the annex would allow the Pandemic Agreement to be opened for signature and begin the process towards ratification and entry into force as international law.

The outcome of the negotiations is expected to be considered at the next World Health Assembly in May 2027, or earlier through a special session.

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Focus on funding and equal access

The declaration calls for sustained investment in pandemic preparedness, including stronger health systems, research and development, and local and regional production of vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tools.

It highlights the need to expand manufacturing capacity in developing countries to improve access to essential health products during future emergencies.

The document also calls for more coordinated financing, noting that existing global funding arrangements remain fragmented and underfunded. It points to an estimated annual gap of $15 billion in pandemic preparedness funding.

Countries are encouraged to increase domestic investment while strengthening international cooperation and financial and technical support for developing countries.

The declaration further calls for stronger community engagement, improved public health communication and action against misinformation and disinformation that can weaken trust in health systems.

It promotes a "One Health” approach, which recognises the links between human, animal and environmental health in preventing the emergence and spread of infectious diseases.