The WHO Pandemic Agreement: An essential catalyst for global health equity and preparedness

By guest contributor Blondy Kayembe-Mulumba

While some countries can quickly mobilize public health responses to pandemics, others struggled with limited access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. This results from health resources gaps and leads to health inequalities between and within regions. Since pathogens have no borders, such disparities sustain the global health threats posed by emerging and re-emerging diseases. Therefore, global health equity and preparedness could not be achieved without globally coordinated efforts and actions. In May 2025, after three years of negotiations, Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a landmark global pandemic agreement aimed at strengthening preparedness, improving response coordination, and ensuring equitable access to medical countermeasures, during the 78^th World Health Assembly.

On the one hand, this agreement present several potential benefits for global health. First, the pandemic agreement seeks to institutionalize a legally binding framework for pandemic preparedness, addressing long-standing concerns over global coordination. The new framework aims to establish clear protocols for the declaration of public health emergencies, enhance data-sharing, and create mechanisms for rapid deployment of international assistance. Early and transparent data-sharing was instrumental in previous outbreaks like Ebola and SARS, but gaps persisted during COVID-19, especially in genomic surveillance. Standardizing expectations around information sharing is a step forward in strengthening trust among nations and improving situational awareness globally. Second, one of the most consequential provisions of the agreement is the commitment to equitable access to pandemic-related products. The creation of a global “Pandemic Supply Chain and Equity Mechanism” (PSCEM) aims to ensure that vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics are distributed based on public health need rather than purchasing power. This directly addresses the “vaccine apartheid” witnessed during COVID-19, when over 70% of doses were administered in high-income countries during the first year of vaccine rollout. Third, the agreement includes provisions for a dedicated Pandemic Fund to be managed jointly by WHO and the World Bank, ensuring sustained financing for preparedness infrastructure. This fund, which has already received pledges exceeding $10 billion, will support national pandemic preparedness plans, health workforce training, and laboratory capacity building. The agreement’s financing structure provides a mechanism for predictable and long-term investment, which is essential for building resilient health systems globally. Finally, the agreement formalizes the One Health approach by integrating human, animal, and environmental health surveillance. The emergence of zoonotic pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, MERS, and avian influenza demonstrates the importance of monitoring viral spillovers at the human–animal interface. Operationalizing One Health across countries and embedding it in pandemic preparedness plans will facilitate early detection of high-risk pathogens and improve intersectoral coordination.

On the other hand, we can expect transformative implications for resource-limited settings. First, closing gaps in surveillance and health system infrastructure since resource-limited settings often struggle with weak disease surveillance and under-resourced health systems. The agreement explicitly prioritizes capacity building in these regions. Countries are required to conduct Joint External Evaluations (JEEs) every five years, followed by funded National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS). This approach institutionalizes a global system of accountability and support. Second, the agreement encourages technology transfer and local production of vaccines and diagnostics in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Building on the mRNA vaccine technology hub in South Africa, the agreement includes a Pandemic Technology Access Pool (PTAP) that mandates sharing of know-how, intellectual property, and biological materials during health emergencies. This is a critical step toward reducing dependence on external suppliers and fostering regional self-sufficiency. Third, health workforce shortages remain a major barrier in many LMICs. The agreement promotes investment in community health workers and pandemic-specific training programs through a global Health Emergency Workforce Corps. Countries will receive technical assistance in building and retaining public health professionals, with a focus on gender equity and youth engagement. By investing in health workers, countries not only improve emergency response capabilities but also strengthen routine health services. This dual benefit is vital in settings where health systems are already overburdened by communicable and non-communicable diseases. Finally, the agreement encourages the strengthening of regional bodies such as the Africa CDC, the Pan American Health Organization, and the South-East Asia Regional Office. These institutions play a critical role in contextualizing global guidance and coordinating cross-border efforts. Empowering regional institutions provides a buffer against the one-size-fits-all approach and ensures that local epidemiological, political, and cultural contexts are integrated into global response strategies.

In conclusion, the WHO pandemic agreement represents a historic opportunity to reimagine pandemic governance through the lenses of equity, accountability, and sustainability. For global health, it institutionalizes cooperation, strengthens early warning systems, and embeds equity in the distribution of lifesaving interventions. For resource-limited settings, it offers pathways to self-reliance through financing, technology transfer, and workforce development. The real test, however, lies in implementation. Legally binding commitments must be followed by political will and transparent accountability mechanisms. The agreement must not be an endpoint but a foundation—upon which a truly inclusive and prepared global health system is built sustainably.

About the author

Dr. Blondy Kayembe-Mulumba is a public health and epidemiologist medical doctor with over 5 years of global health experience spanning from South to North. He has worked for MedAid, a national NGO, as the Prevention Medical Officer in Congo-Kinshasa. He currently serves as a Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Bordeaux (Inserm U1219 – BPH) in France. Experienced in advanced methodology of epidemiology, his research interests focus on improving global health security through infectious diseases prevention & control, chronic diseases management, and health systems strengthening. He provides divers consulting services to national and international organizations, including UN agencies. His LinkedIn profile is here.