After three years of talks, 194 countries – including Luxembourg – have agreed on a global pandemic accord aimed at ensuring fairer access to future medical tools. The landmark breakthrough was signed in Geneva early Wednesday morning after countries overcame the key point of contention on how to fairly share the profits of any future medical products between the Global North and South.
The agreement still requires final approval at the World Health Organization (WHO) assembly in May.
Luxembourg Health Minister Martine Deprez said in an RTL interview that if such an agreement had existed five years ago, the world would have been better prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, citing response and monitoring mechanisms as an example.
While there are no immediate, direct obligations for Luxembourg stipulated in the WHO accord, the country has committed to reviewing its prevention strategies, strengthening research capacities, and evaluating its healthcare workforce. Each nation remains free to implement the commitments at its own discretion.
