MANILA — The Philippines supports the creation of a global accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response in light of the impact of COVID-19, the Department of Health said Friday.

According to DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, the drafting of the pandemic treaty was among concerns highlighted during the 73rd session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Western Pacific held in Manila.

"Sinabi ni WHO director-general Dr. Tedros [Adhanom Ghebreyesus] na napakaimportante na ang Pilipinas ay suportahan 'yung pandemic treaty, for which we are supporting naman talaga," she said in a press briefing.

(WHO director-general Dr. Tedros that it's very important for the Philippines to support pandemic treaty, for which we are really supporting.)

"We have provided already our recommendations as additional to the resolution that we would want."

During the recently concluded session, Vergeire said all member states in the Western Pacific agreed with having a global accord.

"Because of the current pandemic, all countries agreed that this treaty should be there," she said.

"Kasi kailangan lahat tayo handa. Kailangan lahat magtutulungan kapag ka meron ganitong sitwasyon. Kailangan may exchange of information lagi kapag ka may ganitong sitwasyon."

(We should all be ready. We should all help each other in this situation. We need to exchange information if there is a situation like this.)

The WHO has said such instrument "could represent a global commitment to work together, as an international community, to help prevent disease outbreaks from impacting individuals, communities, countries and the world in the same way as the COVID-19 pandemic did."

"At the heart of the proposed accord is the need to ensure equity in both access to the tools needed to prevent pandemics (including technologies like vaccines, personal protective equipment, information and expertise) and access to health care for all people," it said.

In December 2021, WHO’s member states decided at a special session to establish an intergovernmental negotiating body or INB to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement, or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

The current working draft will be advanced into a conceptual zero draft of the accord, to be discussed at INB3 in December 2022, the WHO said.

The INB will submit its outcomes for consideration by the 77th World Health Assembly in 2024, with a progress report to the 76th World Health Assembly in 2023, it added.

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