Pandemic agreement that encourages global preparedness nearing finalization | Fact check
The claim: World Health Organization has 'abandoned' pandemic treaty
An April 25 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims an international effort to prepare for future pandemics has ended.
"BREAKING: The WHO has abandoned its contentious 'Pandemic Treaty' following public discourse and backlash," reads the post, referencing the World Health Organization.
A similar post on X, formerly Twitter, was reposted more than 400 times.
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Our rating: False
The effort by members of the World Health Organization to agree on ways to prevent and respond to future pandemics is ongoing and could be finalized in late May. A spokesperson for WHO said the claim is false.
Pandemic agreement could be finalized in late May
In late 2021, the WHO’s member states, including the U.S., agreed to develop a global accord to prevent and respond to future pandemics. The WHO's Intergovernmental Negotiating Body has periodically met to work out the details of the agreement.
There are no credible news reports about the WHO abandoning its effort to forge such an agreement. The most recent draft of the accord was released on April 22 and is still available on the WHO's website. It includes sections on pandemic prevention, health care workforce, supply chains and communication, among others.
"Claims that WHO has abandoned the pandemic accord are untrue and sadly a clear case of misinformation," Rayyan Sabet-Parry, a WHO spokesperson, told USA TODAY. "The fact is that this government-led process is ongoing this week, with all of WHO’s 194 Member States continuing negotiations on the proposed pandemic agreement."
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The ninth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body – the "final negotiating session to agree (on) a new pandemic instrument" – resumed April 29 and is expected to continue until May 10. The negotiations are a "critical milestone" ahead of the 77th World Health Assembly, starting May 27, during which WHO's member states will consider adopting the agreement, a news release says.
This is not to say the agreement will be approved by the WHO member states. Politico reported the treaty "may never happen." The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank, states the current iteration of the treaty "retains many provisions that are harmful to U.S. national interests" and encourages Congress to reject it.
USA TODAY has previously debunked false claims about WHO's pandemic agreement, including that it would give WHO control over U.S. pandemic policies and would allow the WHO to forcibly "vaccinate the population" and control government resources.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Reuters also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
Rayyan Sabet-Parry, May 6, Email exchange with USA TODAY
WHO, Dec. 1, 2021, World Health Assembly agrees to launch process to develop historic global accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response
WHO, April 22, Proposal for the WHO Pandemic Agreement
WHO, March 28, WHO Member States agree to resume negotiations aimed at finalizing the world’s first pandemic agreement
The Heritage Foundation, April 19, The WHO Pandemic Treaty Fails Again
Politico, Jan. 3, Why the world’s first pandemic treaty may never happen
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No, WHO hasn't 'abandoned' pandemic agreement | Fact check
