Countries are moving closer to establishing a new global system for sharing pathogens with pandemic potential and ensuring that the medical benefits arising from those materials are distributed more equitably.

The initiative, known as the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, is being developed as part of the World Health Organization’s Pandemic Agreement.

The system is intended to address two connected priorities: enabling researchers and public-health authorities to obtain pathogen materials and sequence information quickly, while ensuring that countries contributing those resources can benefit from vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other health products developed from them.

Final Component of the Pandemic Agreement

The PABS system represents a major remaining component of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.

WHO member states have been negotiating an annex that would establish the operational framework for pathogen access and benefit-sharing.

The negotiations have continued through multiple meetings of the Intergovernmental Working Group established to develop the system.

The latest discussions have focused on creating a framework that countries can implement while maintaining rapid access to information and biological materials during health emergencies.

Why Pathogen Sharing Matters

When a new infectious disease emerges, scientists need timely access to pathogen samples and genetic sequence information to understand the threat.

Such information can help researchers identify the characteristics of a pathogen and develop diagnostic tests, vaccines and treatments.

However, countries have also raised concerns about fairness.

Communities and countries that provide pathogen materials want assurance that they will not be excluded from the benefits generated through scientific research and commercial development.

The PABS framework is intended to address both requirements.

Equitable Access to Medical Products

Under the proposed system, benefits arising from the use of shared pathogens would include products such as vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

The objective is to support faster and more equitable access to these products when they are needed during a pandemic.

This issue became particularly significant during the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to vaccines and other medical technologies varied considerably between countries.

The new framework seeks to incorporate lessons from that experience into future pandemic preparedness.

Negotiations Continue

WHO member states have made progress in negotiations but differences remain on several technical and policy questions.

The eighth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group concluded in September after discussions on the proposed system.

The negotiations are expected to continue as countries work toward an agreed annex.

WHO has said that completing the annex is essential for the Pandemic Agreement to move toward national consideration and ratification.

Pandemic Agreement

The WHO Pandemic Agreement was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2025.

It is designed to strengthen international cooperation in preventing, preparing for and responding to pandemics.

The agreement covers areas including health-system capacity, international cooperation, access to health products and pandemic preparedness.

The PABS annex would provide an additional mechanism for dealing with one of the most sensitive areas of pandemic cooperation: access to pathogens and the distribution of benefits resulting from their use.

Balancing Speed and Fairness

One of the central challenges is finding a system that can operate quickly during an emerging health emergency while also ensuring transparency and fairness.

Researchers need rapid access to relevant biological information when a new pathogen is detected.

At the same time, countries providing samples and sequence information want predictable mechanisms for receiving benefits.

The proposed framework therefore seeks to establish a system in which access and benefit-sharing operate together rather than as separate processes.

COVID-19 Lessons

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of international scientific cooperation.

Researchers around the world relied on shared information to understand the virus and develop vaccines, treatments and diagnostic technologies.

The pandemic also exposed inequalities in access to those products.

The PABS negotiations are intended to address some of these challenges before another major pandemic occurs.

Expected Next Steps

The current negotiations are expected to continue with the goal of reaching an agreed annex.

WHO has indicated that adoption of the annex at the World Health Assembly in May 2027 would be necessary for member states to begin national consideration of ratification of the Pandemic Agreement.

The outcome will determine how the international system for pathogen access and benefit-sharing operates in practice.

Global Health Implications

A functioning PABS system could become an important part of international pandemic preparedness.

By establishing clearer arrangements for sharing pathogens and distributing benefits, countries could strengthen scientific cooperation while addressing concerns about fairness.

The system is ultimately intended to support a faster response when new pandemic threats emerge.

As negotiations continue, governments will need to resolve remaining differences and agree on practical rules that can work during real-world health emergencies.

The discussions represent an important part of the broader effort to ensure that the international community is better prepared for the next pandemic and that access to the scientific and medical benefits of pathogen research is more equitable.