WHO pandemic treaty stalls as nations clash over data sharing and equity

The World Health Organization adopted a global pandemic treaty in May 2025, but the crucial Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex has been deadlocked for about 18 months. At the eighth negotiation session in Geneva, little progress was made as rich and poorer nations remain divided. Wealthy states argue for an open, rapid-access database to accelerate research, citing the early Chinese genome upload that enabled swift COVID-19 vaccine development.

In contrast, representatives from the global south, such as legal adviser Sangeeta Shashikant, insist on binding guarantees that sharing samples or data will be met with equitable provision of vaccines, drugs and diagnostics. Proposals range from closed-access databases with contractual obligations to linking equity clauses to the sale of any derived products, a compromise championed by James Love. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on members to finalize the pact before the World Health Assembly in May 2027, warning that further delays will cost lives. The United States, absent from the talks, is pursuing separate bilateral data-aid deals, which some fear could undermine the collective framework.