Public health leaders, policymakers, and researchers are now grappling with that question as they consider how prevention, preparedness, and response will evolve in the years ahead.
The recent global agreement on pandemic prevention marks a milestone in international cooperation, but it also raises critical questions about how nations and institutions will translate policy into practice. With health threats continuing to emerge, the next steps will determine how effectively the world can confront infectious diseases, build stronger systems, and reduce inequities.
The virtual webinar, “Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response After the Agreement: What Comes Next?” examined the implications of the World Health Assembly’s adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement in May 2025, with particular focus on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system. Recognized as a cornerstone of equity, PABS seeks to ensure that countries contributing pathogen samples also benefit from access to vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments derived from them.
Moderated by Guilherme Ferrari Faviero, Esq., M.S., M.P.H., director of the AHF Global Public Health Institute at the University of Miami, the discussion brought together experts spanning diplomacy, public health, and civil society.
Progress and Gaps
Speakers agreed that the agreement reflects progress, but also underscored its fragility without real enforcement. From the African Union Commission, Julio Rakotonirina, M.D., Ph.D., pointed to the need for deeper structural change. “To be transformative, the pandemic agreement must go beyond declarations. It must institutionalize equity by creating access mechanisms, mandating inclusive governance, and securing financing that empowers low- and middle-income countries.”
Malaysia’s Nurhafiza Md Hamzah, MPharm, M.Sc., highlighted areas of progress, such as commitments to One Health, system resilience, and diversified manufacturing, but warned that implementation remains decisive. “A treaty without implementation muscle is just paper. WHO must be equipped not to just convene but to deliver.”
Equity and Accountability
The issue of equity was a recurring theme throughout the discussion, with civil society leaders emphasizing that principles must be translated into enforceable action. Aggrey Aluso, M.A., executive director of Resilience Action Network Africa and Africa director at the Pandemic Action Network, noted: “We wanted an agreement that demonstrates a departure from what we saw during COVID. It is not perfect, but we have an opportunity to build on it, especially by making the PABS annex enforceable and transformative.”
For Yap Boum II, Ph.D., deputy head of the Mpox Continental Response at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, equity was not only a technical issue but also a moral obligation, equity was not only technical but moral. “If pathogens from Africa are used to develop vaccines, those vaccines must be accessible to Africans. Equity cannot remain just words on paper; it must become a lived reality.”
Representing Brazil, Igor da Silva Barbosa, M.A., M.Sc., chief of the Division of Global Health at Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, framed the agreement as an important step in renewing multilateral collaboration. “In a time of geopolitical uncertainty, this agreement is a milestone. Equity is not only about access, but also about justice, ownership, and fairness in decision-making.”
Looking Ahead
Negotiations on the PABS annex officially begin this week and will determine whether the pandemic agreement moves forward to signature in 2026. Panelists agreed that operationalizing equity—through binding benefit-sharing, financing mechanisms, and inclusive governance—will be the ultimate test of the treaty’s promise.
Written by Deycha Torres Hernández, published on August 18, 2025.
