WISMUN
2025
WHO
BACKGROUND GUIDE
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
AGENDA :
DEVELOPING RESEARCH ON SUSTAINABLE VACCINES
AND GLOBAL PREPAREDNESS FOR FUTURE PANDEMICS
BY : VARDAAN SHARMA & ANAYA SHAH
A Letter From The Executive Board:
Dear Delegates,
It is with immense pleasure that we welcome you to the World
Health Organization (WHO) committee at WISMUN 2025. This
year’s agenda — “Developing Research on Sustainable Vaccines
and Global Preparedness for Future Pandemics” — addresses
one of the most pressing global challenges of our time.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed global inequities in vaccine
access and preparedness. Millions remain unvaccinated due to
funding gaps, weak infrastructure, and misinformation. This
committee challenges you to think beyond short-term solutions
and explore long-term, equitable strategies for vaccine
research, distribution, and future pandemic response.
We encourage you to come prepared, not just with facts and
figures, but also with passion and empathy. If you have any
doubts or need any guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out
to us. We look forward to witnessing insightful and impactful
debate!
Warm regards,
Chair: Vardaan Sharma
vardaan5.sharma@gmail.com
Vice-Chair: Anaya Shah
anaya.shah@myglobal.school
Introduction To The Committee
Founded in 1948, WHO is the United Nations agency that connects nations,
partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the
vulnerable – so everyone can attain the highest level of health. WHO works
with 194 Member States across six regional offices to develop health systems,
set international health standards, prepare for and respond to global health
threats, and combat both communicable and non communicable diseases. As
a platform for international cooperation, WHO plays a pivotal role in shaping
evidence based health policies, coordinating emergency health responses,
and supporting countries in achieving universal health coverage.. As one of
the most influential bodies in the global health architecture, WHO
continuously adapts to emerging challenges to safeguard the well-being of
populations worldwide.
Introduction To The Agenda
The COVID-19 outbreak was indeed an important reminder of the vulnerability
of the global community to emerging infectious diseases and the urgency of
developing resilient and equitable health systems. While the WHO framework
continues to enhance global collaboration, this agenda will now focus on
strengthening research and development of sustainable vaccines—vaccines
that are not only scientifically advanced in their development but also
affordable and accessible for long-term use. More so, it seeks to consider the
biotechnology and intellectual property waiver aspects and measures that
can empower low- and middle-income countries to build their domestic
vaccine production capacity and reduce reliance on imports for future
pandemics.
History Of The Agenda:
Through the years, the world has become more mindful and more strategic
toward vaccines and pandemic preparedness. What used to be an immediate
response to each pandemic is now evolving into a coordinated long-term
strategy aimed at safeguarding all. In 2006, the WHO initiated a global
program on access to vaccines. By 2016 it was clear that many countries
really have not prepared themselves for the next outbreak. The Ebola and Zika
outbreaks were a wake-up call that birthed the Coalition for Epidemic
Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in 2017. CEPI now plans to develop vaccines
against emerging threats before these emerge massive, especially in
neglected areas across the world. It aims ambitiously, through its '100 Days
Mission', to develop a new vaccine within 100 days of a pandemic declaration.
Partnerships like CEPI-IQVIA will also help bolster clinical trial capacity in low-
and middle-income countries to ensure a faster and fairer response.
Current Issues:
Immunization Gaps in Middle-Income Countries-Each year, 66 million
children, half of all children globally, are born in middle income countries
that are not eligible for support by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Of these
children, 1 in 3 are not getting all the vaccines they need not only putting
their lives at risk but increasing the risk of outbreaks that threaten
regional and global health.
Delays in Vaccine Deliveries to Low-Income Nations-During COVID-
19,vaccine delivery schedules and contracts for COVAX, AVAT, and low and
low-middle income countries are delayed or too slow. Less than 5% of
vaccine doses that were pre-purchased by or for low-income countries
have been delivered.
Threat from Misinformation and Crises-Immunization efforts are under
growing threat as misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises
and funding cuts jeopardize progress and leave millions of children,
adolescents and adults at risk.
Cuts in Global Aid Funding-Global aid funding cuts, led by the United
States, are disrupting efforts to vaccinate children against deadly
diseases almost as much as the COVID-19 pandemic did, the United
Nations said on Thursday. Outbreaks of infectious diseases, including
measles, meningitis and yellow fever, have been increasing globally.
Inequitable Vaccine Access in Conflict Zones-U.N. experts said that
access to vaccines remained “deeply unequal” and that conflict and
humanitarian crises quickly unraveled progress; The data showed that
nine countries accounted for 52% of all children who missed out on
immunizations entirely: Nigeria, India, Sudan, Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia,
Yemen, Afghanistan and Angola.
Tensions between commercial and economic interests and public
health interests - In capitalist societies, developments towards
sustainable vaccines are often mired in conflicts between profit and the
right to public health. Vaccines need to be safe and durable while more
commercial priorities tilt the fast-track and profit orientation of vaccine
development against global equity. Wealthy nations secured early access
to COVID-19 vaccines, leaving others behind. COVAX has suffered from
hoarding and poor tech sharing policies. At the same time, innovations
such as nasal vaccines were disregarded, and regulatory systems
favoured large companies, denying smaller and poorer counterparts
much-needed assistance. As SARS-CoV-2 evolves into a "variant soup,"
relying on commercial booster strategies may not be viable. To truly
prepare for future pandemics, the global community must reshape
research, manufacturing, and regulatory systems to encourage fairness,
flexibility, and locally suitable vaccine development.
Towards a global public health “Value proposition”- To address
pandemics with effectiveness transformations from the Pharmaceutical
model based on profit to a public health equity based model. Current
systems favour large markets because they do not accommodate
underserved outbreaks and impoverished regions. In fact, many
sustainable solutions would require mobilizing new investment
approaches, a fairer distribution of risks and rewards, and including local
manufacture and innovation in LMIC. Thus, public health approaches
should replace the market driven model in preparations for future health
crises by global cooperation, equitable access, and shared technology.
Designing future epidemic and pandemic vaccines- Scientists are now
trying to move away from variants in developing a pan-coronavirus
vaccine that will aim at conserved viral sites common across all
coronaviruses, including ones that have not emerged yet. Despite the
promise offered, there are major challenges restraining the progress in
clinicals. CEPI and NIH are also moving forward with prototype vaccines
for several pathogens to allow rapid trial setups. However, faster vaccine
development may still favour high-income countries and jeopardize global
health security unless the profit-driven business model is reformed. Good
prioritization of pathogens and platforms with equitable distribution
must remain at the core of future pandemic
preparedness.
Past Actions
1. 23 September 2021:
Immunization Agenda 2030 Leveraging the global response to COVID-19 to
strengthen health systems and build back better: aims to halve the number of
children who completely miss out on essential vaccines - also known as zero
dose children, achieve 500 introductions of new or under-used vaccines in
low- and middle-income countries, and achieve 90% coverage for key life-
saving vaccines. Achieving those could help save more than 50 million lives.
2. 30 September 2021:
WHO mRNA Technology Transfer Hub in South Africa-In 2021, WHO launched
the first regional mRNA tech transfer hub in Cape Town (Afrigen Biologics) to
help African nations develop local capabilities for mRNA vaccine production.
3. March 2022:
The British government will work together with the Coalition for Epidemic
Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in launching their '100-Day Mission', which
aims at developing, within 100 days of identifying a future pandemic threat,
safe and effective vaccines against it.
4. September 2023: Researchers presented preliminary studies using
genomic analysis and artificial intelligence for the prediction of viral
mutations. Such a proactive modeling approach is expected to inform vaccine
design and improve efforts in pandemic prevention , that is, anticipating likely
evolutive changes in the virus so that scientists can prepare a more focused
and effective vaccine before outbreaks spiral out of control.
5. October 2024:
Eastern Mediterranean Regional Framework to Strengthen Immunization-
Launched at the regional WHO assembly, this framework aims to close
immunization gaps, such as limited access to vaccines for adolescent girls
(e.g. HPV). It calls for integrating immunization into primary healthcare and
building resilience in vulnerable settings.
6. January 2025:
the United States accepted Gavi with a bond of $1.58 billion over five years to
advance the cause of global vaccine equity. Most of that fund will be devoted
to the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator, a so-called initiative to help
build regional production capacity and so reduce reliance on imports and, in
future pandemics, enable accessing vaccines sooner and more equitably.
Possible Considerations For The Future
1. Strengthening Regional Vaccine Manufacturing Hubs
Encourage decentralization by creating vaccine production hubs in countries
like Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America to promote self-sufficiency and
reduce global dependency during supply chain disruptions and emergencies.
2. Improving Public Trust and Combating Vaccine Misinformation
Launch on going global campaigns to address vaccine hesitancy, especially in
low-trust regions.
3. Strengthening Early Warning and Pandemic Surveillance Systems
Invest in AI-driven and cross-border data sharing platforms to detect
outbreaks early. Build on lessons from COVID-19 and integrate these systems
into national health infrastructure.
Case Study:
WHO mRNA Technology Transfer Hub in South Africa:
In June 2021, WHO backed a South African consortium comprising AFRIGEN
Biologics, Biovac, academic centers, and Africa CDC in setting up the first
global COVID-19 mRNA vaccine technology transfer center in Cape Town. This
was intended to develop regional capacity for vaccine technology as well as
cut dependence on high-income producers.
Manufacturing of initial batches of first mRNA vaccines by Afrigen started
early in 2022, and the hub was able to develop its own laboratory-scale mRNA
vaccine, Afrivac2121, based on publicly available information. More
significantly, it has already trained scientists from more than 15 nations,
establishing a worldwide network of experts poised to tackle future health
emergencies. AFRIGEN produced technical small-scale batches of its own
mRNA vaccine between July and August 2021 based on publicly available
information.
However, at an April 2023 meeting, WHO identified a critical challenge:
sustaining mRNA manufacturing capacity in Low- and Middle-Income
Countries as COVID-19 vaccine demand subsides. Without new uses or
commercial prospects, these plants will be risked underutilization.
In addition, intellectual property (IP) rights uncertainty and freedom to
operate remain a challenge for Low- and Middle Income Country
manufacturers, including AFRIGEN. Although the hub stays out of patent
trouble using publicly accessible data, there are concerns regarding whether
or not these manufacturers can scale up production or export vaccines
legally without violating current patents—particularly outside of COVID-19.
Nevertheless, this initiative represents a major step toward fairer access to
vaccines and stronger pandemic preparedness across the world.
Looking ahead, the mRNA vaccine hub in South Africa is set to expand beyond
COVID-19 and help fight other diseases like HIV and TB. For this to work,
countries will need more trained workers, better labs, and easier rules for
sharing technology.
Questions To Be Answered By The Resolution:
1. How can global vaccine research be made more sustainable and accessible,
especially for low- and middle-income countries?
2. What funding mechanisms can be established or strengthened to support
long-term pandemic preparedness and vaccine R&D?
3. How can international cooperation be improved to ensure timely data
sharing, surveillance, and transparent communication during health
emergencies?
4. What role should the WHO play in coordinating global research and
response efforts?
5. How can the global health community promote the development and
equitable distribution of prototype vaccines for high-risk pathogens?
6. What steps are needed to strengthen regional vaccine manufacturing
capacity, especially in underserved areas like Africa and Southeast Asia?
7. How can intellectual property barriers be addressed to facilitate technology
transfer and local production of vaccines?
8. What guidelines should be developed to ensure ethical, rapid, and safe
vaccine testing during emerging outbreaks?
9. How can misinformation and public distrust in vaccines be countered
during future pandemics?
Bibliography:
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) Website:
https://cepi.net
CEPI provides extensive resources on vaccine R&D, the 100-Day Mission,
prototype vaccine libraries, and partnerships to improve rapid vaccine
development.
Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance Website:
https://www.gavi.org
Gavi’s site offers data on vaccine equity, COVAX initiatives, vaccine financing,
and global immunization programs.
World Health Organization (WHO) – Pandemic Preparedness and
Response Website:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/pandemic-preparedness
WHO publishes guidance, frameworks, and updates on global health security
and pandemic agreements.
The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) Annual Reports
Website:
https://www.gpmb.org/reports
GPMB offers annual assessments of global readiness for health emergencies,
highlighting key gaps and recommendations.
The World Bank – Vaccine Manufacturing and Health Systems
Strengthening Website:
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/health
Provides insight on financing regional vaccine production capacity and health
infrastructure in developing countries.
https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/slow-progress-safe-ammunition-management
https:/www.un.org/disarmament/convarms/salw/
https:/thearmstradetreaty.org/
https:/www.smallarmssurvey.org/
Resources for case study
Small Arms Survey (2023 Reports on Ukraine Conflict):
https://www.smallarmssurvey.org
Conflict Armament Research (Ukraine Ammunition Diversion Report):
https://www.conflictarm.com
UN SaferGuard Programme – Ammunition Safety Guidelines:
https://www.un.org/disarmament/un-saferguard
Reuters – Ukraine Depot Explosion (May 2023):
https://www.reuters.com
Image:
https://kyivindependent.com/satellite-image-shows-fire-at-ammunition-depot-in-russias-
voronezh-region/
