Geneva:
The years of talks ended with countries in the early hours of Wednesday, which agreed to the text of a historic agreement to deal with the future epidemic, with the aim of avoiding the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis.
After the talks of over three years and one last marathon session, tired representatives at the headquarters of the World Health Organization finally sealed the deal at around 2:00 pm (0000 GMT) on Wednesday.
“Tonight is an important milestone in our shared journey towards a safe world,” who called Tedros Adhanom Gabreyas the main.
“The nations of the world made history in Geneva today.”
Five years after the emergence of Covid-19, in which millions of people were killed, economies were destroyed and increased health systems, a sense of urgency on negotiations, with new threats-H5N1 bird flu, measles, mapox and ebola.
The final stretch of the negotiations also occurred under the shade of US foreign aid spending and threatened tariffs on pharmaceuticals.
,It is adopted ‘
By the last minute, disagreement erupted on some prickly issues.
Negotiaters stumbled on Article 11 of the agreement, which relate to transferring technology to developing countries for epidemic health products.
During the Covid-19 epidemic, poor states accused rich countries of hoarding vaccines and tests.
Countries with large pharmaceutical industries have opposed the idea of compulsory technical transfer, insisting that they should be voluntary.
But it appears that the obstacle can be overcome by adding the obstruction that any transfer needs to be “mutually agreed”.
The origin of the agreement is a proposed pathogen access and profit-sharing system (PABS), which is aimed at sharing Swift of pathogen data with pharmaceutical companies, allowing them to quickly work on epidemic-flourishing products.
Finally, the 32-page agreement was completely exposed in green, showing which all this was fully approved by the member states.
“It is adopted,” the talks were announced by the talk cum-president Anne-Clair Emopu, appreciating the thunder.
“In the draft of this historical agreement, the countries of the world have demonstrated their shared commitment to prevent and protect everywhere, everywhere, from the dangers of future epidemic.”
The final lesson will now be presented for the Sign-off in the WHO’s annual assembly next month.
‘More equity’
As the intensive conversation in corridors and closed rooms ended late on Tuesday, Tedros told reporters that they felt the draft was “balanced”, and that a deal would bring “more equity”.
He said that it could be expensive to take measures to coordinate the prevention, preparations and reactions of epidemic, “The cost of inactivity is huge”, he insisted.
“The virus is the largest enemy. (This) can be worse than a war.”
The United States, which has threw the global health system in crisis by reducing foreign aid expenses, was absent.
US President Donald Trump ordered a return from the United Nations Health Agency and an epidemic agreement after assuming office in January.
However, the absence of America, and trump threatening to slap the standing tariffs on pharmaceutical products, still hanged on negotiations, leading to the manufacturers and governments more irritable.
But in the end, the countries reached consensus.
‘Real work now begins’
Looking at the implementation, the chief Pharma Lobby said that intellectual property and legal certainty would be necessary if the industry had to invest in high -risk research and development in the next crisis.
David Reddy, Director General of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Association, said, “The epidemic agreement is an early point.”
“We hope that in later conversation, members state maintains conditions to continue innovations against the epidemic capacity pathogens for the private sector.”
Many saw the approval of the lesson as a win for global cooperation.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke said, “At a time when multilateralism is in danger, the members of the members have joined together that we will defeat the next epidemic danger in the sole way: working together,” Working together, “former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke said, co-chairman of the independent panel for preparation and response.
As the expression of congratulations at the WHO headquarters continued at the WHO headquarters, the representative of Evatini warned that “When we celebrate the moment, we do not need to rest on our laurel.”
“The real work now begins.”
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)