PREPARÁNDONOS PARA EL FUTURO: EL TRATADO PANDÉMICO COMO HERRAMIENTA DE PREVENCIÓN, PREPARACIÓN Y RESPUESTA MUNDIAL

Loayza-Alarico M. · Revista de la Facultad de Medicina Humana (2025) · DOI: 10.25176/rfmh.v25i2.7632

Resumen

The recent and historic adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement by the 78th World Health Assembly—concluded after three years of intense negotiations—represents a crucial step toward addressing the deficiencies and inequities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This agreement aims to establish principles of equity, solidarity, and shared responsibility—elements that proved to be significant challenges during the recent global crisis and that revealed deep disparities in the distribution of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic resources. Such inequities must not be allowed to recur. One of the most salient aspects, which requires clear public understanding, is the condition for its entry into force. Document A78/10 specifies that the WHO Pandemic Agreement “shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of the respective instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession” by at least 30 Member States. This means its effectiveness is directly tied to the sovereign commitment of nations. The speed and universality with which countries adopt this instrument will be decisive for its success. In this context, it is essential that the public understands the scope of this agreement, which encompasses resource allocation, response coordination, sovereign decision-making, global epidemiological surveillance, pathogen sharing, and the intellectual property of medical innovations. Transparent mechanisms for decision-making during times of crisis must be ensured, citizens’ rights in the face of extraordinary measures must be protected, and inequalities in access to health technologies must be actively addressed. One of the most promising elements of the agreement is the imminent negotiation of a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system. This mechanism seeks to ensure that developing countries—often the most affected—have equitable and timely access to vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics during public health emergencies. Particularly noteworthy is the provision requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in the PABS system to provide the WHO with rapid access to 20% of their pandemic-related product output.

Instituciones: Universidad Ricardo Palma