Countries hope more than three years of negotiations on battling future pandemics will finally end Tuesday, after reaching a preliminary agreement last week.

It has been more than five years since the Covid-19 pandemic began, killing millions of people and devastating economies.

Experts say an accord has become even more crucial with new health threats, ranging from H5N1 bird flu to measles, mpox and Ebola.

The negotiations had been scheduled to conclude last June, but were extended for a year in a bid to overcome disagreements.

The thirteenth round of talks started on April 7 as health agencies reeled from drastic foreign aid cuts by the United States -- the world's donor superpower.

Washington has not taken part in the negotiations, since President Donald Trump decided on his first day in office in January to begin withdrawing from the WHO.

- Accord 'in principle' -

Early Saturday, after five days and a full night of talks, Anne-Claire Amprou, the talks co-chair, announced that countries had reached "an accord in principle", pending final approval from capitals.

Delegations are to meet Tuesday behind closed doors at the WHO headquarters to finalise the text.

"A pandemic agreement is within reach," Catharina Boehme, WHO's assistant director-general for external relations, said on LinkedIn.

"After a very intense week of negotiations, including an all-night sprint, WHO member states are closer than ever to getting it done," she said.

"A pandemic agreement will give the world better tools to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the next pandemics."

If agreement is sealed, the text will be ready for final approval at the WHO annual assembly next month.

French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed the progress, saying a pandemic treaty "is creating a new system to better protect us," in a post on X on Saturday.

- Tech, sanctions -

One of the main remaining sticking points had been Article 11, which deals with technology transfer for production of health products for pandemics -- particularly to benefit developing countries, several sources told AFP.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, poorer countries accused rich nations of hoarding vaccine doses and tests.

Several countries with large pharmaceutical industries have meanwhile opposed the idea of mandatory tech transfers and have insisted on it being voluntary.

Another "remaining issue is language related to sanctions" under Article 13, said Thiru Balasubramaniam at the NGO Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), who has been monitoring the talks.

The text provides for the establishment of a global supply chain and logistics network to expand access to vaccines, treatments and tests needed to fight pandemics, or in humanitarian crisis situations.

However, in discussions on Article 13, countries have yet to agree on granting unhindered access to health products outside of the pandemics or humanitarian contexts, which would allow countries under international sanctions to obtain things like vaccines, tests and treatments.

(AFP)

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