Global Negotiations Continue for Signing Agreement to Combat Future Pandemics; U.S. Health Secretary: Agreement is Close

The U.S. Health Secretary stated that missing the opportunity to reach an agreement for implementing a series of important reforms in the global response to deadly pandemics would be 'tragic' for the world, but he considered achieving it to be close. Health officials from various countries will gather this week in Geneva, Switzerland, to conclude over two years of negotiations regarding the signing of a treaty related to the global response to pandemics and the updating of 'international health regulations.' Although there are no major disagreements in this regard, countries have yet to finalize this treaty and are considering extending its deadline. However, Xavier Becerra, the U.S. Health Secretary, expressed optimism about reaching an agreement on Wednesday. In a press conference, he emphasized that no significant international achievement comes 'overnight,' stating, 'I think there is a clear consensus that we cannot allow ourselves to be in the current situation if another pandemic occurs.' According to the World Health Organization, as of April 14 of this year, 7,010,681 people have died due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Health Secretary, speaking with reporters in Geneva, noted that threats to global health significantly impact global political and economic interests, adding that stability and security mean nothing without health, and nations cannot be strong unless they are healthy. Becerra remarked, 'When Joe Biden took office, COVID-19 fatalities were like experiencing two or three September 11 incidents every day. We started from there, and today we walk without masks and treat COVID like the flu.' He added, 'We do not know how long it will take to experience another tragedy like COVID-19. We do not want to wait.' One of the main disagreements between wealthy and developing countries is the issue of equitable sharing of medicines and vaccines to prevent a repeat of the problems faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to identified pathogens in countries, access to pandemic-fighting products like vaccines, and equitable distribution of not only tests, treatments, and vaccinations but also the tools for their production are among the topics discussed at this week's meeting. Some politicians in countries like the United States and Australia argue that this legally binding agreement gives significant power to the World Health Organization. The WHO's Director-General rejects this argument, stating that the agreement helps countries better protect their citizens against pandemic outbreaks. In the 75-year history of this UN-affiliated organization, the only time member countries managed to agree on a legally binding treaty was the Tobacco Control Treaty in 2003. The WHO has faced significant criticism following the COVID-19 pandemic for its approach to finding the virus's origins. In this context, the organization conducted a heavily controlled visit to China and concluded that it is 'very unlikely' that the coronavirus was transmitted to humans from a laboratory in Wuhan. However, under pressure, the WHO published another investigative report in which its group of experts stated that there is insufficient data to explain how the pandemic began.