Why Global Leaders Must Finalize the WHO Pandemic Agreement Now

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have called on G7, G20, and BRICS leaders to finalize the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex by July 17, 2026. This annex is the final requirement for the WHO Pandemic Agreement to enter into force and ensure equitable global access to vaccines and treatments.

In an open letter dated June 15, 2026, the two leaders urged heads of government to provide the political will necessary to close remaining gaps in the agreement. Negotiators are scheduled to meet from July 6 to July 17 to resolve disputes over how the benefits of shared pathogen data are defined and governed.

The PABS system is designed as a reciprocal bargain. According to the letter, countries that quickly identify and share genetic information on dangerous pathogens must be guaranteed that the resulting medical tools reach their own populations. This framework aims to replace the current case-by-case improvised rules used during health crises with a stable, predictable system.

Why is the PABS annex necessary for the Pandemic Agreement?

The PABS annex serves as the operational mechanism for the broader WHO Pandemic Agreement. Without this specific annex, the agreement cannot be implemented. It establishes the rules for how scientists access the material needed to develop diagnostic tests, treatments, and vaccines during an outbreak.

Lula and Tedros argue that containing a threat at its source is more cost-effective than fighting a global pandemic. They state that a virus left unchecked in one region eventually threatens all nations regardless of borders.

Does the WHO Pandemic Agreement override national sovereignty?

The open letter explicitly denies that the agreement or the PABS annex compromises state sovereignty. The authors point to Article 22, paragraph 2 of the agreement to support this claim.

nothing in the Agreement gives WHO any authority to direct or alter a country’s laws or policies, or to require measures such as lockdowns, travel restrictions or vaccination mandates. Those decisions remain with sovereign states.

Open letter from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

The letter emphasizes that the WHO cannot mandate public health restrictions, leaving those decisions to individual sovereign governments.

What are the risks of failing to finalize the agreement by July 17?

The authors cite several escalating risks that make the July 17 deadline critical. These include:

• Pandemic Probability: Scientists estimate a nearly 25% chance of another pandemic occurring within the next decade.
• Environmental Drivers: Climate change, evolving agriculture, and changes in land use are shifting where dangerous pathogens emerge.
• Biotechnological Risks: Advances in biotechnology, which the letter says are not matched by equal biosafety measures, increase the risk of deliberate or accidental pathogen release.

The letter notes that an Ebola outbreak is currently being fought across two countries. According to the authors, these responders are working without an approved vaccine or cure, illustrating the real-world cost of an unfinished PABS system.

What is the estimated cost of pandemic unpreparedness?

The open letter contrasts the relatively small investment required for an early-detection system against the massive losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors cite two major figures to highlight this disparity.

The World Health Organization estimates that up to 20 million lives were lost during the last pandemic. Economically, the International Monetary Fund estimates the global economy lost over $13 trillion in output. This loss manifested as broken supply chains, shuttered businesses, and disrupted education for an entire generation.

Lula and Tedros conclude that the cost of maintaining a system to catch outbreaks early is minimal compared to these trillions of dollars in lost economic productivity and millions of deaths.