WHO chief concerned over missing deadline for pandemic accord

The month of May is the scheduled deadline to finish negotiations and adopt a legally binding pandemic treaty.

Geneva: The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday voiced concern that countries may miss a May deadline to finish negotiations and adopt a legally binding pandemic treaty.

"I must say I'm concerned that member states may not meet that commitment," said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in an address to the global health agency's Executive Board.

"In my view, a failure to deliver the pandemic agreement and the IHR (International Health Regulations) amendments will be a missed opportunity for which future generations may not forgive us," he said.