The World Health Organization (WHO) is on the verge of adopting the world's first binding international agreement focused on pandemic prevention. This landmark development, schedule for potential ratification at the 78^th World Health Assembly in May 2025, adopts a crucial One Health approach, emphasizing the global need to curb pandemic risks at the human-animal-environment interface. Dr. Raina Plowright, Rudolf J. and Katharine L. Steffen Professor of Veterinary Medicine, along with colleagues on the Lancet Commission on Prevention of Viral Spillover, published their comment piece on the agreement in the Lancet on April 3. “Pandemics are collective action problems that can only be addressed through multilateral cooperation,” the authors write. “Adopting the Agreement at the World Health Assembly in May 2025 will be a testament to the ongoing promise of multilateralism at a time of enormous geopolitical upheaval.”

The WHO Pandemic Agreement directly addresses the risk of zoonotic spillovers — the transmission of pathogens from animals to humans. With over a million undiscovered viruses in animal hosts, hundreds of thousands of which have the potential to infect humans, Plowright and her colleagues stress the importance of swift action. 

The current agreement mandates that member states design One-Health-informed pandemic prevention and surveillance plans that incorporate community engagement and equitable responses. “Although activities directly addressing the drivers of disease emergence (e.g., land use change, biodiversity loss and climate change) are outside the scope of the Agreement, it importantly recognizes the impact of these factors on pandemic risk and requires member states to consider them as they formulate national policies,” the authors write.

Despite these promising goals, Plowright and colleagues note that there have been challenges in reaching consensus in defining minimum prevention requirements. High-income countries have pushed for more detailed commitments, while lower-resourced nations expressed concerns over feasibility without guaranteed financial aid. “For the Pandemic Agreement to be adopted, WHO member states must reach consensus on these issues soon,” the authors say, stressing that the agreement framework allows for adaptation to emerging science and policies, while also empowering participants to adopt clear financial mechanisms to aid under-funded countries in pandemic prevention, such as partnerships with institutions like the World Bank Pandemic Fund.

The comment paper concludes that the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement would signify a renewed global commitment to multilateralism in an era of increased geopolitical uncertainty, and a critical leap forward in embedding pandemic prevention into international law. “As a crucial first step, we urge WHO member states to adopt the Pandemic Agreement, with robust measures that champion One Health, pandemic prevention, and global cooperation for health,” Plowright and the authors conclude. “From that solid foundation, the Agreement can, and must, evolve to meet the growing threat of spillover on a rapidly changing planet.”

Written by Lauren Cahoon Roberts