FEATURED ISSUE
WHO seeking more power
The 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) is meeting in Geneva, Switzerland from May 27 through June 1, 2024. Why should you care? Because at this gathering, WHA may finalize global health regulations, specifically the Pandemic Treaty and the latest amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR), which could empower the World Health Organization (WHO) to dictate how resources for a future international health crisis (like another COVID-19 pandemic) would be handled. It appears that there is a 50/50 chance for at least one of these documents to be finalized by the time you read these words.

If you are in favor of your health being governed by power outside your home country, you will probably be encouraged by this shift in power to those with globalist goals. If your preferences are for having person health freedom, you will probably be hoping that your home country will decide to not participate in whatever the WHO gets finalized this week and/or during the next year. You may decide to check your favorite news sources this week to track everything involving issues like “Pandemic Treaty” or “International Health Regulations” or “IHR.”

ISSUE: What do I know about the WHO Pandemic Treaty and the recent amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR)?

AHHA strives to maintain a neutral position and views knowledge as power. For those interested in this month’s Issue, a few key articles have been selected to get you started in understanding this complex matter of health freedom.

Governments near agreement on package of amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (4/27/24)
World Health Organization
“State Parties to the IHR took a major step towards agreeing on the package of amendments which will be put forward to the World Health Assembly, which takes place from 27 May–1 June.”
‘The International Health Regulations have been the cornerstone of global health security for decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic showed the need to strengthen them in some areas to make them fit for purpose,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Countries are grasping this historic opportunity to protect future generations from the impact of epidemics and pandemics, with a commitment to equity and solidarity.’”

The Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly (updated 5/28/24)
World Health Organization
“The Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly is being held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 27 May – 1 June 2024. The theme of this year’s Health Assembly is: All for Health, Health for All.”
Pandemic prevention, preparedness and response accord
International Health Regulations: amendments

Proposal for the WHO Pandemic Agreement (5/10/24)
World Health Organization
[Colored coded recent revisions]

For WHO proposals
Remarks by HHS Secretary Becerra at the 77th World Health Assembly (5/28/24)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
“Let’s capture the significant progress achieved over the past two years and finalize the proposed amendments to the IHRs this week.”
“Those amendments—especially the tiered alert system—will immediately make a difference in improving global preparedness. Finalizing the IHRs will build confidence in our ability to work together and set the stage for a more constructive future on pandemic response. And, we can prove that the world is ready to respond in extraordinary ways to extraordinary events that threaten global health.”

How the World Health Organization could fight future pandemics (5/24/24)
by Emma Farge and Jennifer Rigby
Reuters
“The new IHR rules and the pandemic accord are designed to complement each other and views vary over whether one could exist without the other. Sources say the IHR talks are more advanced and more likely to pass, with negotiations close to completion.”
“Unlike the treaty, which would require ratification to take effect, possibly taking years, the IHR changes take effect automatically after 12 months unless countries opt out.”

Pandemic Agreement and Revisions to the International Health Regulations (May 2024)
O’Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law
“The pandemic agreement is a potential international agreement currently being negotiated by the 194 member states of the WHO to drive a more equitable global response to pandemics, safeguard national health systems, and enhance cooperation among member states during pandemics.”

Against WHO proposals
Governors, lawmakers and AGs team up to stop WHO from seizing more power over U.S. health decisions (5/28/24)
by Charlotte Hazard
Just the News
“Republican governors, attorneys general and lawmakers are working together to create maximum pressure to stop the World Health Organization from seizing new powers to impose decisions on the United States and other member countries during future public health crises.”
“The political leaders are warning that changes the WHO wants to make to its member agreements, which are generally supported by the Biden administration, would insert foreigners into the doctor-patient relationship here in America.”

The new pandemic treaty: Are we in safer hands? Probably not (2/22/24)
The BMJ
“Last week, a new draft of the pandemic treaty was released to member states with various revisions. When negotiations began more than two years ago for an international agreement on pandemic preparedness and response, it was hoped that this new treaty could lead to greater accountability from governments. Yet the treaty’s new sections outlining governance are a far cry from these aspirations and are a step backwards from previous versions.”
“The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response recommended that pandemic governance should be led by heads of state to ensure it receives the political attention it deserves. Yet in the new text, oversight of treaty compliance is left to member states through a ‘third committee’ of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the main decision making body of the World Health Organization (WHO). This third committee would supplement the existing two, ‘Committee A,’ which oversees programmes, and ‘Committee B,’ which is responsible for financial and administrative matters. All member states participate in these committees, but they are mostly attended by a technocrat or diplomat, who is very distant in the hierarchy from a head of state.”

WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Falters and Looks Set to Fail…This Year (5/28/24)
by Scott C. Tips
National Health Federation
“Given its complete and utter failure to competently handle the last pandemic, it was strange indeed to charge the WHO with any responsibility for managing the next pandemic unless and until the WHO is fundamentally reformed; and, even then, it would still fail since decentralized approaches to pandemics offer superior responses to medical crises. Placing all of the World’s eggs in one basket risks a major catastrophe for humanity should the one global medical response be the wrong one!”
“However, this week the WHA will still take up the proposed amendments to its International Health Regulations (IHR), the most important ones of which would enable WHO to shove medical decisions down the World’s throats, and the decisions would be made by one unaccountable person, the WHO Director-General?”

Who needs the WHO? (5/23/24)
Alliance for Natural Health
“Details of the proposals have changed, but the overall thrust remains the same: the goal is a global pandemic cartel that delivers customers to drug companies while anything questioning the legitimacy of such an arrangement is deemed ‘misinformation’ and snuffed out.”
“The Pandemic Treaty and the amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) have gone through several iterations—an updated draft of the Pandemic Treaty was just introduced last week. There have been some positive changes in the updated drafts, but the overall framework remains unchanged.”

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