Partners of the World Health Organisation (WHO) held the first round of negotiations towards the pandemic treaty on February 24, 2022. The conference was intended for deciding on ways of working and timelines for a “convention, agreement or another international instrument” to prevent further pandemics and to improve the preparedness and response in case of its occurrence.

Negotiations on new regulations for dealing with pandemics will start at the World Health Organization with a target date of May 2024 for a treaty to be adopted by the U.N. health agency’s 194 member countries.

A new agreement is among more than 200 suggestions for shoring up the world’s safety against new pathogens made by various analysts following the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 6.2 million people in two years.

What is the pandemic treaty?

The WHO already has mandatory rules known as the International Health Regulations (2005) which set out countries’ responsibilities where public health events have the potential to cross borders. These include instructing the WHO instantly of a health emergency and measures on trade and travel.

Acquired after the 2002/3 SARS explosion, these laws are still seen as functional for regional epidemics like Ebola but insufficient for a global pandemic.

In December 2021, the World Health Assembly decided to begin a global method to formulate the pandemic treaty. The need for an updated set of rules was felt after the COVID-19 pandemic detected the drawbacks of global health systems.

The Health Assembly approved a conclusion labeled “The World Together” at its second special session since it was founded in 1948. Under the decision, the health organization established an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft and mediate the subjects of the pandemic treaty in keeping with Article 19 of the WHO Constitution.

The pandemic treaty is expected to cover elements like data sharing and genome sequencing of emerging viruses and proper distribution of vaccines and drugs and related research throughout the world. Solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic have seen an inequitable distribution of vaccines so far, with poorer countries at the mercy of others to receive preventive medication. Most countries have followed the “me-first” approach which is not a helpful way to deal with a global pandemic.

The European Union (EU) also wants a ban on wildlife markets to be included in the treaty. A widely-accepted theory points out that the novel coronavirus may have jumped from animals to humans in a wildlife market of China. While the EU wants the treaty to be fairly binding, the U.S., Brazil, and India have conveyed reservations about the same.

The legal nature of the treaty is yet to be defined.

Article 19 of the WHO Constitution gives the World Health Assembly the authority to adopt conventions or agreements on matters of health. A two-third majority is needed to adopt such conventions or agreements

The INB held its first meeting on February 24, 2022. The second meeting, where the members are expected to discuss the progress on a working draft, is planned to be held by August 1, 2022. A progress report is anticipated to be distributed to the 76 World Health Assembly in 2023, and its outcome will be submitted to the 77 World Health Assembly in 2024 for consideration. Periodic public hearings are also planned.

Sequence of activities in this treaty

• In December 2021, the World Health Assembly approved a judgment titled “The World Together” at its second special session since it was founded in 1948.
• Under the decision, the health organization founded an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft and reconcile the subjects of the pandemic treaty in keeping with Article 19 of the WHO Constitution.
• The pandemic treaty is expected to cover aspects like data sharing and genome sequencing of emerging viruses and equitable distribution of vaccines and drugs and related research throughout the world.

What Is Genome Sequencing?
A genome is a complete set of genetic instructions which are present in an organism in its DNA. Sequencing is the sequence of occurrences of the four nucleotide bases i.e., adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). 
The human genome is made up of over 3 billion of these genetic letters. The whole genome can’t be sequenced all at once because available methods of DNA sequencing can only handle short stretches of DNA at a time.
While human genomes are made of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), a virus genome can be made of either DNA or RNA (Ribonucleic acid). Coronavirus is made of RNA. Every organism has a unique genome sequence. 
Genome sequencing is a technique that reads and interprets genetic information found within DNA or RNA.

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