Chijioke Iremeka
The World Health Organisation and public health physicians in Nigeria say an international pandemic agreement would guarantee global preparedness and response against Disease X, and will not give WHO the power to control countries and individuals as rumoured by conspiracy theorists.
They spoke against the background of the current speculations that the ongoing signing of international agreements by the world against the next pandemic is an attack on freedom and a power grab by the WHO.
According to the global health body, the international agreement on pandemic preparedness and response represents a legally binding commitment by countries of the world to work together and keep one another safe.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Government Summit on Tuesday, February 12, 2024, the Director General, WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said Member States met in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 2021 and agreed to develop an international agreement on pandemic preparedness and response after COVID-19 devastation.
He dispelled the claim that the treaty would embolden WHO to take over the control of the world as falsehood.
“Countries set themselves a deadline to complete the agreement in time for adoption at the World Health Assembly in May this year and that’s now just 15 weeks away. However, there are two major obstacles to meeting that deadline.
“The first is a group of issues on which countries are yet to reach a consensus. They are making progress, but there are still areas of difference that need further negotiation between countries. None of them are insurmountable. If countries listen to one another’s concerns, I am confident they can find common ground and a common approach.
“The second major barrier is the litany of lies and conspiracy theories about the agreement: That the treaty is a power grab by the WHO; that it will cede sovereignty to WHO; that it will give WHO power to impose lockdowns or vaccine mandates on countries; that it’s an ‘attack on freedom’; that WHO will not allow people to travel, and that WHO wants to control people’s lives among others.
“These are some of the lies that are being spread. If they weren’t so dangerous, these lies would be funny. But they put the health of the world’s people at risk and that is no laughing matter. These claims are utterly, completely and categorically false.
“The pandemic agreement will not give WHO any power over any state or any individual, for that matter. Anyone who says it will is either uninformed or lying. But don’t take my word for it. The draft agreement is available on the WHO’s website for anyone who wants to read it.”
Ghebreyesus noted that the COVID-19 pandemic inflicted huge losses on communities, countries, businesses and economies, insisting that those losses must not be in vain, and must not be repeated.
He said that the world will definitely face another pandemic but does not know how mild or severe it might be, and that the world is not yet ready.
He added, “Are we ready now? Not yet. That’s why the pandemic agreement is mission-critical for humanity. It’s a pact with the future that we will not expose the generations who follow us to the same suffering that we endured.
“Had the agreement been in place before COVID-19, we would not have lost so much. Now is the moment for leadership from the highest levels of government to deliver the pandemic agreement to the World Health Assembly in 15 weeks’ time.
“Now is the time to say no to inequity; no to lies and misinformation. Yes to international cooperation; yes to equity; and yes to solidarity. As the generation that lived through COVID-19, we have a collective responsibility to protect the future generations from the suffering we endured. May history record that we rose to that responsibility, and made the world a healthier, safer and fairer place.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise, a Professor of Public Health at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Tanimola Akande said the call for a global pandemic treaty against Disease X, is a welcome development as it would help the war against future pandemics.
He said, “The treaty aims at enhancing global cooperation in preventing, preparing and responding to potential future pandemics. This focuses on improving surveillance, early detection, and information sharing to address emerging infectious diseases collectively.
“The treaty will strengthen global collaboration and partnership in ensuring health security. The world is a global village when it comes to epidemic-prone diseases as experienced during COVID-19.
“The treaty will make member countries partner to improve disease surveillance and sharing of information that will help reduce morbidity and mortality from epidemic-prone diseases. Through the treaty, countries will be more committed to these efforts.”
On how prepared Nigeria is, he added, “Nigeria is ready for it and has been partnering with global bodies in the area of health security. The recent significant improvement in the scores for Nigeria by the Joint External Evaluation suggests that Nigeria is ready for the treaty.”
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