GHTC contributes to statements delivered at WHA on the Pandemic Agreement and climate and health

GHTC sent letters to the relevant appropriations subcommittees in the House and Senate—the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS); State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS)/National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP); and Defense Subcommittees on Appropriations—asking them to sustain and protect global health R&D funding in the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget.

The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) welcomes the historic consensus on the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement—a first-of-its-kind instrument that, if implemented, could help reshape the global innovation ecosystem for pandemic preparedness and ensure greater equity in the development of and access to new pandemic tools. While the agreement reflects compromise and not all ambitions were met, it represents important progress and lays the groundwork for action toward global readiness and equity in future health emergencies. “There is a clear and welcome throughline in this agreement that the fruits of research and development, particularly that which is publicly funded, should and must benefit all the world’s citizens, including those in low- and middle-income countries who are far too often left behind,” said Dr. Kristie Mikus, Executive Director of GHTC. “Today, the world is sending a forceful message that we cannot and will not repeat the devastating inequities seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.”Notably, this agreement commits countries to develop policies attaching public interest conditions to public research and development (R&D) funding—an unprecedented move with the potential to transform how treatments, tests, and vaccines are developed and delivered during health crises. It also establishes a new global coordination mechanism on supply chain and logistics, requires national policies that promote post-clinical trial access to products for trial populations and at-risk groups, and outlines principles for a new Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing (PABS) system, which would grant 20 percent of medical countermeasures produced by participating manufacturers to WHO, enabling more equitable access and distribution worldwide.It is also the first global health agreement grounded in One Health that explicitly acknowledges the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. These are historic achievements and steps in the right direction to ensure the world is better prepared to respond to future threats.“Today’s adoption is a big win for the world and for multilateralism, but the test now lies in whether countries can seal the deal with PABS and translate these promises into ratification and effective policies at the national level to drive sustained impact,” said Philip Kenol, Senior Multilateral Policy and Advocacy Officer at GHTC.GHTC calls on member states to work diligently to ensure forthcoming negotiations to finalize the PABS system bring all relevant stakeholders to the table and achieve an agreement that drives innovation and delivers equitable access for all who need it, especially underserved populations. Countries must maintain the momentum to ensure that universal ratification of these important obligations and principles catalyzes a stronger and more effective pandemic preparedness architecture that benefits everyone, everywhere.