Countries have less than six months before the World Health Assembly in May 2024 to agree on how to better respond to future pandemics and finalize an agreement many refer to as the pandemic treaty. But what is the pandemic treaty? Why is it so controversial? And will countries meet this deadline given the deep divisions between them on how to move forward, and opposition to the treaty in different countries?
A big part of the controversy surrounding the treaty is driven by a false belief that it will sign over countries’ sovereignty to the World Health Organization, meaning the U.N. agency would have the power to dictate what countries should be doing during a pandemic.
WHO has refuted the narrative that it will usurp countries’ sovereignty, calling it “fake news.” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also called the claim “false.”
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
