Pandemic treaty talks inch towards agreement

GENEVA: Countries are hoping more than three years of negotiations on battling future pandemics will finally end after reaching a preliminary agreement last week.

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It has been more than five years since the Covid-19 pandemic began, killing millions of people and devastating economies.

Experts say an accord has become even more crucial with new health threats, ranging from H5N1 bird flu to measles, mpox and Ebola.

The negotiations had been scheduled to conclude last June, but were extended for a year in a bid to overcome disagreements.

The thirteenth round of talks started on April 7 as health agencies reeled from drastic foreign aid cuts by the United States — the world’s donor superpower.

Washington has not taken part in the negotiations, since President Donald Trump decided on his first day in office in January to begin withdrawing from the WHO.