WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Press Briefing with ACANU Reporters

Why It Matters

Finalising the PABS annex will unlock the pandemic treaty, linking WHO’s capacity‑building gains to a legally binding global health security framework, crucial for preventing the next pandemic.

Key Takeaways

• WHO designates regional training centers to boost vaccine production workforce.
• Exercise Polaris 2 stress‑tested global response to a fictional bacterial outbreak.
• WHO reports severe health crises in Lebanon and Haiti, urging aid.
• New milestones: Australia eliminates trachoma; Bahamas ends mother‑to‑child HIV.
• Pre‑qualified malaria infant treatment and diagnostics aim for malaria‑free world.

Summary

In a press briefing with ACANU reporters, WHO Director‑General Dr. Tedros outlined the agency’s latest initiatives ahead of the World Health Assembly, emphasizing the finalisation of the Pathogen Access and Benefit‑Sharing (PABS) annex, new regional training hubs, and ongoing simulation exercises. Key highlights included the launch of six regional training centres—Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Ireland, Senegal and South Africa—to develop a skilled workforce for local vaccine and biologics production. The Polaris 2 exercise mobilised 600 experts from 26 countries to stress‑test responses to a fictional bacterial outbreak, underscoring WHO’s commitment to continuous emergency preparedness. Dr. Tedros also detailed acute health emergencies in Lebanon, where 149 attacks on healthcare facilities have been verified, and Haiti, where half of Port‑au‑Prince’s hospitals are non‑functional and 40% of the population lacks essential services. Notable successes were highlighted: Australia became the 30th country to eliminate trachoma as a public‑health problem, the Bahamas achieved validation for eliminating mother‑to‑child HIV transmission, and WHO pre‑qualified the first malaria treatment specifically for newborns, alongside new rapid‑diagnostic tests. Dr. Tedros repeatedly stressed, “where there is a will, there is a way,” reflecting optimism that member states will reach consensus on the PABS annex within days. The briefing signals that while WHO is making tangible progress in capacity‑building, disease elimination and vaccine innovation, the ultimate effectiveness of these efforts hinges on the swift adoption of the pandemic treaty’s final piece. Delays could stall coordinated global responses, whereas a ratified agreement would integrate surveillance, technology transfer, and funding mechanisms into a unified health‑security framework.

Original Description

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke to journalists on 29 April 29 2026 at a special briefing for reporters accredited to the UN in Geneva, the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the United Nations (ACANU).

The briefing covered key global health issues including health impacts of the Middle East conflict, crisis in Haiti, progress on malaria treatment for newborns, elimination of trachoma in Australia and the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system (PABS), under negotiation in advance of the World Health Assembly.

This video has been edited for brevity.