WHO Facing Calls for Clearer PHEIC Guidelines and Enhanced Financing Accountability
Several WHO member states, including the USA, are pushing for clearer guidelines on declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and enhanced accountability in financing. This comes as geopolitical tensions and vaccine nationalism have marred global pandemic management, damaging public trust in the WHO.
The Covid-19 pandemic has underscored the need for coordinated international efforts to combat novel infectious diseases and bolster global health security. However, geopolitical rivalry, vaccine nationalism, and the hoarding of medical supplies have posed significant challenges. The Pandemic Agreement treaty, adopted last month, aims to address these issues, but negotiations over a Pathogen Access Benefit Sharing (PABS) mechanism and enforcement of the agreement are ongoing.
The US retreat from the WHO and the dismantling of USAID have further impacted global health leadership. Meanwhile, a resurgence in military conflicts and increased military spending by major powers have reduced global health funding. Repercussions from the US' withdrawal and proposed funding cuts to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, call for urgent changes in global health diplomacy.
India and China are set to play significant roles in global health governance, with India as a leading vaccine manufacturer and China pledging additional funding to the WHO. However, the exact amounts of additional funding from specific countries remain unclear. As global health diplomacy faces challenges due to recent upheavals, member states are calling for distinct guidelines on declaring a PHEIC and greater accountability over financing to strengthen the WHO's role in global health.
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