Journal for the American Medical Association (JAMA) | November 16, 2023
Read the PublicationThe international community is facing a consequential opportunity to make the world safer from pandemics.1 On March 30, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO), along with 25 heads of governments and international agencies, issued an extraordinary joint call for a new treaty on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The following year, the US, which was later joined by other WHO member states, proposed substantial amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR; the latest edition of the regulations was released in 2005). The WHO launched international negotiations for both instruments, which are scheduled for adoption by the World Health Assembly in May 2024. To build political support for both processes, the 78th United Nations General Assembly held a high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, resulting in adoption of a political declaration on September 20, 2023.