Publication date: Jul 01, 2025
The importance of pandemic preparedness is underscored by two recent and significant findings in the US, including outbreaks of measles in children and adults, as well as the demonstration of airborne transmission of the influenza A(H5N1) virus (bird flu). On June 1, 2024, the 77th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) reached a consensus on amendments to the 2005 International Health Regulations, representing a new universal legal framework for global health, pandemic preparedness, and response that will enter into force in September 2025. On May 20, 2025, the 78th World Health Assembly of the WHO adopted the Pandemic Agreement, following three years of negotiations that identified gaps and inequities in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The WHO Pandemic Agreement document outlines the principles, approaches, and tools to enhance international coordination for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, including equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. This editorial aims to highlight the timeliness of the 2025 WHO Pandemic Agreement and the 2024 amendments to the International Health Regulations, as well as the need for improved pandemic preparedness and response at this time.
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | measles |
| pathway | KEGG | Measles |
| pathway | KEGG | Influenza A |
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 pandemic |