World Health Assembly

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Ana Marcela Rojas Fonseca Hial, MD, who volunteered in COVID-19 vaccine trial for AstraZeneca, poses for a photograph, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on December 10, 2020.

World Health Assembly: Why Multilateralism Needs More Than Solidarity

by Priti Patnaik

WHO member states should cooperate to address health challenges and preserve the institution without the United States

Governance
An employee of BioNTtech works at the "Area 100 R&D" research laboratory, in Mainz, Germany, on July 27, 2023.

Fate Unknown: The Pandemic Agreement's Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing

by Mark Eccleston-Turner, Michelle Rourke, Stephanie Switzer

Seven issues exemplify the complex choices that member state negotiators still face

A worker is seen at Aspen Pharmacare’s Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine facility, in Gqeberha, South Africa, on October 25, 2021.
Governance

A Pandemic Treaty Without Teeth Will Leave Africa and the World Exposed

by Ebere Okereke

Without enforcement mechanisms, even the best commitments risk becoming little more than moral aspirations

The World Health Organization (WHO) logo is pictured at the entrance of the WHO building, in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 20, 2021.
Governance

Negotiators Finalize Terms for the Pandemic Agreement

by Chloe Searchinger

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Body resolved long-standing disputes to meet a deadline, without the United States

Delegates walk past an information board during the 62nd World Health Assembly at the United Nations European headquarters, in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 18, 2009.
Governance

The Pandemic Treaty's True Cost

by Clare Wenham

Is the multimillion dollar cost of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body worth the Pandemic Agreement?

Nurses receive training on using ventilators provided by the World Health Organization in the intensive care ward that was allocated for COVID-19 patients.
Governance

The Amendments to the International Health Regulations Are Not a Breakthrough

by David P. Fidler

The major amendments misdiagnose problems that arose during COVID-19 and create processes that paper over disagreements

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, attends the World Health Assembly at the United Nations.
Governance

The New Amendments to the International Health Regulations

by Chloe Searchinger

The passage of a new IHR marks a key moment for global health governance

A medical worker wearing personal protective equipment is seen at the George Papanikolaou General Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governance

Why Pandemic Agreement Negotiations Failed to Land

by Chloe Searchinger

Months of negotiations and a final weeklong push ended with impasses over technology sharing and accountability measures