Efforts to draft pandemic treaty falter as countries disagree on future response

The World Health Organisation had hoped a final draft treaty could be agreed on at its yearly meeting of health ministers starting on Monday in Geneva (Anja Niedringhaus/AP)

A global treaty to fight pandemics such as Covid-19 is on hold after more than two years of negotiations as countries disagree how the world might respond to the next health emergency.

After Covid-19 triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organisation (WHO) vowed to do better in the future.