WHO chief 'confident' that members will reach consensus on pandemic agreement

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) chief on Monday said he is "confident" that member states will reach a consensus on the pandemic agreement.

The remarks of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came during his speech in the opening session of the 77th World Health Assembly in the UN Geneva office.

"Of course, we all wish that we had been able to reach a consensus on the agreement in time for this health assembly. But I remain confident that ... when there is a will, there is a way," he told the assembly.

It is now for this World Health Assembly to decide what that way is, he said. "The solution is in your hands. No one said multilateralism was easy, but there is no other way."

Despite best efforts, last week saw countries fail to reach an agreement on the terms of a treaty that would unify the globe in the event of the next inevitable pandemic. The nations agreed to develop such a legally binding agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response and to strengthen the International Health Regulations following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Calling the threat of future pandemics just "one threat among many," he stressed that the world is facing so many other challenges, such as conflict and insecurity in Gaza, Haiti, Sudan, and Ukraine, climate change, displacement, poverty, inequality, polarization, women deaths from preventable complications of pregnancy and childbirth, children deaths due to missing out on vaccines, outbreaks of cholera, dengue, increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, and mental health conditions.

"Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was off-track for the health-related targets in the Sustainable Development Goals. Now we're even further behind," he warned, and urged: "Between now and 2030, we must do all we can to get as far as we can towards the Sustainable Development Goals."

Regarding the recognition of the right to health around the world, the WHO chief said the right is often "unrealized or under threat."

"At least 4.5 billion people -- more than half of the world's population -- are not fully covered by essential health services, and two billion people face financial hardship due to out-of-pocket health spending," Tedros lamented.

He also expressed hope that countries would adopt the 14th General Program of Work -- the collective strategy to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

The 14th General Program of Work "incorporates lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and our aspirations for the future," he said.

Lastly, he urged countries to not only adopt the general program of work but also fully fund it with "predictable and flexible financing."

"I ask you to chart a path forward for the pandemic agreement and the International Health Regulations amendments so we can bring both to a conclusion as soon as possible," he said, adding: "I ask you to show the world that in these divided and divisive times, nations can still come together to find a common approach to common challenges."

The annual World Health Assembly will continue until June 1 under the theme All for Health, Health for All in the UN Geneva office and is being attended by delegations from all WHO member states, NGOs, and prominent individuals.