WHO Members Reach Preliminary Agreement on Future Pandemic Response

Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) have reached a preliminary agreement on strategies to address future pandemics following three years of negotiations, Arab News reported citing the co-chair of the negotiating body to Agence France-Presse on Saturday.

The organization’s 194 member states have been working on an accord aimed at enhancing collaboration both before and during pandemics, acknowledging the shortcomings experienced during the COVID-19 crisis. Notably, the United States, which had initially been slow to engage in the discussions, withdrew from the talks earlier this year after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February to exit the WHO and prevent participation in the negotiations.