Keep An Eye On Landmark Global Pandemic Treaty, Experts Advise

Mechanisms in the draft treaty that the more than 190 member states of the World Health Organization have finally agreed to are expected to “materially affect companies,” particularly those that develop, manufacture or distribute pandemic-related health care products.

COVID-19 SARS,Coronaviridae , SARS-CoV, SARSCoV, virus 2020 , MERS-CoV ,chinese virus 2019-nCoV
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Key Takeaways
  • The newly formed daft global pandemic treaty outlines a comprehensive policy framework detailing binding and voluntary provisions to strengthen surveillance, health systems, research and development, regulatory cooperation, access to health products and financing.
  • It took over three years for the member states of the World Health Organization to negotiate the draft treaty, which was finally forged on 16 April, and will be considered by the World Health Assembly in May.
  • The treaty is considered a significant agreement, even though the US has abstained from the agreement, following President Donald Trump’s notification on 20 January that the US would withdraw from the WHO.
  • Companies should map their product portfolios against “the broad definition of ‘pandemic-related health products’” to assess potential impacts on, for example, compliance, manufacturing and supply chains, according to Bart Van Vooren, of the law firm Covington & Burling.

Healthcare product developers are being advised to keep an eye on the draft pandemic agreement forged this month by World Health Organization member states after more than three years of intensive negotiations,

The landmark agreement, published on 16 April, is to be a legally binding international instrument that aims to

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