WHO Pandemic Agreement: PABS System, One Health & India’s Global Health Security Strategy
Understanding pathogen sharing, equitable access to vaccines, national sovereignty and the post-COVID global health architecture
Why in News?
At the Second UN High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response held in New York on 25 September 2026, India called for a fair and equitable Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System under the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
Representing India, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava argued that countries which share pathogens, biological materials or related information should receive timely and equitable access to:
- Vaccines
- Diagnostics
- Therapeutics
- Technologies
- Other relevant benefits
India also emphasised national sovereignty, resilient health systems, digital public infrastructure, One Health and global solidarity.
The issue connects public health with international law, biotechnology, health equity, intellectual-property debates, Global South diplomacy, One Health and national sovereignty.
What is the WHO Pandemic Agreement?
The WHO Pandemic Agreement is a new international legal instrument intended to strengthen global cooperation for the prevention of, preparedness for and response to future pandemics.
It was formally adopted by the 78th World Health Assembly on 20 May 2025, following more than three years of negotiations triggered by gaps and inequities exposed during COVID-19.
The Agreement was negotiated under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution.
The WHO Pandemic Agreement is the second international legal agreement negotiated under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution. The first was the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
Has the Pandemic Agreement Already Entered into Force?
No.
This is an important distinction for Prelims.
The Agreement has been adopted, but the process is not yet complete because the PABS Annex is still under negotiation.
The broad sequence is:
↓
PABS Annex negotiated
↓
PABS Annex adopted by World Health Assembly
↓
Agreement opens for signature & ratification
↓
60 ratifications
↓
Agreement enters into force
WHO states that the Agreement will enter into force 30 days after 60 countries ratify it.
“Adopted by the World Health Assembly” does not mean that the Agreement is already legally in force for all countries.
What is the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System?
The PABS System is one of the most important and politically sensitive components of the Pandemic Agreement.
Its basic idea is to create a system in which:
Countries rapidly share materials and sequence information relating to pathogens with pandemic potential.
↕ On Equal Footing ↕
Benefit Sharing
Benefits arising from the use of those materials and information—such as vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics—are shared rapidly, fairly and equitably.
The principle is therefore not simply:
“Share the pathogen quickly.”
It is:
“Share pathogens quickly AND share resulting benefits fairly.”
Why is PABS Important for Developing Countries?
A country may detect a dangerous new pathogen and share biological samples or genetic sequence information with international research networks.
Companies and research institutions may then use that information to develop:
- Vaccines
- Diagnostic kits
- Therapeutic medicines
- Other health technologies
The equity concern arises if the country that contributed the pathogen later faces difficulty obtaining the resulting products because of:
- High prices
- Limited manufacturing capacity
- Export restrictions
- Supply shortages
- Intellectual-property barriers
PABS is fundamentally about correcting a possible imbalance between the global public-health value of pathogen sharing and the unequal distribution of medical benefits generated from that sharing.
The 20% Production Principle
Under the framework envisaged in the Pandemic Agreement, manufacturers participating in the PABS system would provide WHO rapid access targeting 20% of their real-time production of relevant:
- Vaccines
- Therapeutics
- Diagnostics
for the pathogen causing a pandemic emergency.
Distribution would be based on public-health risk and need, with particular attention to developing countries.
This 20% figure relates to manufacturers participating in the proposed PABS framework; it should not be confused with a universal rule requiring every pharmaceutical company in every country to surrender 20% of all production.
India's Position on PABS
India's position at the UN meeting centred on equity and reciprocity.
India argued that countries contributing pathogens and biological resources should receive timely access to vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, technology and other benefits developed through their use.
At the same time, India stressed that:
- National sovereignty must be respected.
- The UN political declaration should not prejudge ongoing PABS negotiations.
- Implementation should reflect national circumstances and capacities.
- Member States must remain central to global pandemic governance.
This position is especially important for developing countries with biological resources, disease-surveillance networks and large populations but unequal access to advanced medical technologies.
India's Global Health Role During COVID-19
At the UN meeting, India highlighted its pandemic-era role in supplying health products internationally.
According to the Government:
- India supplied around 300 million vaccine doses to approximately 100 countries and two UN entities.
- India provided medical assistance to more than 150 countries.
India linked this experience to the idea of:
“One Earth, One Health”
and to its broader engagement with the Global South.
What is the One Health Approach?
The WHO Pandemic Agreement recognises the importance of a One Health approach.
One Health recognises that:
are interconnected.
This is particularly important because many emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, meaning they can pass between animals and humans.
One Health is Relevant to:
- Zoonotic diseases
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Food safety
- Wildlife disease surveillance
- Environmental degradation
- Climate-sensitive diseases
India stated that One Health should be implemented in accordance with domestic law, international law and national circumstances.
India's Push for Digital Public Infrastructure in Health
India also called for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to be recognised as a global public good.
During pandemics, digital systems can support:
- Disease surveillance
- Vaccination management
- Risk communication
- Health-service continuity
- Supply-chain monitoring
- Emergency coordination
However, digital-health systems also raise questions related to:
- Privacy
- Cybersecurity
- Data governance
- Digital exclusion
- Interoperability
Digital tools can improve pandemic preparedness only when accompanied by strong institutions, public trust, privacy safeguards and equitable digital access.
Pandemic Agreement vs International Health Regulations (IHR)
The WHO Pandemic Agreement and the International Health Regulations (2005) are related but distinct.
| Feature | IHR | Pandemic Agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Main Focus | Detection, notification and response to public-health risks | Broader pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and equity |
| Scope | Public-health emergencies with possible international implications | Pandemic-related systems, products, financing, preparedness and cooperation |
| Equity | Strengthened under 2024 amendments | Central organising principle |
| PABS | No equivalent central mechanism | Core component through Article 12 annex |
2024 Amendments to the International Health Regulations
The World Health Assembly adopted major amendments to the IHR in June 2024. For most States Parties, the amendments entered into force on 19 September 2025.
Important Changes Include:
- A new definition of “pandemic emergency”
- Greater emphasis on equity and solidarity
- Creation of National IHR Authorities
- A States Parties Committee
- Measures to strengthen access to medical products and financing
A Pandemic Emergency is a higher level of global alert built on the existing Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) mechanism.
Does the WHO Pandemic Agreement Override National Sovereignty?
No.
WHO explicitly states that the Agreement does not give the WHO Secretariat or Director-General authority to:
- Impose lockdowns
- Mandate vaccination
- Order countries to accept or ban travellers
- Rewrite domestic laws
- Impose diagnostic or therapeutic measures
Implementation remains under the control and authority of sovereign States Parties.
The WHO Pandemic Agreement does not create a supranational health government with power to impose domestic lockdowns or vaccination mandates.
Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network
The Agreement also envisages a WHO-coordinated Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network.
Its purpose is to improve rapid and equitable access to pandemic-related health products by addressing:
- Supply bottlenecks
- Manufacturing constraints
- Distribution problems
- International logistics barriers
COVID-19 showed that scientific discovery alone is insufficient if vaccines or medicines cannot reach high-risk populations quickly.
Coordinating Financial Mechanism
Pandemic preparedness requires sustained financing even when there is no active health emergency.
The Agreement therefore provides for a Coordinating Financial Mechanism to support pandemic-prevention, preparedness and response capacities.
This is important because health-security systems require long-term investment in:
- Laboratories
- Public-health workforce
- Surveillance
- Stockpiles
- Research
- Emergency infrastructure
India's Domestic Pandemic Preparedness Approach
At the UN meeting, India highlighted improvements in:
- Laboratory networks
- Emergency coordination
- Health workforce
- Strategic stockpiles
- Clinical-care capacity
- Digital health systems
India's argument is that international support should complement—not replace—domestic health-system responsibility.
This reflects an important governance principle:
Global Cooperation + Strong National Systems = Effective Pandemic Preparedness
Global South Dimension
The PABS debate has particular relevance for developing countries.
COVID-19 exposed disparities between countries in access to:
- Vaccines
- Diagnostics
- Protective equipment
- Manufacturing technology
- Health financing
For India, pandemic diplomacy is therefore closely connected with its wider role as a voice of the Global South.
India's pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, vaccine production ecosystem and digital-health infrastructure also give it an important role in future health emergencies.
Major Challenges Before the Pandemic Agreement
1. Finalising the PABS Annex
Member States continue to negotiate how pathogen access and benefit sharing should operate in practice.
2. Equity vs Commercial Incentives
The framework must balance equitable access with incentives for pharmaceutical research and innovation.
3. Technology Transfer
Developing countries seek stronger manufacturing capacity rather than permanent dependence on emergency donations.
4. Sustainable Financing
Political attention and financing often decline after an emergency ends.
5. Data and Pathogen Governance
Rapid scientific sharing must coexist with biosafety, biosecurity, sovereignty and legitimate benefit-sharing concerns.
6. National Implementation
An international agreement is useful only if countries build functioning surveillance, laboratory, workforce and emergency-response systems domestically.
Way Forward
- Complete an equitable and workable PABS framework that encourages rapid pathogen sharing while guaranteeing meaningful benefits.
- Build regional manufacturing capacity for vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
- Strengthen One Health surveillance across human, animal and environmental systems.
- Invest continuously in public-health systems rather than only during emergencies.
- Improve technology transfer and research collaboration between developed and developing countries.
- Use digital public infrastructure responsibly with strong privacy and cybersecurity safeguards.
- Preserve national sovereignty while improving international coordination.
Conclusion
The central lesson of COVID-19 was that a pandemic can be global while access to life-saving technologies remains deeply unequal.
The WHO Pandemic Agreement attempts to address this imbalance by combining surveillance, health-system preparedness, pathogen sharing, technology, financing and equitable access.
For India, the PABS debate represents more than a health-policy negotiation. It is also about the terms on which knowledge, biological resources, technology and public-health benefits are shared between developed and developing countries.
The effectiveness of the new global architecture will therefore depend on whether solidarity can be converted from a diplomatic principle into a reliable system of access during the next emergency.
- WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted on 20 May 2025.
- It was adopted by the 78th World Health Assembly.
- It was negotiated under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution.
- WHO FCTC was the first agreement negotiated under Article 19.
- PABS = Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing.
- The PABS Annex is still under negotiation.
- The Agreement is not yet in force.
- After adoption of the PABS Annex, the Agreement can open for signature and ratification.
- It enters into force 30 days after 60 ratifications.
- PABS links pathogen sharing with equitable benefit sharing.
- The proposed system targets WHO access to 20% of participating manufacturers' real-time production during a pandemic emergency.
- One Health links human, animal and ecosystem health.
- The WHO Pandemic Agreement and IHR are distinct but complementary.
- Major IHR amendments were adopted in 2024.
- The amended IHR introduced the concept of a “pandemic emergency”.
- WHO cannot impose lockdowns or vaccination mandates under the Pandemic Agreement.
- The Pandemic Agreement was adopted in 2025, not 2026.
- It has not yet entered into force.
- PABS is not merely a pathogen-sharing mechanism; it includes benefit sharing.
- The Pandemic Agreement does not replace the International Health Regulations.
- WHO does not gain authority to impose domestic lockdowns or vaccine mandates.
- One Health is broader than human healthcare alone.
Mains Practice Questions
- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare / PIB – India's Position at UN High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Preparedness
- World Health Organization – WHO Pandemic Agreement
- WHO – Adoption of the Pandemic Agreement by the World Health Assembly
- WHO – Intergovernmental Working Group on the Pandemic Agreement & PABS
- WHO – Latest PABS Negotiation Update, September 2026
- WHO – International Health Regulations
