Pandemic Preparedness Needs Clear Rules
Quick Facts
What Is the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing Annex?
Laboratories need access to representative pathogen samples and genetic sequence information to characterize emerging threats, assess diagnostic tests and begin developing vaccines or medicines. The proposed Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing framework, commonly called PABS, is intended to establish agreed procedures for that cooperation under the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
The benefit-sharing component is equally important. Countries providing biological materials or sequence information want confidence that the products developed from those resources will not remain inaccessible during an emergency. Negotiators must therefore address scientific access, legal certainty and the availability of vaccines, diagnostics and treatments without creating delays that impede urgent research.
Why Does Faster Pathogen Sharing Matter During a Pandemic?
Genomic information can help researchers track pathogen evolution, detect potentially important mutations and design laboratory assays. Physical samples remain necessary for many activities, including validating diagnostic performance, studying how a pathogen behaves and testing whether antibodies or candidate medicines can neutralize it.
Speed alone is not sufficient. Shared information must be accurate, accompanied by useful clinical and epidemiological context, and handled through systems that support biosafety, biosecurity and responsible research. Sustainable laboratory capacity across regions also matters because global surveillance is stronger when more countries can collect, characterize and securely share high-quality evidence.
How Could the Annex Affect Access to Vaccines and Treatments?
During a rapidly expanding outbreak, demand for vaccines, tests and treatments may exceed initial manufacturing capacity. Negotiating access only after scarcity develops can slow distribution and weaken trust. The PABS discussions seek to establish expectations in advance for how participating manufacturers and institutions would share public health benefits.
Final rules must remain practical for laboratories, public health agencies and product developers. Clear definitions, transparent obligations and workable compliance mechanisms could encourage participation, while excessive administrative complexity could delay research. The public health value of the annex will ultimately depend on whether it improves both the speed of scientific cooperation and access to effective, quality-assured medical products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The World Health Assembly adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement in May 2025. Work on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex continued separately, and the agreement's implementation depends on further international and national legal steps.
No. Biological materials must be collected, transported, stored and studied under appropriate biosafety, biosecurity, ethical and legal safeguards. Rapid cooperation and responsible laboratory practice are complementary requirements.
No framework can eliminate manufacturing constraints by itself. Clear advance commitments could, however, improve predictability and provide a stronger basis for allocating vaccines, diagnostics and treatments during a pandemic.
References
- World Health Organization. Open letter to leaders of G7, G20, BRICS and all nations on finalizing the WHO Pandemic Agreement’s Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex. July 2026.
- World Health Organization. World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement to make the world more equitable and safer from future pandemics. May 20, 2025.
- World Health Organization. WHO Pandemic Agreement. 2025.