Outbreak Threats, Geopolitical Divides and Financial Crises Hover Over 79th World Health Assembly 18/05/2026 Elaine Ruth Fletcher As the World Health Assembly opens on Monday in Geneva, it will have to grapple with shrinking global health budgets, new outbreak threats, including a new WHO declaration of a public health emergency in Africa over an Ebola virus strain that lacks any vaccine, and an increasingly fractured geopolitical space with deep disputes over Iran, […] Continue reading -> Experts Call for Review of Global Outbreak Response as Passengers Leave Ship Hit By Hantavirus 12/05/2026 Kerry Cullinan All passengers were evacuated from the cruise ship, Hondius, by Monday night – and a Spaniard taken to a military hospital in Madrid to quarantine has become the 11th person from the ship to test positive for hantavirus. The evacuation was completed 10 days after the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified about the outbreak […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Talks Extended – But Colombia Appeals for New ‘Method’ to Settle Differences 04/05/2026 Kerry Cullinan Colombia has appealed for a new “method” to settle the outstanding annex of the Pandemic Agreement, after World Health Organization (WHO) member states failed to reach agreement last week after almost a year of talks. Talks on a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system were due to wrap up last Friday night, but have […] Continue reading -> No Pandemic Agreement Annex by World Health Assembly, Says Civil Society 30/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan The final missing piece of the Pandemic Agreement – a pathogen access and benefit-sharing (PABS) system – is unlikely to be agreed on by the World Health Assembly (WHA) later this month. This was the view of civil society observers of the talks taking place at the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, who […] Continue reading -> Developed Countries Propose ‘Hybrid’ Model Ahead of Pandemic Agreement Talks 26/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan Yet another negotiating session on the outstanding annex of the Pandemic Agreement begins at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) headquarters on Monday (27 April) – and developed nations have presented a “hybrid” solution in an attempt to find consensus. The “hybrid” proposal consists of a mix of mandatory and voluntary measures for sharing pathogen information […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Talks Get Five More Negotiating Days 30/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan With no agreement in sight, World Health Organization (WHO) member states curtailed talks on the Pandemic Agreement annex five hours earlier than scheduled on Saturday night, resolving to meet again within a month for a further five days of negotiations. Member states will reconvene between 27 April and 1 May to negotiate further on the […] Continue reading -> Talks Deadlock: Should Pandemic Agreement Annex Go to a Vote? 25/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan A snail would have a faster passage than the Pandemic Agreement talks currently underway in Geneva, according to a briefing on Wednesday by civil society observers – some of whom mooted the possibility of World Health Organization (WHO) member states voting on the outstanding annex to break the deadlock. Only one portion of a single […] Continue reading -> Tense Start to Final Pandemic Agreement Talks as Africa Rejects New Draft Text 23/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan Tension was palpable at the start of the sixth – and supposedly final – round of talks on an annex to the Pandemic Agreement, with the African region rejecting the latest draft PABS Annex text. Pakistan also asserted that an agreement on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-sharing (PABS) annex should not be rushed simply […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Talks: Europe is Blocking Health Equity – And It Knows It 23/03/2026 Guilherme Faviero & Nithin Ramakrishnan Final talks on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, are being held in Geneva this week. The Pandemic Agreement, being negotiated in Geneva, emerged to address the unacceptable inequities that defined the COVID-19 global health disaster. During this pandemic, delayed and inequitable access to vaccines may […] Continue reading -> Pressure Builds as Pandemic Agreement Talks Reach Final Week With Little Consensus 18/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan There are only six negotiating days left to nail down the final piece of the Pandemic Agreement, but huge areas of disagreements still exist between World Health Organization (WHO) member states. The talks, which start on Monday, are set to go until 11pm each night at the WHO headquarters in Geneva – but this may […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Experts Call for Review of Global Outbreak Response as Passengers Leave Ship Hit By Hantavirus 12/05/2026 Kerry Cullinan All passengers were evacuated from the cruise ship, Hondius, by Monday night – and a Spaniard taken to a military hospital in Madrid to quarantine has become the 11th person from the ship to test positive for hantavirus. The evacuation was completed 10 days after the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified about the outbreak […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Talks Extended – But Colombia Appeals for New ‘Method’ to Settle Differences 04/05/2026 Kerry Cullinan Colombia has appealed for a new “method” to settle the outstanding annex of the Pandemic Agreement, after World Health Organization (WHO) member states failed to reach agreement last week after almost a year of talks. Talks on a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system were due to wrap up last Friday night, but have […] Continue reading -> No Pandemic Agreement Annex by World Health Assembly, Says Civil Society 30/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan The final missing piece of the Pandemic Agreement – a pathogen access and benefit-sharing (PABS) system – is unlikely to be agreed on by the World Health Assembly (WHA) later this month. This was the view of civil society observers of the talks taking place at the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, who […] Continue reading -> Developed Countries Propose ‘Hybrid’ Model Ahead of Pandemic Agreement Talks 26/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan Yet another negotiating session on the outstanding annex of the Pandemic Agreement begins at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) headquarters on Monday (27 April) – and developed nations have presented a “hybrid” solution in an attempt to find consensus. The “hybrid” proposal consists of a mix of mandatory and voluntary measures for sharing pathogen information […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Talks Get Five More Negotiating Days 30/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan With no agreement in sight, World Health Organization (WHO) member states curtailed talks on the Pandemic Agreement annex five hours earlier than scheduled on Saturday night, resolving to meet again within a month for a further five days of negotiations. Member states will reconvene between 27 April and 1 May to negotiate further on the […] Continue reading -> Talks Deadlock: Should Pandemic Agreement Annex Go to a Vote? 25/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan A snail would have a faster passage than the Pandemic Agreement talks currently underway in Geneva, according to a briefing on Wednesday by civil society observers – some of whom mooted the possibility of World Health Organization (WHO) member states voting on the outstanding annex to break the deadlock. Only one portion of a single […] Continue reading -> Tense Start to Final Pandemic Agreement Talks as Africa Rejects New Draft Text 23/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan Tension was palpable at the start of the sixth – and supposedly final – round of talks on an annex to the Pandemic Agreement, with the African region rejecting the latest draft PABS Annex text. Pakistan also asserted that an agreement on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-sharing (PABS) annex should not be rushed simply […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Talks: Europe is Blocking Health Equity – And It Knows It 23/03/2026 Guilherme Faviero & Nithin Ramakrishnan Final talks on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, are being held in Geneva this week. The Pandemic Agreement, being negotiated in Geneva, emerged to address the unacceptable inequities that defined the COVID-19 global health disaster. During this pandemic, delayed and inequitable access to vaccines may […] Continue reading -> Pressure Builds as Pandemic Agreement Talks Reach Final Week With Little Consensus 18/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan There are only six negotiating days left to nail down the final piece of the Pandemic Agreement, but huge areas of disagreements still exist between World Health Organization (WHO) member states. The talks, which start on Monday, are set to go until 11pm each night at the WHO headquarters in Geneva – but this may […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Pandemic Talks Extended – But Colombia Appeals for New ‘Method’ to Settle Differences 04/05/2026 Kerry Cullinan Colombia has appealed for a new “method” to settle the outstanding annex of the Pandemic Agreement, after World Health Organization (WHO) member states failed to reach agreement last week after almost a year of talks. Talks on a Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system were due to wrap up last Friday night, but have […] Continue reading -> No Pandemic Agreement Annex by World Health Assembly, Says Civil Society 30/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan The final missing piece of the Pandemic Agreement – a pathogen access and benefit-sharing (PABS) system – is unlikely to be agreed on by the World Health Assembly (WHA) later this month. This was the view of civil society observers of the talks taking place at the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, who […] Continue reading -> Developed Countries Propose ‘Hybrid’ Model Ahead of Pandemic Agreement Talks 26/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan Yet another negotiating session on the outstanding annex of the Pandemic Agreement begins at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) headquarters on Monday (27 April) – and developed nations have presented a “hybrid” solution in an attempt to find consensus. The “hybrid” proposal consists of a mix of mandatory and voluntary measures for sharing pathogen information […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Talks Get Five More Negotiating Days 30/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan With no agreement in sight, World Health Organization (WHO) member states curtailed talks on the Pandemic Agreement annex five hours earlier than scheduled on Saturday night, resolving to meet again within a month for a further five days of negotiations. Member states will reconvene between 27 April and 1 May to negotiate further on the […] Continue reading -> Talks Deadlock: Should Pandemic Agreement Annex Go to a Vote? 25/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan A snail would have a faster passage than the Pandemic Agreement talks currently underway in Geneva, according to a briefing on Wednesday by civil society observers – some of whom mooted the possibility of World Health Organization (WHO) member states voting on the outstanding annex to break the deadlock. Only one portion of a single […] Continue reading -> Tense Start to Final Pandemic Agreement Talks as Africa Rejects New Draft Text 23/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan Tension was palpable at the start of the sixth – and supposedly final – round of talks on an annex to the Pandemic Agreement, with the African region rejecting the latest draft PABS Annex text. Pakistan also asserted that an agreement on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-sharing (PABS) annex should not be rushed simply […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Talks: Europe is Blocking Health Equity – And It Knows It 23/03/2026 Guilherme Faviero & Nithin Ramakrishnan Final talks on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, are being held in Geneva this week. The Pandemic Agreement, being negotiated in Geneva, emerged to address the unacceptable inequities that defined the COVID-19 global health disaster. During this pandemic, delayed and inequitable access to vaccines may […] Continue reading -> Pressure Builds as Pandemic Agreement Talks Reach Final Week With Little Consensus 18/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan There are only six negotiating days left to nail down the final piece of the Pandemic Agreement, but huge areas of disagreements still exist between World Health Organization (WHO) member states. The talks, which start on Monday, are set to go until 11pm each night at the WHO headquarters in Geneva – but this may […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
No Pandemic Agreement Annex by World Health Assembly, Says Civil Society 30/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan The final missing piece of the Pandemic Agreement – a pathogen access and benefit-sharing (PABS) system – is unlikely to be agreed on by the World Health Assembly (WHA) later this month. This was the view of civil society observers of the talks taking place at the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, who […] Continue reading -> Developed Countries Propose ‘Hybrid’ Model Ahead of Pandemic Agreement Talks 26/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan Yet another negotiating session on the outstanding annex of the Pandemic Agreement begins at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) headquarters on Monday (27 April) – and developed nations have presented a “hybrid” solution in an attempt to find consensus. The “hybrid” proposal consists of a mix of mandatory and voluntary measures for sharing pathogen information […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Talks Get Five More Negotiating Days 30/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan With no agreement in sight, World Health Organization (WHO) member states curtailed talks on the Pandemic Agreement annex five hours earlier than scheduled on Saturday night, resolving to meet again within a month for a further five days of negotiations. Member states will reconvene between 27 April and 1 May to negotiate further on the […] Continue reading -> Talks Deadlock: Should Pandemic Agreement Annex Go to a Vote? 25/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan A snail would have a faster passage than the Pandemic Agreement talks currently underway in Geneva, according to a briefing on Wednesday by civil society observers – some of whom mooted the possibility of World Health Organization (WHO) member states voting on the outstanding annex to break the deadlock. Only one portion of a single […] Continue reading -> Tense Start to Final Pandemic Agreement Talks as Africa Rejects New Draft Text 23/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan Tension was palpable at the start of the sixth – and supposedly final – round of talks on an annex to the Pandemic Agreement, with the African region rejecting the latest draft PABS Annex text. Pakistan also asserted that an agreement on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-sharing (PABS) annex should not be rushed simply […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Talks: Europe is Blocking Health Equity – And It Knows It 23/03/2026 Guilherme Faviero & Nithin Ramakrishnan Final talks on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, are being held in Geneva this week. The Pandemic Agreement, being negotiated in Geneva, emerged to address the unacceptable inequities that defined the COVID-19 global health disaster. During this pandemic, delayed and inequitable access to vaccines may […] Continue reading -> Pressure Builds as Pandemic Agreement Talks Reach Final Week With Little Consensus 18/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan There are only six negotiating days left to nail down the final piece of the Pandemic Agreement, but huge areas of disagreements still exist between World Health Organization (WHO) member states. The talks, which start on Monday, are set to go until 11pm each night at the WHO headquarters in Geneva – but this may […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Developed Countries Propose ‘Hybrid’ Model Ahead of Pandemic Agreement Talks 26/04/2026 Kerry Cullinan Yet another negotiating session on the outstanding annex of the Pandemic Agreement begins at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) headquarters on Monday (27 April) – and developed nations have presented a “hybrid” solution in an attempt to find consensus. The “hybrid” proposal consists of a mix of mandatory and voluntary measures for sharing pathogen information […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Agreement Talks Get Five More Negotiating Days 30/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan With no agreement in sight, World Health Organization (WHO) member states curtailed talks on the Pandemic Agreement annex five hours earlier than scheduled on Saturday night, resolving to meet again within a month for a further five days of negotiations. Member states will reconvene between 27 April and 1 May to negotiate further on the […] Continue reading -> Talks Deadlock: Should Pandemic Agreement Annex Go to a Vote? 25/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan A snail would have a faster passage than the Pandemic Agreement talks currently underway in Geneva, according to a briefing on Wednesday by civil society observers – some of whom mooted the possibility of World Health Organization (WHO) member states voting on the outstanding annex to break the deadlock. Only one portion of a single […] Continue reading -> Tense Start to Final Pandemic Agreement Talks as Africa Rejects New Draft Text 23/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan Tension was palpable at the start of the sixth – and supposedly final – round of talks on an annex to the Pandemic Agreement, with the African region rejecting the latest draft PABS Annex text. Pakistan also asserted that an agreement on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-sharing (PABS) annex should not be rushed simply […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Talks: Europe is Blocking Health Equity – And It Knows It 23/03/2026 Guilherme Faviero & Nithin Ramakrishnan Final talks on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, are being held in Geneva this week. The Pandemic Agreement, being negotiated in Geneva, emerged to address the unacceptable inequities that defined the COVID-19 global health disaster. During this pandemic, delayed and inequitable access to vaccines may […] Continue reading -> Pressure Builds as Pandemic Agreement Talks Reach Final Week With Little Consensus 18/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan There are only six negotiating days left to nail down the final piece of the Pandemic Agreement, but huge areas of disagreements still exist between World Health Organization (WHO) member states. The talks, which start on Monday, are set to go until 11pm each night at the WHO headquarters in Geneva – but this may […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Pandemic Agreement Talks Get Five More Negotiating Days 30/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan With no agreement in sight, World Health Organization (WHO) member states curtailed talks on the Pandemic Agreement annex five hours earlier than scheduled on Saturday night, resolving to meet again within a month for a further five days of negotiations. Member states will reconvene between 27 April and 1 May to negotiate further on the […] Continue reading -> Talks Deadlock: Should Pandemic Agreement Annex Go to a Vote? 25/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan A snail would have a faster passage than the Pandemic Agreement talks currently underway in Geneva, according to a briefing on Wednesday by civil society observers – some of whom mooted the possibility of World Health Organization (WHO) member states voting on the outstanding annex to break the deadlock. Only one portion of a single […] Continue reading -> Tense Start to Final Pandemic Agreement Talks as Africa Rejects New Draft Text 23/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan Tension was palpable at the start of the sixth – and supposedly final – round of talks on an annex to the Pandemic Agreement, with the African region rejecting the latest draft PABS Annex text. Pakistan also asserted that an agreement on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-sharing (PABS) annex should not be rushed simply […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Talks: Europe is Blocking Health Equity – And It Knows It 23/03/2026 Guilherme Faviero & Nithin Ramakrishnan Final talks on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, are being held in Geneva this week. The Pandemic Agreement, being negotiated in Geneva, emerged to address the unacceptable inequities that defined the COVID-19 global health disaster. During this pandemic, delayed and inequitable access to vaccines may […] Continue reading -> Pressure Builds as Pandemic Agreement Talks Reach Final Week With Little Consensus 18/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan There are only six negotiating days left to nail down the final piece of the Pandemic Agreement, but huge areas of disagreements still exist between World Health Organization (WHO) member states. The talks, which start on Monday, are set to go until 11pm each night at the WHO headquarters in Geneva – but this may […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Talks Deadlock: Should Pandemic Agreement Annex Go to a Vote? 25/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan A snail would have a faster passage than the Pandemic Agreement talks currently underway in Geneva, according to a briefing on Wednesday by civil society observers – some of whom mooted the possibility of World Health Organization (WHO) member states voting on the outstanding annex to break the deadlock. Only one portion of a single […] Continue reading -> Tense Start to Final Pandemic Agreement Talks as Africa Rejects New Draft Text 23/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan Tension was palpable at the start of the sixth – and supposedly final – round of talks on an annex to the Pandemic Agreement, with the African region rejecting the latest draft PABS Annex text. Pakistan also asserted that an agreement on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-sharing (PABS) annex should not be rushed simply […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Talks: Europe is Blocking Health Equity – And It Knows It 23/03/2026 Guilherme Faviero & Nithin Ramakrishnan Final talks on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, are being held in Geneva this week. The Pandemic Agreement, being negotiated in Geneva, emerged to address the unacceptable inequities that defined the COVID-19 global health disaster. During this pandemic, delayed and inequitable access to vaccines may […] Continue reading -> Pressure Builds as Pandemic Agreement Talks Reach Final Week With Little Consensus 18/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan There are only six negotiating days left to nail down the final piece of the Pandemic Agreement, but huge areas of disagreements still exist between World Health Organization (WHO) member states. The talks, which start on Monday, are set to go until 11pm each night at the WHO headquarters in Geneva – but this may […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Tense Start to Final Pandemic Agreement Talks as Africa Rejects New Draft Text 23/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan Tension was palpable at the start of the sixth – and supposedly final – round of talks on an annex to the Pandemic Agreement, with the African region rejecting the latest draft PABS Annex text. Pakistan also asserted that an agreement on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-sharing (PABS) annex should not be rushed simply […] Continue reading -> Pandemic Talks: Europe is Blocking Health Equity – And It Knows It 23/03/2026 Guilherme Faviero & Nithin Ramakrishnan Final talks on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, are being held in Geneva this week. The Pandemic Agreement, being negotiated in Geneva, emerged to address the unacceptable inequities that defined the COVID-19 global health disaster. During this pandemic, delayed and inequitable access to vaccines may […] Continue reading -> Pressure Builds as Pandemic Agreement Talks Reach Final Week With Little Consensus 18/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan There are only six negotiating days left to nail down the final piece of the Pandemic Agreement, but huge areas of disagreements still exist between World Health Organization (WHO) member states. The talks, which start on Monday, are set to go until 11pm each night at the WHO headquarters in Geneva – but this may […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Pandemic Talks: Europe is Blocking Health Equity – And It Knows It 23/03/2026 Guilherme Faviero & Nithin Ramakrishnan Final talks on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, are being held in Geneva this week. The Pandemic Agreement, being negotiated in Geneva, emerged to address the unacceptable inequities that defined the COVID-19 global health disaster. During this pandemic, delayed and inequitable access to vaccines may […] Continue reading -> Pressure Builds as Pandemic Agreement Talks Reach Final Week With Little Consensus 18/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan There are only six negotiating days left to nail down the final piece of the Pandemic Agreement, but huge areas of disagreements still exist between World Health Organization (WHO) member states. The talks, which start on Monday, are set to go until 11pm each night at the WHO headquarters in Geneva – but this may […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts
Pressure Builds as Pandemic Agreement Talks Reach Final Week With Little Consensus 18/03/2026 Kerry Cullinan There are only six negotiating days left to nail down the final piece of the Pandemic Agreement, but huge areas of disagreements still exist between World Health Organization (WHO) member states. The talks, which start on Monday, are set to go until 11pm each night at the WHO headquarters in Geneva – but this may […] Continue reading -> Posts navigation Older postsNewer posts