WHO chief warns of dangerous times as member states stall pathogen‑sharing pact at Geneva assembly

The 79th World Health Assembly opened in Geneva with WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urging that “we live in difficult, dangerous and divided times.” His remarks came a day after the agency declared public‑health emergencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda over a deadly Ebola outbreak.

The meeting’s main agenda item is the adoption of an annex on Access to Pathogens and Benefit Sharing (PABS) – a key component of the WHO Pandemic Instrument that would enable rapid sharing of high‑risk pathogens and ensure fair distribution of resulting vaccines, diagnostics and treatments. Delegates failed to reach the necessary consensus, making the annex unlikely to be adopted at this session and delaying the broader ratification of the Pandemic Treaty, although individual countries can still proceed with signing.

The stalemate highlights ongoing disagreements among member states on how to balance pathogen access with equitable benefit‑sharing, a debate that will shape future global health security efforts.