WHO Pandemic Treaty: Tedros Cites Ebola Outbreak in DRC

WHO Pandemic Treaty

Summary

The WHO pandemic treaty must be finished, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday, pointing to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He said the missing piece is the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system, known as PABS, which governs how pathogen samples and their benefits are shared.

Key Highlights

  • Tedros’s remarks came Monday, according to a written version of his statement.
  • The Ebola outbreak declared in May has killed nearly 5,000 of more than 10,000 people infected, mostly in the DRC.
  • A hantavirus outbreak killed three people on a cruise ship in April.
  • Tedros called PABS “the last remaining piece of our puzzle.”

What Happened?

Outbreaks like the Ebola epidemic in the DRC show why countries must complete the WHO pandemic treaty, Tedros said Monday. “A pathogen threat anywhere can become a threat everywhere, to people of every country,” he said, according to a written version of his statement.

He pointed to two recent events. The hantavirus outbreak earlier this year killed three people on a cruise ship in April. The latest Ebola outbreak, declared in May, has killed nearly 5,000 people out of more than 10,000 infected.

Why is it Important?

Tedros said the world must learn the main lesson of the Covid-19 pandemic: “no country can protect itself from pandemics by acting alone.” He said completing the treaty was “about protecting people.” Countries agreed on the Pandemic Agreement in May 2025, but to get the deal over the line, they left out how its key mechanism would operate.

Impact and Implications

The unresolved piece is the PABS system. It covers how countries share access to pathogens with pandemic potential, and the benefits that come from them, including vaccines, tests and treatments. “PABS is the last remaining piece of our puzzle,” Tedros said.

He also looked back at COVID. The world developed vaccines in record time, he said, but too many countries were left waiting while others secured far more.

What Happens Next?

The report does not say when talks on PABS will resume or when the WHO pandemic treaty could be finalised. Until the system is agreed, the arrangement for sharing pathogen access and benefits remains incomplete.

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