| Global Traditional Medicine Centre of WHO • India has pledged USD 85 million over 10 years to support the World Health Organisation’s Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Gujarat. • This funding aims to bolster a cross-sectoral programme to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine. |
- After extensive political negotiations, 194 WHO member states failed to finalize the Pandemic Agreement, an international treaty aimed at improving global pandemic preparedness, prevention, and equity, which became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The 77th World Health Assembly (May-June 2024) extended the mandate of the intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) and proposed the completion of the WHO Pandemic Agreement by May 2025 or earlier at a Special Session of the World Health Assembly in 2024.
| Key Issues in Pandemic Agreement | Details |
| Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) | Ensures equitable sharing of benefits (vaccines, diagnostics) from shared pathogen samples, especially for LMICs (Low and Middle-Income Countries). Contention over a guaranteed percentage of pandemic products for LMICs. |
| Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property | Focus on technology transfer and IP waivers to diversify global manufacturing capacities. Disagreement over conditions for technology transfer and TRIPS flexibilities (e.g., compulsory licensing). High-income countries prefer Voluntary and Mutually Agreed Terms (VMAT), potentially discouraging mandatory TRIPS approaches. |
| One Health Approach | Requires coordinated public health measures across animal, human, and environmental health. Supported by high-income countries, but LMICs see it as an unfunded mandate adding to their resource burden. |
Dig Deeper: Read about the classification of various diseases and criteria for declaration as a Pandemic.
