WHO Director-General Dr Tedros on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex

Why It Matters

The PABS annex unlocks WHO’s pandemic treaty, enabling coordinated global response and equitable access to pathogens and medical countermeasures, which is essential for averting the next health crisis.

Key Takeaways

• PABS annex finalizes WHO pandemic agreement framework for global health
• Hub initiatives address surveillance, sample sharing, and capacity gaps
• Technology Transfer Hub boosts local production for equitable access
• Pandemic Fund and UHPR support national-level preparedness across countries
• Ratification of agreement hinges on adopting the PABS annex

Summary

World Health Organization Director‑General Dr. Tedros highlighted the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex as the final piece needed to activate the WHO pandemic treaty. He explained that the annex consolidates lessons from COVID‑19 and links a suite of new mechanisms designed to close surveillance, sample‑sharing, and response gaps.

The speech outlined how the Pandemic Intelligence Hub, Bio‑Hub, and the Universal Health‑Preparedness Review (UHPR) will work together with the Pandemic Fund to strengthen national capacities. Parallel initiatives such as the Technology Transfer Hub in Cape Town and medical countermeasure programs aim to correct equity shortfalls by fostering local production of vaccines and therapeutics.

Tedros emphasized that “the pandemic agreement can only start its ratification with the PABS,” underscoring the annex’s role as a prerequisite for formal adoption. He cited concrete examples: the Bio‑Hub’s sample‑sharing platform and the UHPR peer‑review mechanism that identified country‑level weaknesses during the COVID response.

If ratified, the PABS‑linked treaty will provide a coordinated, end‑to‑end framework—from early detection to equitable distribution of medical tools—thereby enhancing global preparedness and reducing the risk of future pandemics.

Original Description

The Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement is the last remaining piece of the puzzle of the many initiatives that WHO and our Member States have established in response to the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past few years, WHO has taken several steps to make the world safer from future emergencies and pandemics including strengthening capacity for local production of vaccines and other tools, through the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, based in South Africa, and the WHO Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Initiative, based in the Republic of Korea.

My statement at the press conference with

ACANU Geneva:

https://who.int/news-room/speeches/item/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing---29-april-2026

Watch the briefing here:

https://youtu.be/Z3juhXitkfw