India Calls for Equitable Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System at UN Pandemic Meeting

India presented its position at the UN High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in New York, calling for a fair Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system under the WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted in May 2025. Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava stated that countries contributing pathogens should receive related benefits while national sovereignty is respected. India also advocated for digital public infrastructure to be recognized as a global public good and highlighted its supply of 300 million vaccine doses to around 100 countries during COVID-19. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged that PABS negotiations be completed without delay.

New Delhi has advocated for an international framework under which nations contributing pathogens and biological materials during health crises would receive equitable access to any resulting vaccines, treatments, diagnostics, and related technologies. At the UN High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in New York, India put forward the position that the legitimacy of the WHO Pandemic Agreement would rest on an equitable Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) framework. The health secretary argued that nations providing pathogen samples ought to share in any benefits derived from their use, with full respect for each country's sovereign rights. She further noted that active talks on the PABS framework ought to proceed without predetermined conclusions, and that any rollout would need to reflect the varying capacities and conditions of individual nations. Referencing its pandemic response, India advocated for digital public infrastructure to be treated as a global common good, pointing to its contributions in monitoring outbreaks, rolling out vaccines, communicating health risks, managing supply chains, and maintaining essential services throughout the crisis. During the pandemic, India reported distributing 300 million vaccine doses to nearly 100 nations and two UN bodies, along with medical aid extended to over 150 countries. During the gathering, India put forward a series of proposals aimed at bolstering readiness for future health crises, covering areas such as laboratory network expansion, emergency coordination systems, workforce development, medical stockpiles, and clinical care capacity. Adopted in May 2025, the WHO Pandemic Agreement seeks to bolster worldwide readiness for future disease outbreaks. The WHO Director-General urged member states to expedite talks on the PABS framework, noting that prolonged delays could undermine global preparedness for future health emergencies. The country's position held that pandemic readiness should be built upon domestic health infrastructure and local funding, with external support playing a supplementary role. The document urged that fairness and worldwide cooperation remain foundational to planning for disease outbreaks in the future.

India Calls for Equitable Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System at UN Pandemic Meeting

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India Calls for Equitable Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System at UN Pandemic Meeting

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