False: The pandemic treaty was canceled after several nations said they would rather exit WHO than be part of the treaty.

By: Sandesh M
June 8 2022

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Context: The 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) is a legally binding agreement that requires all WHO member states to monitor and report on international health threats. In light of COVID-19, a proposal for a treaty has been put forward by some countries to manage the future health crises effectively. The pact would include sharing genomic virus data, equitable distribution of vaccines, and a ban on wildlife markets. The accord would also provide the world health body with broader powers to manage future disease outbreaks and strengthen its role. Some countries in Africa, as well as Iran and Malaysia, opposed the proposed treaty and raised objections about equity issues surrounding vaccine distribution and treatments. While the discussions about the proposals are still ongoing, some social media accounts have already been opposing them. A Twitter post claimed that the "pandemic treaty" was pushed by the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. The tweet reads, "World Health Organisation’s 'Pandemic Treaty' which was being pushed by Australia, UK, and US CANCELLED. Africa, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Malaysia & Brazil, said they would rather exit WHO, than be part of the treaty." In fact: The amendments to IHR sought by the U.S. were approved in a meeting held on May 27. Diplomatic sources said that the negotiations included changes to the proposal's wording. Broader reforms to IHR were supported by Japan and the European Union. That said, the proposal is yet to be formally accepted by WHO. There are still key points to be considered, including setting up a compliance monitoring committee and deploying expert teams to contamination sites. Logically has previously debunked many claims about WHO, including one about WHO taking control of a country's health system during a future pandemic. The verdict: WHO member countries have reached a compromise to reform IHR rules. The so-called "pandemic treaty" has not been canceled, as claimed in the Twitter post. Hence we have marked this claim as false.