World leaders given treaty jolt on Covid anniversary

Covid-19 killed millions but four years to the day after the WHO declared an international emergency, countries cannot agree a treaty to head off a new pandemic – Copyright Israeli Army/AFP –

Robin MILLARD

Wavering world leaders were told Tuesday to speed up efforts to agree a global treaty on avoiding a new pandemic catastrophe — four years to the day since Covid-19 was declared an international emergency.

Countries have spent more than two years working out an accord on making sure countries are better prepared to deal with, or head off, the next pandemic.

The 194 World Health Organization member states wanted a treaty finalised by May this year when they started negotiations in December 2021 — when the Covid-19 death toll was in millions and health systems had been crippled.

But the momentum has sagged, time is running out and countries are still at loggerheads.

The WHO executiv