The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has welcomed the landmark conclusion of the Pandemic Agreement negotiations, a decisive and historic step toward strengthening global health architecture through multilateral cooperation.
Finalised amid a backdrop of persistent and emerging health threats such as avian influenza, mpox, and Ebola, the WHO Pandemic Agreement underscores the critical role of animal health in pandemic prevention and reinforces the urgent need to invest in prevention efforts at their source.
This milestone also affirms WOAH’s long-standing advocacy to place One Health at the core of global health governance.
Notably, including provisions for zoonotic disease prevention and antimicrobial resistance marks critical progress in pandemic prevention at source.
Making the world a safer place with the landmark WHO Pandemic Agreement
After more than three years of intensive negotiations, WHO Member States took a major step forward in efforts to make the world safer from pandemics by forging a draft agreement for consideration at the upcoming World Health Assembly in May.
The WHO Pandemic Agreement aims to strengthen global collaboration on prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemic threats.
Following 13 formal rounds of meetings, nine of which were extended, and many informal and intersessional negotiations on various aspects of the draft agreement, the INB today finalised a proposal for the WHO Pandemic Agreement. The outcome of the INB’s work will now be presented to the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly for its consideration.
“In reaching consensus on the Pandemic Agreement, not only did they put in place a generational accord to make the world safer, they have also demonstrated that multilateralism is alive and well, and that in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground, and a shared response to shared threats,” explained Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director General.
The proposal affirms the sovereignty of countries in addressing public health matters within their borders. These include:
- A pathogen access and sharing system
- Advocating a One Health approach
- Strengthening pandemic preparedness
- Diverse research and development capacities
- Mobilising a skilled workforce
Strengthening the One Health approach
As a key partner in the Quadripartite Collaboration on One Health, WOAH has celebrated the WHO Pandemic Agreement’s recognition of the One Health approach, which bridges human, animal, and environmental health to safeguard the health and well-being of all.
WOAH has spearheaded critical efforts to support Member Countries in embedding prevention and One Health principles into global health governance. Throughout the negotiation process, the organisation provided technical expertise by actively participating in expert roundtables and informal sessions.
WOAH supported its members with science-based guidance at every stage of the process and issued several official statements, often in collaboration with Quadripartite partners, advocating for animal health, prevention and One Health inclusion.
Once adopted by the World Health Assembly in its next meeting in May 2025, WOAH stands ready to support our Members in implementing the WHO Pandemic Agreement by:
- Strengthening veterinary systems for early detection and early warning.
- Accelerating the implementation of the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA)- Aligning national policies with global standards.
- Expanding zoonotic disease, wildlife health and AMR surveillance- Leveraging WOAH’s global network of Collaborating Centres and Reference Laboratories.
- Advancing science-based policies at the human-animal-environment interface- Through the WOAH expert working groups and the Quadripartite One Health Expert Panel.
Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, WOAH’s Director General, concluded: “This Agreement marks a turning point. Now begins the vital work of implementation: transforming commitments into robust health systems, equitable financing, and lasting One Health capacities.”
