1 August 2024 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis

1. The global struggle for a pandemic treaty

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)

Topic: GS2 –  International Relations, GS2 – Social security – Health

Context

Despite extensive negotiations, the WHO’s 77th World Health Assembly failed to finalise the Pandemic Agreement, aimed at enhancing global pandemic preparedness and equity. Key issues include pathogen access, technology transfer, and the One Health approach. Amendments to the International Health Regulations were, however, successfully agreed upon.

Failure to Finalise the Pandemic Agreement

• Despite extensive political negotiations and high expectations, 194 WHO member states failed to finalise the Pandemic Agreement.
• This international treaty was aimed at strengthening global pandemic preparedness, implementing prevention mechanisms, and reducing inequities seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Significant Developments at the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA)

• The 77th WHA (May 27-June 1, 2024) in Geneva saw important developments in global health governance.
• A package of amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 was agreed upon, drawn from 300 proposals and negotiated over two years.
• The IHR amendments aim to enhance countries’ ability to prepare for and respond to Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC) and introduce a new category for urgent international response, a Pandemic Emergency (PE).
• Amendments emphasise equitable access to health products during emergencies and mobilising financial resources for developing countries.
• A National IHR Authority is to be created for better coordination.
• The WHA extended the mandate of the Pandemic Treaty negotiating body, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), with the goal of completing the agreement by the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025.

Contentious Issues in the Pandemic Agreement

• Three key issues remain obstacles to the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement: Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS), technology transfer, and the One Health approach.
• These issues are crucial for achieving a safer and fairer world but are stalled due to geopolitical discord and competing interests.

Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS)

• Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) is a central issue in the negotiations, arising from inequities in treatment access and vaccine distribution during COVID-19.

Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS)

Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) is a system designed to ensure equitable access to benefits derived from the use of genetic resources and pathogen samples. It emerged in response to inequities observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. PABS mandates that manufacturers using genetic information from pathogens provided by low- and middle-income countries share a portion of the resulting vaccines and diagnostics with these countries, promoting fairness and global health security.

• The PABS system aims to ensure that genetic resources and pathogen samples shared by developing countries are reciprocated with corresponding benefits such as vaccines and diagnostics.
• A proposal suggests that manufacturers using genetic information from pathogens in low- and middle-income countries commit to donating a portion of their products to WHO for global distribution.
• Low- and middle-income countries seek a guarantee of at least 20% of shared pandemic products, while many high-income countries argue that 20% should be the maximum limit.

Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property

• Intellectual property protections, hoarding, export restrictions, and manufacturing limitations contributed to vaccine inequity during COVID-19.
• Strong provisions for technology transfers and local production are necessary to prepare for future pandemics.
• Disagreements over governance of production and technology transfer have delayed negotiations.
• Conditions for technology transfer to facilitate sustainable and diversified production are contentious, with high-income countries advocating for Voluntary and Mutually Agreed Terms (VMAT).
• The ‘peace clause’ requiring respect for TRIPS flexibilities is also a point of contention.

One Health Approach

• The draft Agreement promotes a pandemic preparedness and surveillance approach recognizing the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health.
• High-income countries, especially the European Union, support One Health, while low- and middle-income countries view it as an additional burden on their resources.

What Is One Health Approach?

The One Health approach is an integrated, unifying strategy to address health issues at the human-animal-environment interface. It recognizes that the health of people, animals, and ecosystems are interconnected. By promoting a collaborative, multi-sectoral, and transdisciplinary approach, One Health aims to achieve optimal health outcomes. This approach involves the cooperation of various sectors such as public health, veterinary health, environmental science, and other relevant disciplines to monitor and control public health threats. High-income countries strongly support One Health, emphasising its role in pandemic preparedness and surveillance, while low- and middle-income countries often view it as an additional resource burden.

Implementation and Compliance Concerns

• The lack of robust compliance mechanisms in international law is a concern for the Pandemic Agreement’s implementation.
• The proposed Conference of Parties (COP) will review the agreement’s implementation and functioning every five years.
• The COP is expected to establish a monitoring and evaluation system consistent with the IHR.

Long-Term Goals and Future Negotiations

• A core aim of the Pandemic Agreement is to promote long-term and sustainable access to medical products by diversifying production and enhancing regional manufacturing capabilities.
• Issues of pathogen access and technology transfer are essential to the success of the agreement.
• The recent IHR amendments and ongoing Pandemic Agreement negotiations represent significant strides in international law.
• The upcoming negotiations are crucial for creating a more equitable and resilient global health system.

PYQ: Critically examine the role of WHO in providing global health security during the Covid-19 pandemic. (150 words/10m) (UPSC CSE (M) GS-2 2020)

Practice Question:  Discuss the key challenges and significant developments in the negotiations of the WHO Pandemic Agreement as highlighted in the World Health Assembly in 2024. (150 Words /10 marks)

2. AI needs cultural policies, not just regulation

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)

Topic: GS3 –  Science and Technology

Context

The future of AI requires balancing regulation with policies promoting high-quality data as a public good. Ensuring transparency, equity, and public trust in AI development is crucial. Leveraging vast cultural heritage data can enrich AI while fostering innovation and preserving history.

Ensuring Safe and Trustworthy AI

• To ensure safe and trustworthy AI, regulation must be balanced with policies promoting high-quality data as a public good.
• This approach fosters transparency, creates a level playing field, and builds public trust.
• Importance of Data: Data is crucial for AI development. More volume and diversity of human-generated text improve the performance of Large Language Models (LLMs). Data, alongside computing power and algorithmic innovations, drive progress in AI.

Data Race and Ethical Concerns

• Current Data Challenges: There is a shortage of digital content to meet the growing demands of AI. Current datasets are immense, but the supply of pristine text may peak by 2030.
• Public data contamination and feedback loops from LLMs exacerbate biases and deplete diversity.
• Ethical Issues: The race for data sometimes compromises quality and ethics. For example, the ‘Books3’ dataset contains pirated books used to train LLMs. The legality and ethicality of such practices are debated, but the lack of clear guiding principles is concerning.

Limitations of Current LLMs

• LLMs are often trained on a mix of licensed content, publicly available data, and social media interactions. These sources predominantly reflect an anglophone and presentist perspective.
• LLMs lack primary sources like archival documents, oral traditions, and inscriptions. These sources are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of human culture.

Potential of Untapped Linguistic Data

• Archival Documents: Countries like Italy have extensive archival documents that represent a significant reservoir of linguistic data. Harnessing these data could enrich AI’s cultural understanding and make it more accessible.
• Economic and Cultural Benefits: Digitizing and releasing these data could level the playing field for smaller companies and foster global innovation. It also preserves cultural heritage and supports historical research.

Advances in Digital Humanities

• Digitization and AI: Advances in digital humanities have reduced the cost of digitization, enabling efficient text extraction from printed and manuscript documents.
• Italy’s Digital Library Project: Italy allocated €500 million for the ‘Digital Library’ project to digitise its cultural heritage. However, the project has been deprioritized and restructured, reflecting a missed opportunity.

Lessons from Canada and Policy Implications

• Canada’s Official Languages Act: The policy requiring bilingual institutions led to the creation of valuable datasets for translation software, demonstrating the long-term benefits of such initiatives.
• Regional Languages and Technology: Recent debates in Spain and the European Union about adopting regional languages have overlooked the technological benefits of digitising low-resource languages.

Conclusion

• The digitization of cultural heritage is essential for preserving history, democratising knowledge, and promoting inclusive AI innovation.
• It is crucial to recognize and harness the potential of these untapped data sources as we advance in the digital age.

PYQ: Introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). How does AI help clinical diagnosis? Do you perceive any threat to privacy of the individual in the use of Al in healthcare? (150 words/10m) (UPSC CSE (M) GS-3 2023)

Practice Question:  Discuss the significance of balancing regulation with policies promoting high-quality data as a public good in the context of AI development and its implications for transparency, equity, and innovation. (250 Words /15 marks)