Expert opinion urges WHO to delink pathogen data access from benefit-sharing in the PABS Annex to ensure equitable pandemic response. The current linkage risks delaying vital research and access to medicines.
Advocacy Grows to Delink Data Access from Benefit Sharing in WHO Pandemic Treaty
Discussions on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement remain stalled over whether access to pathogen data should be tied to benefit-sharing obligations. A recent policy intervention argues that linking the two undermines equitable pandemic preparedness and could delay critical research during outbreaks.
The position, supported by Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), proposes that countries and institutions should contribute pathogen sequences freely to global databases without preconditions, ensuring immediate access for vaccine and therapeutic development. In return, a separate, multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism — possibly through technology transfer or licensing pools — should operate independently.
For Indian stakeholders, this debate has implications for data-sharing norms under the National Institute of Pathology and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme. If adopted, the delinking model could strengthen India’s role in global health governance while ensuring domestic researchers gain timely access to international data. Legal and policy teams in public health and biotech sectors should monitor developments as the PABS Annex nears finalisation.
