WHO eyes deal on pandemic accord annex this week despite sticking points

The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed hope Wednesday that negotiations on the final annex to the pandemic accord could conclude this week despite remaining sticking points, with officials citing progress ahead of the agency's annual World Health Assembly opening on May 18.

There is commitment and goodwill to finish the job, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the ACANU, the UN-accredited journalists association, reporters in Geneva, while acknowledging “significant differences” remain over the pathogen access and benefit-sharing annex, known as PABS.

"My hope is that they will finish during this week," he said, stressing the annex must be agreed because "we cannot start the ratification process" of the pandemic accord without it.

Tedros said member states could still hold additional talks before or after the assembly if needed, but added he was seeing "positive developments" and hoped negotiations could conclude before the gathering.

WHO technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove said discussions center on how countries would cooperate on pathogen access, data sharing and linking those systems to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments.

"What we are seeing in the room…they are really coming together" to turn technical concepts into legal text countries can adopt, she said.

Tedros also said US bilateral health agreements, currently at 32, could coexist with multilateral arrangements and did not have to undermine the accord.

"Any country has the right to have bilateral agreements," he said, adding bilateral deals cannot replace the universality of the multilateral system of 194 members.

"I'm not really worried," he added.

On finances, Assistant Director-General Raul Thomas said WHO’s 2026-2027 budget is "85% financed," despite no US contribution, and said sustainability plans were in place to manage expenditures prudently.

"We are confident" expenditures can be covered, he said, while noting the agency was also seeking support from non-traditional donors and international financial institutions.

Thomas said one challenge remained what he described as "pockets of poverty," with some program areas overfinanced and others underfunded, underscoring the need for more flexible funding.

"At this point we have no plans" for additional job cuts, he said, adding WHO is "stable" for now, though he could not rule out future adjustments.

Tedros, for his part, said reforms launched years ago had minimized the impact.

The impact of the US withdrawal has been "minimized," he said, adding the agency's "financing is better" with the financing reform, which was launched even before the US withdrawal.

He said assessed asset contributions, the most stable source of WHO funding, could rise to 50% to 60% of the agency’s financing by 2031, helping strengthen its independence.

"It’s not about the money," Tedros said of ties with Washington. "The issue is health security … solidarity and working together."