Pandemic Agreement

Context (DTE): WHO has cautioned that COVID-19, the first of ‘Disease X‘, may recur, emphasizing the potential for future global health threats.
A key way to tackle this is through the pandemic agreement.

Disease X

It represents an unknown disease that could cause a potential epidemic or pandemic, with an unprecedented impact on health infrastructure and mortality.
It is most likely to be a zoonotic disease with a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus, having a far worse effect on mortality rates than the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is being negotiated by WHO countries.
Deadline: The 77th World Health Assembly, which is to be held in May 2024.
It aims to improve prevention, preparedness, and response to future pandemics at a global level.
Goals
- Ensure sustained and long-term political commitment.
- Define clear processes and tasks.
- Ensure long-term public- and private-sector support at all levels.
- Promote an ‘all-of-government’ and ‘all-of-society’ approach.

It aims to cover early warning surveillance systems for zoonotic diseases, laboratories, and emergency communication.
Hosted by the World Bank and with technical support from the WHO.
The fund will provide additional, long-term financing to strengthen PPR capabilities in low- and middle-income countries.

The objective is to build capacity in low and middle income countries to produce mRNA vaccines.
The hub is located at Afrigen, Cape Town, South Africa.

It was established in Berlin, Germany.
Aim to strengthen pandemic and epidemic intelligence through better data and better analytics.
The Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) is hosted within the new WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence.

It will enable WHO Member States to share biological materials with and via the BioHub under pre-agreed conditions. This will ensure timeliness and predictability in response activities.
Currently, most pathogen sharing is done bilaterally between countries.

All living organisms (animals, plants, and bacteria) possess both DNA and RNA. An exception to this rule is seen in viruses, which contain either DNA or RNA, not both.
DNA holds instructions on how to make proteins, but it never leaves the cell’s nucleus.
It is RNA, specifically messenger RNA (mRNA), that provides these instructions to the ribosomes. Ribosomes are the sites where proteins are synthesised.
- The nucleus creates RNA (mRNA), a copy of DNA’s instructions.
- mRNA then travels to the ribosomes, taking the information.
The ribosome reads mRNA’s sequence & translates it into a string of amino acids, forming proteins.

mRNA, or messenger RNA, is a type of RNA that acts as a messenger for building proteins.
While various types of RNA contribute to protein synthesis, mRNA specifically carries the recipe for a protein.
Scientists use this function of mRNA to instruct cells to produce specific viral proteins.

Scientists identify a specific protein that is crucial for infection. In the case of COVID-19, this is often the spike protein.
The identified protein sequence will be used to create the mRNA instructions.
In the laboratory, a synthetic mRNA is created and encapsulated within lipid nanoparticles. These lipid nanoparticles protect the mRNA and help it enter cells.
The combination of synthetic mRNA and lipid nanoparticles forms the basis of the mRNA vaccine.
Once the mRNA vaccine is administered, the lipid nanoparticles deliver the mRNA into the cells of the vaccinated individual.
Cells in the muscle take up the mRNA, recognising it as genetic instructions.
The ribosomes read the mRNA and follow the instructions to produce the viral protein (e.g., the spike protein).
The immune system recognises the synthesised viral protein as foreign and mounts an immune response, producing antibodies and activating immune cells.
mRNA technology is versatile and adaptable, holding promise not only for vaccines but also for treating diseases such as cancer and genetic disorders