The Independent Panel Statement to the IGWG 7th Meeting 6 – 17 July 2026
July 6 2026
If the world needed reminding why the WHO Pandemic Agreement, and its Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex, are so important, the first half of 2026 has been a salutary lesson.
In late April, the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius vessel became an early stress test for the international system. Just three weeks later, on 17 May, the WHO Director-General declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern linked to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. The decision of Dr Tedros to use that authority before convening an Emergency Committee underscored the gravity of the moment. In parallel, Africa CDC declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security.
Some may say that the Bundibugyo outbreak is not a test of our pandemic systems. We see it differently. An outbreak like this draws on precisely the same structures and building blocks which a pandemic threat would: the means to prevent an outbreak before it occurs, including through a One Health approach; surveillance which catches a threat early; a health workforce with the capacity and tools to respond; financing at the scale and speed required; and countermeasures made available quickly and affordably.
On these measures, the Bundibugyo outbreak has been sobering. But the gaps it reveals are the very gaps the Pandemic Agreement and its PABS Annex are designed to help close.
We urge negotiators to seize the next two weeks and take a major step towards the finish line: a PABS system which guarantees timely access and equitable benefit sharing, in line with the provisions set out in Article 12.
The PABS Annex needs to be finalised, and then the Pandemic Agreement ratified and fully implemented to make the world safer from pandemic threats. It is time to move from words to action.
End.
About The Independent Panel
The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response was established to provide an independent review and recommendations on global pandemic preparedness and response in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-chaired by former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, the Panel continues to monitor progress and advocate for strengthened global health security.
Media Contact: Secretariat@IndependentPanel.org