Research and development (R&D) needed to manufacture and deliver key pandemic response products (PRPs) such as diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics requires access to novel pathogen samples and their genomic sequencing data (GSD). Yet, many low and middle-income countries (LMICs) understandably do not want to share pathogens and GSD unless they can ensure that the benefits of R&D will be equitably distributed.
Many believe that without an agreed Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing (PABS) system (or some other mechanism to ensure equitable access), neither of the two pandemic preparedness negotiations at the World Health Organization (WHO) can be successfully concluded. The WHO is currently negotiating two historic agreements, one on substantially amending the International Health Regulations (IHR) and the other on a new Pandemic Agreement (also known as the Pandemic Treaty). We acknowledge that an PABS system may not eventually ensure robust equity, yet it currently stands the best chance to make the world a little safer and fairer. This makes it worth our while to think about how to make PABS work for equity.