WHO and global health update

What happened to “Nothing is agreed, until everything is agreed”?

April 17, 2024 – We are less than five weeks away from the 77th World Health Assembly, where votes are scheduled on the pandemic treaty and the amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR).

For the very first time, on April 17, 2024, almost three months after the deadline, we have seen the first draft of proposed amendments to the IHR (2005). Additionally, we have a new leaked version of the pandemic treaty that looks drastically different from previous drafts. Notably, both failed to be submitted in time, per the International Health Regulations, and neither should be up for a vote in May. But the World Health Organization is plowing ahead, having declared its own rules do not apply to them. The legality of the vote will surely be challenged assuming they move forward. 

Clearly, there’s an urgency to get something, anything in place, even if the documents look like Swiss cheese. 

In short, both of the documents have been seriously scaled back in content, but not in scope. We used to hear the phrase, “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,” but at this point it looks like all we’re aiming for is to agree to anything and fill in the details later.

You can’t chicken out now” -Precious Matsoso, Co-Chair, opening remarks, pandemic treaty meeting #9.[i]

There are very real risks if we do not reach an agreement in May.” –Pamela Hamamoto, U.S. delegate in charge of pandemic treaty negotiations, at pandemic treaty meeting #9 (emphasis added).[ii]

IHR amendments update:

The proposed bureau’s text of the IHR amendments is much more sparse than one would anticipate based on the submission of over 300 amendments and the culmination of 14 months of work to compile them.[iii] But the changes are still significant.

  1. A new “pandemic emergency” term is defined, which essentially broadens the scope of the IHR to pandemics that haven’t happened but are deemed “likely.” Is the potential pathogen “likely to” spread, overwhelm health systems, cause “social and/or economic and/or political disruption,” and require rapid response?  This is the veiled increase of the “PHEIC” from one single declaration to the ability to declare an emergency for a “likely” threat.
  2. A new IHR Compliance Committee would be created, “with a view to assisting States Parties to comply with their obligations and strengthen core capacities.” It is not spelled out how that will happen, nor have any limits have been placed on the committee.
  3. There are increased financial contributions, commitments, and promises called for throughout the document, especially to “assist” developing countries. Shockingly, China claims the status of a developing country. Equitable access to “health products” is a featured amendment throughout the document, meaning poor (“developing”) countries want more resources from rich countries – and they want that promise in writing.
  4. We already have a “National Focal Point” to communicate directly with the WHO about IHR implementation in our country. Amendments would add another office for the National IHR Authority, which would be responsible for making sure the IHR is implemented in the country.
  5. A new definition for a “product dossier” is added for health products submitted for marketing authorization on the global stage for “prequalification or emergency use listing.” This sounds eerily like a global Emergency Use Authorization.
  6. And while WHO Director-General  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus continues to say the WHO will not take over state sovereignty through these documents, we do see this new language:

“WHO shall collaborate with, and assist, States Parties, upon request, to the extent possible in…strengthening domestic legislative and administrative arrangements for the implementation of these Regulations. (Bolded language is new). 

Being a part of this agreement means changing U.S. law to be in line with WHO decisions, and there will be a new Compliance Committee to “facilitate and oversee” that process. 

The Working Group for the International Health Regulations (WGIHR) is meeting this week, April 22-26, with the intent of buttoning up this draft so the entire international focus can be on making sure the treaty draft will pass at WHA 77.

Treaty update:

The last pandemic treaty draft was released March 13, and another leaked around April 17, 2024. The latest draft is remarkably lighter than previous attempts. Some are referring to the new treaty draft as a “placeholder” document, where basically countries would agree to be bound to something even though the details aren’t worked out yet. It’s a blind agreement. The next, and presumably final, meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) that is working on the treaty, spans April 29 – May 10. 

The latest leaked “Proposal for the WHO Pandemic Agreement,” is very different from previous drafts. Many of the contested details have been removed, and instead there are promises that the blanks will be filled in after the treaty is adopted.

Here is a sampling of blank checks found in this leaked document:

  • Article 5.4: We want people = animals = environment, but we’ll tell you what that means later and coordinate it with a treaty that looks one way right now, but will look very different later.

“The modalities, terms and conditions, and operational dimensions of a One Health approach shall be further defined in an instrument, that takes into consideration the provisions of the IHR (2005), [to which over 300 amendments have been proposed and are not finalized] and is operational by 31 May 2026.”

  • Article 6.5: We’re going to check in regularly on how well you’re following our new rules under the watchful eye of a new around-the-clock global health governing body, once they form and set up their rules.

“With the aim of promoting and supporting learning among Parties, best practices, and accountability and coordination of resources, an inclusive, transparent, effective and efficient pandemic prevention, preparedness and response monitoring and evaluation system shall be developed, implemented and regularly assessed, by WHO in partnership with relevant organization, building on relevant tools, on a timeline to be agreed by the Conference of the Parties.”

  • Article 12.6: We want everyone to share pathogens with each other, as well as the monetary or other gains from them, but we know we can’t get everyone on the same page with this. So rather than sink the treaty ship, we’ll promise to figure it out after we agree on doing it regardless of what it looks like.

“The modalities, terms and conditions, and operational dimensions of the PABS [Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing] System shall be further defined in a legally-binding instrument, that is operational no later than 31 may 2026.

  • Article 13.2: We’re going to let the new global health governance body take over on deciding who has access to pandemic products through our new Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network.

“The Conference of the Parties shall, at its first meeting, define the structure and modalities of the [newly created Global Supply Chain and Logistics] Network…”

  • Article 13.6: We want to remove liability from manufacturers and distributors of vaccines and pandemic products at a global level, but we won’t put it in the treaty directly; it can be amended later.

“A multilateral system for managing vaccine and therapeutic related compensation and liability during pandemics shall be considered.”

  • Article 20.4: In addition to the Pandemic Fund at the World Bank, we want more “sustainable and predictable financing” especially for surge funds to poor countries. The new global health governance body will seek out promises for more funding from countries and organizations, and we’ll let them determine how to set that up.

“The Conference of the Parties shall adopt terms of reference for the [Coordinating Financial] Mechanism and modalities for its operation and governance, within 12 months after the entry into force of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.”

  • Article 21: We’re establishing a global health governance body completely separate from the World Health Assembly that can be in force all the time, and will decide on how it will govern itself, and how it will make sure countries are complying with the treaty. It can create additional subordinate bodies and dictate finances at will. 

“[I]t shall take actions, as appropriate, for the achievement of the objective of the WHO Pandemic Agreement…[it] shall by consensus adopt financial rules for itself…[and] may establish subsidiary bodies, as it deems necessary, and determine the terms and modalities of such bodies.”

  • Article 31: That independent global health governing body will be able to change the pandemic treaty and they will decide on the procedure for doing so and how fast it can happen.

“The Conference of the Parties may adopt protocols to the WHO Pandemic Agreement….The requirements for entry into force of any protocol, and the procedure for the amendment of any protocol, shall be established by that instrument.”

It’s also notable that the treaty proposes a lower threshold for adopting amendments to the treaty than the IHR already has in place. It puts into writing that States “shall make every effort to adopt any proposed amendment to the WHO Pandemic Agreement by consensus,” not by WHA vote. But in the case they must vote, oddly a three-quarters majority is required, which is more than the two-thirds required to pass the treaty to begin with. The amendments would go into force in 90 days, rather than the one-year process (shortened by 2022 amendments from two years) in the IHR. No mention is made that treaty amendments must be ratified by the countries. This can be read as: Once we pass this treaty and your country ratifies it, there’s no more input, so they can fill in all those blank checks at will.

But wait, there’s more! U.S. Global Health Security Strategy update:

In addition to the treaty and the IHR Amendments, the U.S. is hedging its bets by moving ahead with updates to its own Global Health Security Strategy, which looks very similar to the proposals on the global stage. This, however, is domestic policy that the U.S. does not have to run through the World Health Organization to implement. 

This document on its own is evidence we do not need a global health governance, nor a seat at the World Health Organization’s table, in order to influence global health policy, help other nations in need, and affect global health security. (Click here to learn about the WHO Withdrawal act, and urge your lawmaker to sign on if they haven’t yet!)

Here’s one stand-out goal of the updated U.S. Government Global Health Security Strategy of April 2024:[iv]

Translation: Everything becomes public health. Health security will span multiple agencies across the federal government, including defense. 

The One Health approach is significant because we have a government of enumerated powers. In other words, our government only has the power we give them. If an individual or an agency works outside of the scope they were assigned, it’s unconstitutional. One Health is the Midas Touch that turns everything into public health. 

Here is how the CDC describes One Health[v]:

The CDC explains that human population growth, climate changes, land use, and travel cause disease. You can see how this quickly swallows up basically every human activity into a health activity.

As Stand for Health Freedom revealed in an analysis of early-filed state bills in the 2024 session, the WHO claims jurisdiction over a wide variety of things. We found over 300 bills that pointed to the WHO as an expert in fields you may not expect: 

You can easily print and share our PDF “The invisible hand of the WHO in the states,” with friends and lawmakers, so they can get a visual grasp on what WHO does at the state level.

Here’s another excerpt showing the health policy mission creeping across the government:

And in case you still have any doubt about the security part of the global health security agenda, here’s one of the highlighted goals: 

Conclusion:

This is where we stand: Two potentially illegal votes are scheduled for the end of May 2024 at the 77th World Health Assembly. The proposed changes to the IHR have been scaled back in detail, but not in scope, as the addition of “pandemic emergency” as a “likely” threat expands the ability for the WHO to make declarations and recommendations, provide guidance, and require funds. Between the two treaties, we’d potentially have another point of contact on the shores of the U.S. to ensure implementation of the IHR, in addition to two new global bodies that would “oversee” and in some way “facilitate” compliance with WHO decisions. 

We don’t know what will happen at the WHA. We do know it is much harder to get the treaty passed than the IHR amendments. The treaty requires a two-thirds majority in the WHA and ratification by member states, in the U.S. that means two-thirds support of the Senate. The IHR requires only a simple majority vote in the WHA and no U.S. Senate involvement for it to become binding on the U.S. people. 

We also know that regardless of the IHR or the treaty, the White House is bound and determined to move forward with a global health security strategy all its own. 

Take Action

What do we do now? We wait; we watch; we vote. Keep informed about WHO happenings by checking our social media and getting our email list!


[i] “A/INB/9.” World Health Organization. March 28, 2024. Video, https://apps.who.int/gb/inb/e/e_inb-9.html., Agenda Item 1 & Agenda Item 2, part 1 video, around 6 minutes.

[ii] “A/INB/9.” World Health Organization. March 28, 2024. Video, 1:02:30, https://apps.who.int/gb/inb/e/e_inb-9.html.

[iii] “Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (WGIHR).” WHO. April 17, 2024. https://apps.who.int/gb/wgihr/pdf_files/wgihr8/WGIHR8_Proposed_Bureau_text-en.pdf.

[iv] “U.S. Government Global Health Security Strategy 2024.” White House. April 1, 2024. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Global-Health-Security-Strategy-2024-1.pdf.

[v]“One Health Basics.” CDC. September 28, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/index.html#:~:text=One%20Health%20is%20a%20collaborative,plants%2C%20and%20their%20shared%20environment.

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Jill Hines

Directory of Advocacy
A former banker turned homeschool mom, Jill Hines began researching alternatives to conventional medicine in 2010 and what she discovered changed the trajectory of her life. She corrected a worrisome health issue, and embraced a natural approach to wellness. Advocating for informed consent and parental rights became a full-time mission when she joined the board of the Georgia Coalition for Vaccine Choice and later became the co-director of Health Freedom Louisiana. Due to her advocacy efforts during the COVID crisis, Jill was one of 25 Louisianans selected by Central City News as “a hero of the constitutional crisis.” She was also presented the Impact Award for Outstanding Public Service from the government watchdog organization Citizens for a New Louisiana. Jill now represents hundreds of millions of Americans who experienced censorship due to the Biden administration's efforts to suppress disfavored speech as a plaintiff in the landmark lawsuit Missouri v. Biden. Jill holds a marketing degree from Louisiana Tech University and now passionately “sells” health freedom full-time. Serving as Stand for Health Freedom’s advocacy director provides an incredible opportunity to advance the growing movement to preserve the sacred right to refuse unwanted medical interventions for ourselves and our children without fear of retribution.
“We have lived through a terrifying societal, psychological, and medical experiment which afforded us a knowledge that our forefathers tried to impart and we can no longer ignore: Our freedom is tenuous. For our children’s sake, the time is now to take a stand for health freedom.”

Chrissy Scott

Executive Assistant and Social Media Manager

A labor and delivery nurse with a lifelong passion for maternal and fetal health, Chrissy Scott left her job of 19 years after learning the truth about the harms caused by the medical system. In 2009, she was mandated by her employer to receive the H1N1 vaccine during her first trimester of pregnancy with her second child. She was assured that the vaccine was “safe and effective” for pregnant women, but her son was born with a kidney defect that could have been fatal. She didn’t connect the dots to vaccine injury until several years later when the declining health of her oldest son drove her to seek answers outside of allopathic medicine.

This personal journey ignited in her a new passion for truth and transparency in health care. As SHF’s Executive Assistant, Chrissy facilitates communication and local advocacy initiatives alongside Leah Wilson for their home state of Indiana. She also manages and creates graphics for SHF’s social media accounts and the website’s swag shop.

Chrissy earned her nursing degree from Anderson University and served her entire career at her local hospital. While she’s no longer a floor nurse, her five very active boys frequently test her nursing skills! She homeschools her children and has been co-owner of a successful home décor sign business with her sister.

“Parents, being the experts on their own children, are best suited to make decisions for the well-being of their family. To do this properly, they must be given full and accurate information and be free from force or coercion.”

Ellen Chappelle

Writer/Editor

Ellen Chappelle serves as SHF’s resident wordsmith. A seasoned writer and editor, she’s enthusiastic about ensuring that our content is clear, concise, and inspiring.

Ellen is most energized by working on projects that transform lives. A truth seeker as well as a journalist, she’s disturbed by the lack of accuracy in today’s media and determined to help share fact rather than fiction. And having found greater healing with alternative approaches, she’s also passionate about preserving our freedom to make informed health choices.

Past projects include serving as regional editor of a dog magazine, color and trend specialist for a small cosmetics company, arts columnist, newspaper reporter, ghostwriter, and creator of website content for artists and small businesses.

With a degree in journalism and theatre, Ellen is also a performer. She enjoyed singing and dancing on a cruise ship and traveling with a national musical theatre tour, as well as recording industrial videos, television commercials, and radio voiceovers. She also creates handcrafted jewelry in wire, chain maille, and fused glass.

“Despite what some would have us believe, the fact remains that this nation was founded on biblical principles by people who wanted freedom to worship God and live their lives without government involvement. It’s never been more critical to fight for those rights.”

LEAH WILSON

Executive Director and Co-founder

An attorney with a background in complex litigation and advocacy, Leah Wilson is passionate about children’s health and has researched and worked on child welfare issues for more than a decade.

The overmedication of children in foster care as a form of behavior management is what compelled Leah to become an advocate and foster parent. During her time as a court-appointed special advocate for abused and neglected children, Leah witnessed the rampant use of psychiatric drugs among foster kids. She also discovered that, in addition to many extensive requirements, the state had a policy that all foster children and foster families be fully vaccinated, without exception. Through her involvement in law, health and the foster care system, it became abundantly clear to Leah that the single most important issue affecting child welfare in the United States is the practice of one-size-fits-all medicine via medical mandates. This motivated Leah to expand her advocacy beyond foster care to all children nationwide and to start Stand for Health Freedom (SHF) in 2019.

A graduate of the Saint Louis University School of Law, Leah holds dual bachelor degrees in political science and Spanish from Indiana University. In addition to her advocacy work with SHF, Leah is the owner and former operations director of MaxLiving Indy, one of the largest natural health centers in the Midwest. She is also an educator on holistic health as well as a sought-after speaker on issues ranging from religious rights to greening your home.

“Parental rights and religious freedom are God-given natural rights that cannot arbitrarily be taken away by government authorities. Parents are the single most important factor in a child’s success; I stand in full support of this sacred relationship.”

Sayer JI

Director and Co-founder

Sayer Ji is a widely recognized researcher, author, lecturer, activist, and educator on natural health modalities. Among his many roles, he is an advisor to Stand for Health Freedom, a reviewer and editor of the International Journal of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, an advisory board member of the National Health Federation, a steering committee member of the Global GMO Free Coalition, and the co-founder and CEO of Systome Biomed Inc., a revolutionary scientific validation framework.

Most notably, Sayer is the founder of Greenmedinfo.com, the world’s most widely referenced, evidence-based natural health resource of its kind. He founded the platform in 2008 to provide an open access, evidence-based resource supporting natural and integrative modalities. Today, Greenmedinfo.com has more than a million visits per month, serving as a trusted resource on myriad health and wellness topics to physicians, healthcare practitioners, clinicians, researchers and consumers worldwide.

Sayer attended Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where he studied under the notable American philosopher Dr. Bruce W. Wilshire. He received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy in 1995, with a focus on the philosophy of science. His new book, Regenerate: Unlocking Your Body’s Radical Resilience through the New Biology, was released in March 2020 and is an Amazon bestseller.

“I truly believe that education will be our greatest shield against accelerating the erosion of civil liberties, including the right to bodily sovereignty, as well as the greatest catalyst for positive change on this planet moving forward.”

Bailey Kuykendoll

Associate Director

Designer and visual marketer Bailey Kuykendoll began advocating for health and religious freedom and parental rights in 2014 after learning she was pregnant. A self-described skeptic, she’s not afraid to ask questions and do copious amounts of research to reach her own conclusions.

She’s also not afraid of hard work. As SHF’s Associate Director, Bailey truly keeps the organizational boat afloat. Working closely with our State Directors in each state, she ensures that SHF has calls-to-action for health-freedom bills and petitions on our website and across social media, spreading the word to encourage people to contact their legislators. She builds campaigns, graphics, website pages, and relationships.

Bailey earned a design degree from Harrington Institute of Design in 2008. She then served as a production assistant on several shows for HGTV, followed by working behind the scenes on the X Factor, small indie films, music videos, and documentaries. Bailey joined Health Freedom Florida after moving to the East Coast, becoming co-president of the grassroots organization in 2019. While at Health Freedom Florida, she successfully filed a state bill designed to stop discrimination based on your health status. She joined SHF in the fall of 2020.

“God placed a calling on my heart back in 2008 to be a part of something bigger for Him. Twelve years later, the opportunity came knocking to help others lean into their natural-born rights and take a stand for themselves and their families. I knew this is where I was called to be, and I have never looked back.”

Valerie Borek

POLICY ANALYST

Valerie Borek is a passionate advocate for health rights and family privacy. A mother of two with degrees in law and biochemistry, she is perfectly positioned to lead SHF advocates through complex health-rights policy. Her work is guided by a love for American values, uncovering truth, and a passion for empowering others. Valerie has served as SHF’s policy analyst since 2021.

Valerie’s understanding of the value of freedom to make one’s own health care choices is not just academic. Health freedom has kept her boys alive and thriving. Her choice to have home births jump-started her advocacy for health privacy. Her eldest son survived a rare and deadly cancer because her family was able to navigate medical care while holding onto values that were sometimes at odds with recommendations.

Before joining SHF, Valerie specialized in health and parenting rights at her boutique law firm, especially surrounding birth and vaccine rights. She advocated for informed consent in health care and transparent food labeling in her state. She helped found the Birth Rights Bar Association and was honored to present their argument to the Delaware Supreme Court that midwifery is not the practice of medicine, in support of a trailblazing midwife.

“Health is the foundation of how we show up in this world to love, serve, and create. Americans are blessed to live in a country that gets stronger the more we protect fundamental rights, like informed consent and privacy, so individuals and families can thrive.”

Mary Katherine LaCroix

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND NONPROFIT ADMINISTRATION

Mary Katherine LaCroix became involved with SHF as a volunteer in 2019 when the religious exemption for childhood vaccines was at risk in her home state of New Jersey. She believes strongly that parents have the responsibility for their children’s health, education, and faith formation and that only they have the right to make medical decisions and manage their care.

She has worked in fundraising for more than 25 years at various educational, cultural, human services, and political organizations. A graduate of the University of Scranton, she holds a degree in History and English Literature.

Mary Katherine is thrilled to have this opportunity to work with and help grow SHF, believing that together we can achieve even greater impact in protecting our rights and caring for our loved ones. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and large extended family, as well as volunteering to support the special needs community.

“Parents are taught that they must trust the experts. That’s what we did, until we learned that the experts can be wrong and don’t always know what is best for your child. Parents should instead feel empowered by their natural, God-given ability to advocate and care for their children. SHF is here to give them the tools to do just that.”

Sheila Ealey

Political Analyst

Dr. Sheila Lewis Ealey is the founder and former director of the Creative Learning Center of Louisiana, a therapeutic day school for children who are on the autism spectrum or struggling with other nonverbal intellectual disabilities. The wife of a former U.S. Coast Guard Officer, she is also the mother of four children. Her son was diagnosed with severe autism spectrum disorder at 18 months. He is now a young man and considered moderate and emerging.

Sheila and her twins were featured in the documentary “Vaxxed.” She has traveled extensively, advocating for medical freedom. She continues to educate disenfranchised parents about their fundamental rights to religious and philosophical exemptions, their ability to live sustainably on a limited budget, and the importance of nutrition and biomedical interventions for optimum health with autism. She also writes individual homeschool curriculums for parents of children with autism or intellectual disorders. Sheila is a trustee for the Autism Trust, USA, and on the board of directors of Children’s Health Defense.

Over the past 20 years, she has educated herself to use natural healing modalities for the body and brain. Her formal education includes degrees in communication, special education curriculum, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership in Special Education. Sheila serves as an assistant content advisor and political analyst for SHF.

“It is not the Constitution’s job to protect our liberties, as it is not a philosophical document but a legal one. Its purpose is to limit the powers and authority of our federal government in hopes of preventing an intrusion upon our unalienable rights. We are obliged to maintain our government within its limits.”

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