'Now or never' for pandemic accord, says WHO chief after U.S. pulls out

WHO urges global cooperation on pandemic accord despite US withdrawal from negotiations, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

The head of the World Health Organization insisted on Monday (February 17, 2025) it was "now or never" to strike a landmark global accord on tackling future pandemics, despite the United States withdrawing from negotiations.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said no country could protect itself from the next pandemic on its own — three days after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration formally told the United Nations health agency it would play no further part in the pandemic agreement talks.

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"We are at a crucial point as you move to finalise the pandemic agreement in time for the World Health Assembly" in May, Tedros told WHO member states at the opening of the week-long 13th round of negotiations at the organisation's Geneva headquarters.

"It really is a case of now or never. But I am confident that you will choose "now" because you know what is at stake."

A further one-week session is planned to finalise the agreement before the WHO's annual decision-making Assembly.

In December 2021, fearing a repeat of the devastation wrought by Covid-19 — which killed millions of people, crippled health systems and crashed economies — countries decided to draft a new accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.