After more than two years of intense negotiations, the pandemic agreement has reached a critical milestone. On April 10, during the final round of talks, Articles 4 and 5—focused on prevention and One Health—were officially agreed (“greened”), marking a historic achievement in global health governance.
For the first time, the One Health approach has been included in a legally binding international instrument. These articles establish a comprehensive framework to prevent pandemics at their source, before humans and animals suffer, and before localized outbreaks become global crises.
This breakthrough is the result of intense negotiation, coalition-building, and tireless efforts by committed stakeholders across sectors. The agreed text includes key provisions on:
✔ Promoting integrated human, animal, and environmental health strategies
✔ Developing national plans to prevent pandemics at source through the One Health approach
✔ Preventing spillover at the human-animal-environment interface
✔ Addressing drivers of disease emergence and spread
✔ Promoting prudent use of antimicrobials
✔ Creating mechanisms for implementation support and future guideline development
While the rest of the agreement remains under negotiation, it is expected to be finalized in the coming days, with the goal of presenting the full Pandemic Agreement at the World Health Assembly in May 2025.
The process began in December 2021, when the World Health Assembly established the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to draft a new international instrument under the World Health Organization (WHO)—aimed at strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
Throughout the process, the WVA—in official relations with the WHO—has actively collaborated with Member States and participated in the negotiations alongside other key stakeholders.
Most recently, in the final stages of the talks, the WVA submitted a set of key recommendations in collaboration with the Action for Animal Health Coalition These emphasized the importance of developing national pandemic prevention plans that fully integrate human, animal, and environmental health. They also highlighted the need to strengthen biosecurity measures in both animal production systems and wildlife trade, going beyond traditional clinical settings. Furthermore, the recommendations called for enhanced collaboration with international organizations—such as WHO, FAO, WOAH, and UNEP—to ensure coherence between national strategies and global standards.
In parallel, the WVA, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), and the Coalition released a set of One Health case studies showcasing effective, real-world multisectoral approaches to pandemic prevention and health security.
The inclusion of One Health in the pandemic agreement is a landmark step forward for global health. The WVA applauds the leadership and persistence of Member States, experts, and advocates who made this possible.
We remain fully committed to supporting the veterinary and animal health sectors in the implementation of this agreement, and we urge governments to maintain this momentum—ensuring that pandemic prevention truly starts at the source.
