As countries continue to negotiate a new Pandemic Accord, AHF cautions that if the new global public health instrument becomes an opt-in-only treaty, it will be less effective in protecting the world from outbreaks like COVID-19.
“You cannot opt out of global public health because it is a global good – we all benefit from it. If some countries decide not to opt in, the treaty will be weak, and the world will remain in danger of new, deadly pandemics,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “Instead, the treaty should be applicable to all countries, and those who do not wish to participate must openly state so. This would create a powerful incentive of ‘peer pressure’ for countries to remain in the treaty.”
