In this file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, staff members work in an inflatable Covid-19 testing lab in 2020. The pandemic treaty offers the last, best chance to avoid repeating the mistakes made during the pandemic. — Xinhua/AP
WE are aware there will be new pandemics and major health emergencies at one time or another. We must therefore have a treaty on a joint organised response to a global health crisis that is legally binding under international law.
This treaty should prioritise the public interest and the balance between countries, must be anchored in the principles of fairness, inclusiveness and transparency, and guarantee universal and equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines and medicines.
