Geneva (dpa -Afx) – In the struggle for a global pandemic contract, last hurdles are to be cleared out of the way in the coming days. The negotiators want to come together again on Tuesday, said the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. Member countries would first have to discuss some proposed passages with their governments. The contract is to be passed in Geneva at the World Health Assembly in May.
The contract is intended to prevent chaos such as the Corona pandemic and ensure, among other things, that in a similar situation, people around the world quickly come up with protective material and vaccines. For the WHO it is clear: the next pandemic is only a matter of time.
WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the effort. “The negotiations continue,” he wrote on the X platform. The talks in the negotiating forum went non -stop 24 hours.
Fair distribution
Among other things, health systems should be strengthened so that unknown diseases can be recognized early and can be fought as soon as possible. If a pandemic develops, the bypass development of medication and vaccines and the fair distribution worldwide should be secured.
The drastic reduction of the development aids of the United States and other countries as well as the emergency of the USA from the WHO make this all the more difficult. So far, the United States has covered around 18 percent of the WHO budget.
A sticking point is Article 12 of the fair distribution of medication and vaccines. In the Corona pandemic, the third vaccination was already administered in rich countries, while people in poor countries were still waiting for the first vaccine.
What pharmaceutical companies should do
Countries should make samples of pathogens that have arisen quickly, but can also quickly benefit from the vaccines and medication created with the help of the samples. It is controversial how much material pharmaceutical companies should provide for free or at small prices.
The contract will only apply in the countries that ratify it. He emphasizes that the WHO cannot order measures like Lockdowns. As before, this is the responsibility of the national governments and authorities./OE/DP/ZB