What does the new pandemic treaty mean for global health?

The adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement by the World Health Assembly on 20 May 2025 was a landmark moment in global health.

It was the culmination of two major realizations by the international community: that COVID-19 revealed critical gaps and weaknesses in our existing global health security systems; and the world needs to do better, so that a catastrophe like the COVID-19 pandemic emergency never happens again.

The treaty establishes a legally binding framework for global cooperation—to better work together to prevent pandemics, and where they can’t be prevented, to cooperate more effectively and equitably in responding to them.

Why the treaty is needed

Pandemics can be catastrophic, with far-reaching consequences.

COVID-19 is responsible for over 28 million excess deaths globally and caused the largest simultaneous contraction of national economies since the Great Depression.

Its far-reaching effects have had lasting impacts across societies and deepened existing inequities. We were simply not prepared then and remain unprepared now.

Pandemic risks are increasing in frequency and severity. Climate change, changing human-animal-ecosystem interfaces, poverty, worsening inequity and population movement are all driving up pandemic risks from infectious diseases (like Mpox or avian influenza) and antimicrobial resistance.

Geopolitical risks such as war and the challenges to multilateral systems are also adding complexity and exacerbating risks.

The huge disruption to global health and development assistance from the retreat of the United States from global health cooperation has caused sudden shocks to vital funding, research, direct service provision, surveillance and technical expertise.

These setbacks are making it harder to prevent and manage the risks posed by current health emergencies such as Mpox (affecting countries in Central and West Africa) and H5N1 avian influenza.

No country alone can manage pandemic risks, or pandemics. Global cooperation and coordination are needed to face and combat these shared threats.

Treaties—being legally binding under international law—represent the highest level of political and legal commitment that states can make to one another to act together to achieve shared purposes.

The pandemic treaty is only the second health-specific treaty of its kind, the other being the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, adopted 22 years ago.

The pandemic treaty, along with the recently amended International Health Regulations, is intended to achieve outcomes that were not realized for the COVID-19 pandemic. These include:

• earlier detection of pandemic risks to prevent pandemics developing or contain their spread
• a rapid and coordinated response in the early days of an unfolding emergency, from the WHO and governments
• rapidly scaling up global production of vital pandemic-related products to ensure faster and more equitable access, especially for priority populations
• better support and protection for health workers on the frontline
• greater community engagement and trust.

What it covers

The pandemic treaty is broad-reaching, spanning measures for better pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, with equity at the treaty’s core. It will also establish new mechanisms to support this.

Measures for prevention and preparedness include enhanced surveillance systems to detect and characterize risks earlier for more effective prevention, timely intervention and response.

A One Health approach recognizing the deep connection between human, animal and ecosystem health has been adopted. Provisions also cover strengthening health care system preparedness to better handle emergencies and preserve essential services, providing critical support and protection to health care workers on the frontline.

Availability and access to vital health products like vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics are a key focus of the treaty’s efforts to strengthen international response cooperation.

Measures include greater knowledge sharing, geographical diversification, and expanding global capacity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, at every stage of the product cycle.

Provisions are made for research and development, technology transfer, production and manufacturing, and regulatory approaches for safety and efficacy.

The new mechanisms to be established are:

• a global supply chain and logistics network to ensure equitable, rapid access to health products for countries
• a Coordinating Financial Mechanism to promote sustainable financing
• a Conference of the Parties (COP), through which governments will meet regularly and make decisions to promote the treaty’s implementation.

Implications and next steps

If fully implemented, the pandemic treaty will help protect Australians from future pandemics, including through faster access to health products and reduced competition for limited global supplies.

Domestication of the treaty by government agencies, including the new Australian Center for Disease Control, will strengthen domestic health security and international cooperation in research, knowledge-sharing and best practices.

Australia as a regional leader can collaborate with nations across the Indo-Pacific to support regional implementation, strengthening shared health security across the region.

Governments now need to negotiate and agree on an annex to the treaty to create a Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing (PABS) system.

This critical mechanism will establish the legal framework for the rapid sharing of pathogens and genetic sequence information needed to create targeted and effective countermeasures like vaccines, treatments and diagnostics.

Correspondingly, the mechanism will implement the commitment to share the health products and benefits that come from this science.

The annex is expected to be adopted at the May 2026 World Health Assembly, after which the treaty will open for signature and ratification. The treaty will enter into force once 60 countries have ratified it.

Governments, including the Australian Government, will need to decide whether to sign and ratify the treaty, and the steps they will need to take to implement its obligations.

A High-Level Meeting on pandemics will be held at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2026 to garner political commitment from world leaders.

Whether the treaty fulfills its promise depends on governments, together with other actors, including civil society groups and research institutions, stepping up to bring these commitments into reality.

This is a significant moment in global health, at a time of existential challenge both to the very principles of international cooperation and the institutions required to govern and operationalize it.

Is the world now a safer place after having adopted a pandemic treaty?

Not yet. But this is the best foundation to get there.

The year ahead will involve intensive work to finalize agreement on the PABS annex, and prepare for the UNGA and then the first meeting of the COP.

If the treaty is widely ratified and fully implemented, the future for pandemics can look very different to what was experienced during COVID-19.