What is needed to strengthen pandemic prevention?
Introduction
The UN will be convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2026 to adopt a new Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPR). This declaration will build on the first Political Declaration on PPR, adopted in 2023 during the UN High-Level Meeting (HLM), in recognition that COVID-19 demonstrated serious shortcomings at national, regional, and global levels in addressing health emergencies. The negotiation of a new Political Declaration will also reflect on the lessons of the Pandemic Agreement adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2025, and the need to develop complementary commitments, targets and actions. This short brief focuses on the specific commitments needed in the 2026 Political Declaration on pandemic prevention and One Health.
Context and Legal Framework
The upcoming Political Declaration on Pandemic PPR in September 2026 will set out aspirational targets and carry the political weight necessary to advance the global commitment to strengthen health governance. The 2023 Political Declaration on PPPR offered an initial framework for how pandemic prevention and the One Health approach should be integrated into global efforts to address future pandemics. The 2023 declaration explicitly acknowledges the value of the One Health approach, emphasizing the importance of fostering collaboration among human, animal, and plant health sectors, as well as the environmental and other relevant domains. This language paved the way for the inclusion of the One Health approach in the Pandemic Agreement.
The 2023 declaration goes further by recognizing the critical role of intersectoral cooperation, including among key international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) collectively referred to as the Quadripartite. The declaration’s recognition of the important role of the Quadripartite indicates member states’ expectation that this multisectoral challenge is addressed with the involvement of intergovernmental institutions across the human-animal-environment interface.
Member States have clearly affirmed in the 2023 political declaration that the One Health approach is vital, not only for preventing the emergence and spread of diseases, but also for enabling comprehensive monitoring and effective outbreak responses across human, animal, and environmental health systems, during both inter-pandemic and pandemic periods. The declaration makes it clear that achieving public health objectives and addressing the drivers of pandemics require concerted efforts by sectors beyond those concerned with human health and an exchange of best practices. In other words, the 2023 declaration calls for coordination across relevant stakeholders at both national and international levels.
The Pandemic Agreement, formally adopted by the World Health Assembly on May 20, 2025, explicitly integrates the One Health approach as a foundational principle in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response for the first time in a legally binding international instrument. Article 1 (b) defines One Health following the One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) definition. Article 4 requires countries, in line with their capacities, to establish multisectoral plans for the prevention of pathogen spillover at the human-animal-environment interface. This includes surveillance to identify and address the drivers of zoonotic pathogen spillover and enable communities to prevent, detect and report unusual public health events. Article 5 further encourages commitments by Member States to follow the One Health approach and consider the drivers of pandemics, as well as to promote human, animal, and environmental health, including through building workforce capacity at the human-animal-environment interface through joint training and continuing education programmes. Articles 4 and 5 both underscore the importance of implementation support, in particular in developing countries, including by relevant intergovernmental organisations upon the request of member states.
One Health & Prevention: Needs and Gaps in the new Declaration
The One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. It is essential for addressing complex health challenges, including the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance. The Pandemic Agreement’s annex on Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing is currently being drafted and negotiated by WHO Member States until the World Health Assembly in 2026. With the finalisation of this annex, the Pandemic Agreement will be open for signature and enter into force after the sixtieth member state confirms national ratification. As per Article 5.3 (a) the Pandemic Agreement calls on Member States to develop, implement and review national policies and strategies that reflect the One Health approach as it relates to PPPR. Additionally, to advance progress on operationalizing the One Health approach in tackling pandemics, gaps in the 2023 Declaration must be addressed in the new 2026 Political Declaration, with the aim of enabling effective national, regional and international implementation of the provisions within the Pandemic Agreement. These include the need for clear commitments to implement practical intersectoral collaboration, following animal welfare guidelines to enable prevention at source, commitments to support implementation as well as a stronger integration of the environmental sector. To operationalize a One Health approach to pandemics, the following are required, and should be reflected in the new 2026 Declaration:
- A commitment to support multisectoral coordination between ministries and agencies relevant to the One Health Approach to investigate, map, assess and reduce the risk of emerging infectious diseases globally. This includes surveillance of pathogen reservoirs, identification of risk factors that drive outbreaks so that the drivers are addressed, risk mitigation, forecasting, and early detection of potential outbreaks.
- A commitment to proactively improve prevention efforts against spillover and spillback of pathogens, including through the development and implementation of higher animal welfare standards to address, monitor and mitigate the drivers of disease outbreaks (such as intensive farming and biodiversity loss) and reduce the potential for zoonotic pathogens to proliferate, emerge and spill over.
- A commitment to strong global collaboration built on knowledge at community level as well as scientific evidence that can facilitate exchange of best practice, sharing of research data, increasing awareness of the need for animal welfare improvements, providing capacity building, and securing the necessary technical and financial support.
- Stronger commitments for financing and technical support to operationalize One Health.
- A commitment to develop and strengthen legally binding international instruments, national legislation and multilateral mechanisms for implementing the One Health approach and pandemic prevention measures addressing the root causes of disease emergence.
- A commitment to strengthen coordination across relevant international fora, instruments and organisations responsible for various stages of prevention at source, so that efforts in line with existing mandates are mapped against the evidence-based steps that are needed for effective pandemic prevention, in order to identify gaps and develop additional actions.
- Integration of One Health into pandemic preparedness and response aspects: equitable access to critical health products during emergencies and pandemics; innovation, manufacturing, technology transfer and pathogen access and benefit sharing to ensure accessible health products across the One Health spectrum including both animal and human vaccines; operationalize Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) framework.
- Recognize coordination and synergies with the Quadripartite One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH-JPA) 2022-2026 that provides policy and legislative advice and technical assistance to support setting national targets and priorities. It identifies six action tracks critical to prevent future pandemics and mainstream the One Health approach with focus on enhancing One Health capacities, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, emerging and re-emerging zoonotic epidemics and pandemics, and neglected tropical and vector borne diseases.
- Explicit recognition of antimicrobial resistance as a challenge to effectively prevent, prepare and respond to infectious disease threats, health emergencies and pandemics requiring the One Health approach to be holistically addressed.
- The International Health Regulation (IHR) amendments entered into force on 19 September 2025. Operationalize core capacities, national implementation, international cooperation, intersectoral coordination and equitable access to critical health products via the One Health approach in the 2026 Political Declaration.
Conclusion
The 2023 UN Political Declaration on Pandemic PPR, followed by the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement, represents a historical recognition of commitment for pandemic prevention at source through the One Health approach. The 2026 UN Declaration on Pandemic PPR comes at a crucial moment, in time to support member states in taking preparatory steps to develop and implement effective national and regional One Health policies and strategies until the entry into force of the Pandemic Agreement. The undersigned organisations respectfully urge member states to use the 2026 UN Political Declaration as an immediate vehicle for committing to prevention at the source via the One Health approach. This is a crucial step that cannot wait until the Pandemic Agreement is finalized, ratified and entered into force. Failure to act now risks leaving us vulnerable to another pandemic.
To translate aspiration into commitments that inform international legal instruments and national legislation, multilateral support and accountability mechanisms must be developed or strengthened. Integrating the One Health and measures to prevent pandemics at source as enforceable legal pillars in future PPPR frameworks, particularly within the adopted WHO Pandemic Agreement, will be essential to address future health crises at the earliest possible stage effectively and equitably.
This briefing was prepared and is supported by:
Action for Animal Health
Born Free Foundation
Brighter Green
Brooke Action for Working Horses and
Donkeys
FOUR PAWS – VIER PFOTEN International
Ecoflix
Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime
Health Diplomacy Alliance
International Coalition for Animal Protection
Pan African Sanctuary Alliance
Preventing Pandemics at the Source
PREZODE – Preventing zoonotic disease emergence
PROYECTO ARPA MEXICO
Proyecto ALA Animales Latino América
World Federation for Animals