On May 20, 2025, representatives from 124 countries at the World Health Assembly in Geneva reached a vital agreement aimed at preventing future pandemics. The new treaty focuses on a “One Health” approach, recognising that many diseases start from close contact between humans and animals. This approach requires enhanced collaboration among experts in human health, animal health, and the environment worldwide.
Although the agreement sets a strong framework, details on how countries will share virus samples and data with global researchers are still being discussed. The treaty requires at least 60 countries to sign it before it can take full effect. Key concerns persist regarding fairness between wealthier countries in the global North and poorer nations in the global South, particularly in terms of sharing benefits and intellectual property rights.
At the same time, new research from Nigeria sheds light on how the recent mpox outbreak began. Scientists from Redeemer’s University have traced the virus’s origin to wildlife movements in West Africa, confirming that the disease likely crossed over from animals to humans.
Elsewhere, experts in the United States are studying whether a strain of bird flu, known as H5N1, can infect pigs, which could create a new risk if the virus mutates within domestic animals. They warn that ongoing vigilance is necessary.
In a separate study from the United Kingdom, researchers found that a bacterium causing relapsing fever adapted to humans around the time people began wearing woollen clothes. This illustrates how human behaviour can influence the spread of diseases.
Susan Lieberman, Vice President for International Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society, was part of the negotiations and expressed hope that the agreement would lead to stronger global cooperation in fighting pandemics.
The World Health Assembly’s decision marks the first time countries have come together to set global rules specifically for pandemic prevention and response.
The world is watching as these plans move forward.
