Hi,

In global health, even labs are political. Especially if they sit at the crucial nodes of governance.

WHO member states are working to set up a new Pathogen Access Benefit Sharing system that is intended to work across labs and networks. It is the first such attempt to govern the access to pathogen information, and the sharing of benefits during health emergencies.

There are numerous discussions to understand current practices on how labs currently work across networks.

In this edition, we present a concept note on a WHO Coordinated Lab Network that was shared with countries earlier this month during the previous round of negotiations on the matter. We also take a close look at the WHO Biohub in Switzerland.

My colleague Anne Jomard, a scientist who has turned to writing, brings you this piece. We hope you find this useful and timely.

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More soon!

Best,

Priti

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I. IGWG UPDATE

The WHO Coordinated Laboratory Network (WCLN)

A WHO Coordinated Laboratory Network (WCLN) is under consideration to support the Pathogen Access Benefit Sharing system, under the aegis of the Pandemic Agreement. A preliminary concept note on such a network was shared by WHO at the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group held earlier this month, diplomatic sources said.

A network of networks

The WHO Coordinated Laboratory Network (WCLN) is envisaged as a “Network of networks” according to the concept note.

Providing an update on existing practices, WHO says in the note:

“Currently, there are at least 15 laboratory and similar networks coordinated across different WHO programmes. The specific roles, responsibilities, and activities conducted by these different WHO pathogen-specific laboratory networks reflect the technical areas they cover as well as the nature of their member laboratories. Some pathogen specific networks include WHO collaborating centres, which have the capacity to do advanced characterization, including pathogen propagation.”

It also states:

“WCLN will be built in a stepwise manner through use of two categories: (i) laboratories that are part of existing WHO-coordinated networks and accept/agree to WCLN terms and conditions, and (ii) laboratories that are proposed by a Party, or invited to be part, of an existing WHO pathogen specific laboratory network, provided that they fulfill the respective terms of reference of that network, and accept/agree to WCLN terms and conditions.”

In the coming weeks, WHO is expected to share the terms of references for labs that could become a part of the PABS system, for consideration by the IGWG at its next meeting during March 23rd-28th, 2026.

The concept note also adds: “…the WCLN is envisaged to be the constellation of relevant WHO pathogen specific laboratory networks, and their members, that agree to be part of the PABS System and accept/agree to WCLN terms and conditions. Existing WHO pathogen-specific laboratory networks and their member laboratories will maintain their current functioning and governance mechanisms.”

The note adds: “Not all the networks and laboratories listed in the Table at Annex 1 will necessarily become part of the WCLN; only those laboratories and networks that handle pathogens that are relevant to the scope of the PABS System will be invited to join, and WCLN will grow as needs are identified.”

Experts at Third World Network, who are relevant stakeholders in these negotiations, have cautioned that “…even if certain laboratory networks dealing with pathogens of pandemic potential are incorporated into the PABS System, numerous other pathogen-sharing arrangements will remain outside any structured benefit-sharing framework. In effect, significant cross-border exchanges of biological materials and sequence information may continue without corresponding equity safeguards.”

Activities of participating labs

Apart from complying with biosafety and biosecurity, and other requirements, the concept note also suggests activities that labs seeking to be a part of the WCLN must follow. These include “core elements” such as capacity strengthening; timely summary reports and updates on laboratory analyses performed on PABS Materials and Sequence Information (PMSI); crediting originating labs; supporting global public health preparedness and response; sharing of materials; uploading PABS genetic sequence information to WHO-recognized databases in a timely manner, among others.

Countries will need to negotiate and agree on each of these elements, and on the nature of the WCLN in the wider PABS structure in the coming weeks.

Below we use an AI tool to map the networks.