Without the United States, WHO Member's Draft Pandemic Agreement

After more than three years of negotiations, World Health Organization (WHO) Member States recently took a significant step forward, making the world safer from pandemics by drafting an agreement for consideration at the upcoming World Health Assembly in May 2025.

Announced on April 16, 2025, this WHO proposal aims to strengthen global collaboration on prevention, preparedness, and response to disease pandemic threats.

Proposals within the text include establishing a pathogen access and benefit sharing system; taking concrete measures on pandemic prevention, including through a One Health approach; building geographically diverse research and development capacities; facilitating the transfer of technology and related knowledge, skills and expertise for the production of pandemic-related health products; mobilizing a skilled, trained and multidisciplinary national and global health emergency workforce; setting up a coordinating financial mechanism; taking concrete measures to strengthen preparedness, readiness and health system functions and resilience; and establishing a global supply chain and logistics network.

Furthermore, the WHO proposal affirms the sovereignty of countries to address public health matters within their borders.

It provides that nothing in the draft agreement shall be interpreted as granting the WHO any authority to direct, order, alter, or prescribe national laws or policies, or to mandate States to take specific actions, such as banning or accepting travelers, imposing vaccination mandates or therapeutic or diagnostic measures, or implementing lockdowns.

"The nations of the world made history in Geneva today," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in a media release.

"In reaching consensus on the Pandemic Agreement, not only did they put in place a generational accord to make the world safer, they have also demonstrated that multilateralism is alive and well, and that in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground, and a shared response to shared threats."

While the United States is not a party to this WHO proposal, U.S. health agencies previously enhanced a Disease X strategy.

According to the WHO, Disease X represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease, most likely an RNA virus, as Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), has stated. 

"Compressing vaccine development against emerging pathogens down to 100 days will be critical to combating future pandemic threats", explained Dr. Jakob Cramer, Director of Clinical Development at CEPI.

CEPI's $3.5 billion, 5-year plan lays out a roadmap to compress vaccine development timelines.

Furthermore, the U.S. Government Policy for Oversight of Dual-Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential was updated on May 6, 2024. This Policy addresses oversight of research on biological agents and toxins that, when enhanced, can potentially pose risks to public health. 

Additionally, the U.S. National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases developed a Pandemic Preparedness Plan to prepare for future public health emergencies caused by infectious diseases. While it is recognized that pathogens other than viruses could lead to public health emergencies, this plan focuses on viruses that could cause epidemics or pandemics. 

As of April 2025, the new U.S. administration has not announced updates to legacy Disease X plans.