WHO Extends Pandemic Treaty PABS Annex Negotiations to July 2026

WHO member states formally agreed to extend negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex of the WHO Pandemic Agreement. The critical annex — governing how pathogens and vaccines are shared between countries — must be finalized before the treaty can open for ratification. The Intergovernmental Working Group scheduled a seventh meeting for July 6–17, 2026. Experts projected entry into force requires ratification by 60 countries and is at minimum one to two years away. The U.S. withdrawal from WHO under the Trump administration further complicates the treaty's universality.