Afta many years of tok-tok, countries don finally agree on di text of one big agreement wey go help dem handle pandemics for future, so dem no go repeat di mistakes wey happen during di Covid-19 wahala.

Afta more than three years of discussion and one last long meeting, di tired delegates for World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters finally reach agreement around 2:00 am (0000 GMT) for Wednesday.

“Tonight na big milestone for our journey to make di world safer,” WHO oga, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, tok.

“Di nations for di world don make history for Geneva today.”

Five years afta Covid-19 kill millions of people and scatter economies, di tok-tok get urgency because new health wahala like H5N1 bird flu, measles, mpox, and Ebola dey show face.

Di final part of di negotiation happen while US dey cut foreign aid money and di threat of tariffs on medicine dey hang for di matter.

‘E don adopt’

Even till di last minute, disagreement still dey for some tough issues.

Di negotiators get wahala for Article 11 of di agreement, wey talk about how to transfer technology for pandemic health products go developing countries.

During Covid-19, poorer countries accuse di richer ones say dem dey hoard vaccines and tests.

Countries wey get big pharmaceutical companies no gree for di idea of mandatory tech transfer, dem insist say e suppose dey voluntary.

But dem manage settle di matter by adding say any transfer go dey “mutually agreed.”

Di main part of di agreement na di Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS), wey go help share pathogen data quick-quick with pharmaceutical companies, so dem fit start work on products wey go fight pandemics.

At last, di 32-page agreement dey fully approved by WHO member states.

“E don adopt,” di co-chair of di negotiation, Anne-Claire Amprou, announce, as people clap well well.

“As we draft dis historic agreement, di countries for di world don show say dem dey ready to prevent and protect everybody, everywhere, from future pandemic wahala.”

Di final text go dey presented for WHO annual assembly next month for final sign-off.

‘More equity’

As di intense tok-tok dey near di end late for Tuesday, Tedros join di negotiation, tell reporters say di current draft dey “balanced” and di agreement go bring “more equity.”

Even though di measures to prepare for pandemics fit cost money, “di cost of doing nothing dey bigger,” e tok.

“Virus na di worst enemy. E fit worse pass war.”

Di United States, wey don cut global health spending, no dey present.

US President Donald Trump don order di country to comot from di United Nations health agency and di pandemic agreement tok-tok since January.

But di US absence and Trump threat to put heavy tariffs on pharmaceutical products still dey affect di tok-tok, make manufacturers and governments dey fear.

But at di end, countries reach agreement.

Many people see di approval of di text as victory for global cooperation.

“For time wey multilateralism dey under threat, WHO member states don join hand to tok say we go defeat di next pandemic wahala di only way wey e possible: by working together,” former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, co-chair of di Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, tok.

As di congratulatory speeches dey continue till daybreak, Eswatini representative remind everybody say “as we dey celebrate dis moment, make we no relax.”

“Di real work dey start now.”