UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Countries try again to seal pandemic treaty after Ebola jolt

Q1. Which one of the following WHO bodies was established through resolution WHA78.1 with the priority task of drafting and negotiating the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement?

  • A. Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement
  • B. Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB)
  • C. WHO Executive Board
  • D. Standing Committee on Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response

Q2. With reference to the WHO Pandemic Agreement and its predecessor instrument, consider the following statements: 1. The WHO Pandemic Agreement is the second legally binding instrument adopted under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution. 2. The first such instrument was the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which was adopted in 2003 and entered into force in 2005. 3. The WHO Pandemic Agreement was the only WHO instrument in history to be adopted by a recorded vote rather than by consensus. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The WHO Pandemic Agreement is the second legally binding instrument adopted under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution.
  2. The first such instrument was the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which was adopted in 2003 and entered into force in 2005.
  3. The WHO Pandemic Agreement was the only WHO instrument in history to be adopted by a recorded vote rather than by consensus.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. In the context of the WHO Pandemic Agreement negotiations, the 'Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system' is best described as a mechanism to:

  • A. enable rapid, transparent sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and their genetic sequence information, together with fair and equitable sharing of resulting benefits such as vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics
  • B. provide concessional loans to developing countries for building pandemic-preparedness infrastructure
  • C. maintain and distribute a global stockpile of personal protective equipment during declared emergencies
  • D. harmonise national intellectual-property laws so as to automatically waive patents on all pandemic vaccines

Q4. With reference to the negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex, consider the following statements: 1. The seventh round of Intergovernmental Working Group talks on the PABS annex was held in Geneva in July 2026. 2. The outcome of the PABS annex negotiations is to be submitted to the Eightieth World Health Assembly in 2027. 3. WHO Member States agreed in March 2026 and again in May 2026 to extend the PABS negotiations beyond their original deadline. 4. The PABS annex was adopted together with the main WHO Pandemic Agreement in May 2025. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. The seventh round of Intergovernmental Working Group talks on the PABS annex was held in Geneva in July 2026.
  2. The outcome of the PABS annex negotiations is to be submitted to the Eightieth World Health Assembly in 2027.
  3. WHO Member States agreed in March 2026 and again in May 2026 to extend the PABS negotiations beyond their original deadline.
  4. The PABS annex was adopted together with the main WHO Pandemic Agreement in May 2025.
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q5. Which one of the following was the largest and most complex Ebola virus disease outbreak recorded since the virus was first discovered in 1976?

  • A. The 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak
  • B. The 2018–2020 Eastern DRC (Kivu) outbreak
  • C. The 1976 Zaire (present-day DRC) outbreak
  • D. The 2026 DRC–Uganda Bundibugyo virus outbreak

Q6. The Ebola disease outbreak declared by the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2026, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was that country's how-many-th Ebola disease outbreak?

  • A. 10th
  • B. 17th
  • C. 5th
  • D. 25th

Q7. How many members constitute the Executive Board of the World Health Organization?

  • A. 24
  • B. 34
  • C. 47
  • D. 194

Q8. With reference to the World Health Organization, the World Health Assembly is best described as:

  • A. the supreme decision-making body of WHO, in which all Member States are represented, that determines the Organization's policies and appoints the Director-General
  • B. a 34-member executive organ, technically qualified in health, that gives effect to WHO decisions and meets twice a year
  • C. the secretariat headed by the Director-General that carries out the day-to-day functions of the Organization
  • D. a standing panel of independent experts that advises the Director-General during public health emergencies

Q9. In which year was the Ebola virus first discovered/identified in humans?

  • A. 1967
  • B. 1976
  • C. 1981
  • D. 1995

Q10. The following are often listed together in discussions of filoviruses. With reference to the genus Ebolavirus, which one of the following is NOT a recognised species/member of that genus? 1. Zaire ebolavirus 2. Sudan ebolavirus 3. Bundibugyo ebolavirus 4. Marburg virus Which of the above is NOT correctly identified as a species of the genus Ebolavirus?

  1. Zaire ebolavirus
  2. Sudan ebolavirus
  3. Bundibugyo ebolavirus
  4. Marburg virus
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q11. With reference to the origins and aims of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, consider the following statements: 1. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed inequitable access to vaccines and therapeutics between higher-income and lower-income countries, which triggered the negotiation of a pandemic treaty. 2. The WHO Pandemic Agreement was the first legally binding treaty ever negotiated by the WHO. 3. A central objective of the Pandemic Agreement is more equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics in future pandemics. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed inequitable access to vaccines and therapeutics between higher-income and lower-income countries, which triggered the negotiation of a pandemic treaty.
  2. The WHO Pandemic Agreement was the first legally binding treaty ever negotiated by the WHO.
  3. A central objective of the Pandemic Agreement is more equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics in future pandemics.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. India's negotiating position on the WHO Pandemic Agreement, as articulated at the World Health Assembly, is led by which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • B. Ministry of External Affairs
  • C. Ministry of Science and Technology
  • D. Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers