Published on: 2026-09-25
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 25, 2026 Healthcare
The coronavirus pandemic taught humanity a hard lesson: in our interconnected world, no country can protect itself alone. This was stated by the UN Secretary-General in his message to participants of the high-level meeting in New York dedicated to pandemic preparedness. The speech on behalf of the UN head was read by his first deputy, Amina Mohammed.
António Guterres emphasized that the international system to counter such threats must be built on the principles of fairness, solidarity, and effective multilateral cooperation. The main goal of global efforts is to realize the key promise of the 2030 Agenda to “leave no one behind.”
After the adoption of the WHO Agreement on Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
The necessity to coordinate a new access system to pathogens
The next step will be the agreement on a new system for pathogen access and benefit sharing (Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing – PABS), which is currently under negotiation. This is an international mechanism being developed within the WHO Pandemic Agreement framework for the rapid exchange of dangerous virus samples and the fair distribution of medical assistance.
“Today, I come to you with a single request – just one: please complete the work on PABS as soon as possible. Please bring the negotiations to a conclusion in the shortest possible time,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in his speech at the high-level meeting.
He noted that further delays are not just procedural or technical holdups. This procrastination, he said, will come at a high cost to all countries when the next pandemic begins.
“We cannot say that the world is ready. The threat is changing, and we must change as well,” said the head of WHO.
Promises are not kept
The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo clearly demonstrates that dangerous pathogens continue to test humanity’s collective readiness, emphasized the UN Secretary-General and the WHO Director-General.
A serious problem remains the cyclical attention to threats: active actions are quickly replaced by complacency. When a new virus emerges, funds are allocated and promises are made, but as soon as the wave of infections subsides, commitments are forgotten, and trust in healthcare systems fades.
Three areas of work
The head of the UN called on the international community to work in three directions. The first of these should be the elimination of the huge funding gap for local systems of infection detection and containment.
“When specific communities are protected, we are all protected. I urge all governments to ensure predictable and sustainable funding to save human lives,” said the Secretary-General.
He considers the second most important priority to be the implementation of the “One Health” concept, which implies that human health is inextricably linked to the state of the environment, including the animal and plant world.
“We must gain a deeper understanding of the interaction between humans and nature and find ways to prevent outbreaks of diseases before they spread to people,” Guterres emphasized.
The third pillar of global security is ensuring equal access to medical resources, as fairness in the distribution of medicines and vaccines is the most effective way to stop the spread of disease.
“Justice is not an option”
“Justice is not an option, it is a foundation. All countries need access to life-saving means,” the Secretary-General said.
He emphasized that the new pandemic is not a hypothetical scenario but an inevitable reality of the future that must be prepared for in advance. “Let’s do everything to pass this exam,” the UN chief urged.
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