Nigeria, April 24 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has warned that the proposed global pandemic agreement could be delayed if countries fail to adopt a binding pathogen-sharing framework.

In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, the organisation urged member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO),to finalise the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Annex ahead of the resumed sixth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group scheduled for 27 April to 1 May in Geneva.

AHF Nigeria said the WHO Pandemic Agreement cannot move forward without the annex, which outlines how pathogen samples and genetic data are shared, and how benefits such as vaccines and treatments are distributed.

The pandemic agreement...