How WHO Could Deal with Future Pandemics
2023-05-30
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) are negotiating new rules for dealing with pandemics.
2The U.N. health agency's 194 member countries have set a target date of May 2024 for a legal agreement.
3A new agreement is a top goal for WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
4He called it a "generational commitment that we will not go back to the old cycle of panic" at the U.N. agency's yearly meeting.
5The agreement seeks to improve the world's defenses against new viruses.
6The effort follows the worldwide spread of COVID-19, which is blamed for killing nearly 7 million people.
7The WHO already has rules known as the International Health Regulations, passed in 2005.
8The rules explain countries' responsibilities when diseases and other public health events threaten to cross borders.
9WHO members approved the rules after the SARS outbreak in 2002 to 2003.
10These rules are still considered good enough for local epidemics, like Ebola, but not for a pandemic.
11The rules are also being reconsidered after COVID-19.
12Member nations have agreed that the new agreement should have legal force like a treaty does.
13It would be only the second such health agreement after the 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
14That treaty aims to reduce smoking through taxation and rules on labeling and advertising.
15However, critics have voiced their opposition to the proposed treaty on social media.
16Opponents say approval could lead countries to give too much power to the WHO.
17The WHO says governments are leading the negotiations and are free to reject the agreement.
18The European Union proposed the agreement.
19The EU is considered its biggest supporter.
20Developing countries, especially in Africa, hope to use the negotiations to secure vaccines.
21After five rounds of negotiations, the latest version of the treaty still includes thousands of areas of disagreement or undecided wording.
22There is even disagreement over the definition of the word "pandemic."
23With so many member countries involved, getting agreement is likely to be difficult.
24It is not yet clear how the 2005 rules and the new pandemic agreement might work together.
25Some think that existing rules should continue to apply to local outbreaks with the new rules applying if the WHO declares a pandemic.
26But the WHO does not have the power to declare a pandemic.
27It is also not yet clear what happens if required measures are not followed.
28Separate talks on changing the 2005 rules are also taking place.
29Countries are proposing about 300 amendments to the rules.
30The first proposals from the United States aimed to increase transparency and permit the WHO to go more quickly to places where disease outbreaks are taking place.
31After a delay of about one year, China did permit WHO-led expert teams to visit the suspected COVID-19 starting point in Wuhan.
32But the WHO says China is still refusing to release information from early cases that may hold information about the beginnings of COVID-19.
33I'm Dan Novak.
1Officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) are negotiating new rules for dealing with pandemics. 2The U.N. health agency's 194 member countries have set a target date of May 2024 for a legal agreement. 3A new agreement is a top goal for WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He called it a "generational commitment that we will not go back to the old cycle of panic" at the U.N. agency's yearly meeting. 4The agreement seeks to improve the world's defenses against new viruses. The effort follows the worldwide spread of COVID-19, which is blamed for killing nearly 7 million people. 5What is the so-called pandemic treaty? 6The WHO already has rules known as the International Health Regulations, passed in 2005. The rules explain countries' responsibilities when diseases and other public health events threaten to cross borders. WHO members approved the rules after the SARS outbreak in 2002 to 2003. 7These rules are still considered good enough for local epidemics, like Ebola, but not for a pandemic. The rules are also being reconsidered after COVID-19. 8Member nations have agreed that the new agreement should have legal force like a treaty does. 9It would be only the second such health agreement after the 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. That treaty aims to reduce smoking through taxation and rules on labeling and advertising. 10However, critics have voiced their opposition to the proposed treaty on social media. Opponents say approval could lead countries to give too much power to the WHO. The WHO says governments are leading the negotiations and are free to reject the agreement. 11Who supports the agreement? 12The European Union proposed the agreement. The EU is considered its biggest supporter. Developing countries, especially in Africa, hope to use the negotiations to secure vaccines. 13After five rounds of negotiations, the latest version of the treaty still includes thousands of areas of disagreement or undecided wording. There is even disagreement over the definition of the word "pandemic." With so many member countries involved, getting agreement is likely to be difficult. 14How would it work? 15It is not yet clear how the 2005 rules and the new pandemic agreement might work together. 16Some think that existing rules should continue to apply to local outbreaks with the new rules applying if the WHO declares a pandemic. But the WHO does not have the power to declare a pandemic. 17It is also not yet clear what happens if required measures are not followed. 18What other changes are possible? 19Separate talks on changing the 2005 rules are also taking place. Countries are proposing about 300 amendments to the rules. 20The first proposals from the United States aimed to increase transparency and permit the WHO to go more quickly to places where disease outbreaks are taking place. 21After a delay of about one year, China did permit WHO-led expert teams to visit the suspected COVID-19 starting point in Wuhan. But the WHO says China is still refusing to release information from early cases that may hold information about the beginnings of COVID-19. 22I'm Dan Novak. 23Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by Reuters. 24_________________________________________________________________ 25Words in This Story 26commitment - n. a promise to do something 27cycle - n. actions or events that repeatedly happen 28panic - n. a state of being seized with fear 29label - n. information placed on products that explains the product, what is in it and why someone should buy it 30transparency - n. a condition of being open and easy to understand