AHF Welcomes Lula–Tedros Call for Equity in Pandemic Agreement, Warns against Rushing Empty Deal

As leaders elevate the PABS annex to the highest political level, AHF urges that countries deliver a system that is equitable, enforceable, and effective, not one finished in name only

MIAMI, GENEVA & SÃO PAULO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and the AHF Global Public Health Institute welcome the open letter issued by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the occasion of the G7 Summit, calling on the leaders of the G7, G20, BRICS, and all nations to finish the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex of the WHO Pandemic Agreement. AHF particularly commends the letter's central appeal: that equity be carried "in the operational detail, not only in the preamble," so that access and benefit-sharing are guaranteed in practice.

The letter was issued ahead of the upcoming G7 summit and in anticipation of the resumed negotiating session of the PABS annex, which is scheduled to take place in Geneva, July 6-17. This will be the round in which Member States are expected to conclude the annex that must be in place before the Pandemic Agreement can enter into force.

"It is of great importance that the highest levels of political leadership at WHO and in Brazil have spoken on the issue of equity. Now it is critically important that other world leaders understand that equity that lives only in speeches does not reach a single patient," said Dr. Adele Schwartz Benzaken, Senior Global Medical Director of AHF and a 2023 recipient of Brazil's National Order of Scientific Merit, one of the nation's highest scientific honors.

AHF shares the conviction that the world cannot afford to remain unready, and that the cost of inaction is measured in lives. But it cautions that a deadline must not become a reason to settle for an annex that cannot deliver. The Pandemic Agreement cannot enter into force without the PABS annex, and the annex must not be approved without provisions that guarantee that equity will be operationalized and legally binding.

"The upcoming negotiations should focus on achieving the right deal; they should not be rushed to produce just any deal," added Dr. Jorge Saavedra, Executive Director of the AHF Global Public Health Institute. "We saw during COVID-19 what good intentions are worth without enforceable obligations, so this agreement must move beyond mere words and good intentions. Without equity, there should be no deal."

AHF stands ready to support negotiators in reaching an outcome that is equitable, enforceable, and built to deliver, and welcomes the leadership shown by President Lula and Dr. Tedros in keeping the world's attention on that goal. It also calls on developed countries, and in particular European leaders, to prove at the negotiating table that their commitment to multilateralism does not begin and end with just words.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 3 million individuals across 50 countries, including the U.S. and in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Eastern Europe. In January 2025, AHF received the MLK, Jr. Social Justice Award, The King Center’s highest recognition for an organization leading work in the social justice arena. To learn more about AHF, visit us online at AIDShealth.org, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

The AHF Global Public Health Institute is part of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The Institute develops and advocates for evidence-based policy change to create a more equitable and effective global health architecture. With a focus on infectious diseases and health systems, it works to addresses critical gaps in global health security, equity, governance, law, and finance. To learn more, please visit our website: www.ahfinstitute.org, find us on Twitter at @ahfinstitute.