Geneva: The World Health Organization chief on Tuesday voiced confidence that states could finalise a pandemic agreement by May 2025, despite questions about whether the administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will support it.
The WHO’s 194 member states have been negotiating for two years on an agreement that could increase collaboration before and during pandemics after acknowledged failures during COVID-19.
An initial attempt to seal an agreement failed this year and diplomats see a deal, which right-wing commentators say would undermine sovereignty, as less likely under Trump.
“They (countries) are committed to finalising the agreement in time for the World Health Assembly next May. I remain confident that they will,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press club briefing in Geneva.
Ghebreyesus was asked repeatedly about future cooperation with the Trump administration, but appeared relaxed at the prospect.
“The relationship between WHO and the United States has been actually a good model partnership,” he said.
“(We) have been partnering for many years, and we believe that will be the case. And I believe the U.S. leaders understand that the United States cannot be safe unless the rest of the world is safe.”
At the same briefing, Tedros said that 10 early samples from patients in Democratic Republic of Congo suffering from a mystery illness had tested positive for malaria. However, he said that did not rule out other concurrent diseases.
The displacement of 1 million people in Syria since a rebel offensive began last month has increased the strain on a fragile health system, Tedros said, and returning refugees could add more. The WHO has sent trauma supplies to a Damascus hospital and is working on supporting other facilities, he added.
(Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Maria Martinez and Kevin Liffey)
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