Costs divide rich, poor countries ahead of WHO pandemic treaty talks

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOSBy Deborah J. Nelson, Ryan McNeill and Helen Reid

Previous discussions on the proposed treaty, which began two years ago, have centered on preparedness of health systems. The discussions next week, by contrast, are meant to focus on prevention. Many health experts say that finding ways to stop potential pandemics before they can emerge is as crucial as any amount of readiness for when they do.

Reuters' analysis found that the number of people living in areas at high-risk for spillover, mostly tropical locales rich in bats and undergoing rapid urbanization, grew by 57% in the two decades ending in 2020. Nearly 1.8 billion people, or one of every five on the planet, now live in these areas. The divisions arose anew in June, when the European Union negotiated new agreements with pharmaceutical companies to reserve vaccines for future pandemics. The agreements led critics to accuse the bloc of "vaccine apartheid."

At present, such measures are proposed in the treaty through a concept known as"One Health," outlined by the WHO and other international agencies in a 2022"plan of action." The concept links human wellbeing to that of animals and the environment. The shared responsibility – not to mention the shared consequences – should mean shared expenditures, some officials argue."It should be in everyone's combined interest to find solutions, for it not just to be the problems or financial problems for low income countries," said Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist who is the head of the WHO's emerging diseases unit.

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