We need a pandemic agreement for all, not for the privileged few
Dr. PENNINAH LUTUNG | Saturday June 1, 2024 09:41
Yet, as the ink dries on a proposed World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement, a disquieting sense of déjà vu sets in. This agreement, intended to be a bulwark against future public health emergencies, threatens to become a monument to missed opportunities.
Negotiations, riddled with self-interest and a lack of transparency, are prioritizing the profits of pharmaceutical companies over the collective health security of the world, a chilling echo of the vaccine nationalism witnessed during COVID-19. The current draft of the agreement is a pale imitation of what's needed.
It's riddled with empty promises and lacks teeth to ensure equitable access to health resources during pandemics.
Wealthy nations, once again, seem more concerned with protecting the intellectual property rights of drug companies than with the lives on the line. This prioritization of profit over people is a familiar and tragic for African countries who bore the brunt of such disparity during COVID-19.
We, at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, stand alongside countless voices in the global health community, urging a course correction. A robust pandemic agreement is crucial, but not one that perpetuates the fragility of health systems in Africa and the wider Global South. Equity, not exploitation, must be the cornerstone of this agreement.
The prevention, preparedness, and response efforts for any future outbreak must prioritize fairness and accessibility to all nations. The memory of the early days of COVID-19 remains a stark reminder of the consequences of a fractured global health response. The scramble for vaccines, fuelled by a lack of transparency in data sharing and coordination, showcased the ugliness of vaccine nationalism. Wealthier nations hoarded resources, leaving many African countries grasping for scraps. They were forced to accept vaccines nearing expiration or wait at the back of the queue, a grim illustration of systemic inequity.
These failures demand a multi-layered solution. The WHO's Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, established to draft this agreement, presents a critical opportunity. The upcoming World Health Assembly in May 2024 could be a watershed moment – a chance to bridge the gaps exposed by the pandemic and craft a truly global response.
However, the current text falls woefully short. Key areas of contention, like pathogen access and benefit-sharing, research and development, and technology transfer, remain mired in disagreement. While we strive for consensus, we cannot compromise on a win for Africa, and by extension, a win for global health security. At the heart of our concerns is the urgent need for robust accountability mechanisms within the agreement, including independent oversight. Without clear enforcement frameworks and incentives for compliance, we risk perpetuating the inequities that plagued our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We call on world leaders to heed the voices of civil society and non-governmental stakeholders, who are advocating for tangible engagement in the negotiation process.
The proposed compromise for the WHO Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS) has been rightly criticized as "shameful, unjust, and inequitable" by other global health players as well. It prioritizes the interests of pharmaceutical companies over the fundamental right to health. Developed nations, once again, seem more concerned with protecting private monopolies than fostering collaboration and innovation to combat future pandemics. This approach is not just morally reprehensible, it's short-sighted. Pandemics recognize no borders.
A robust global health architecture benefits all nations, not just the privileged few. We urge world leaders to rise to the occasion. Let the upcoming WHO assembly be a turning point. Let us craft a Pandemic Agreement that is transparent, accountable, and equitable – one that prioritizes people over profits, and ensures cooperative and tangible engagement with civil society and non-governmental organizations.
The spectre of past pandemics may loom, but the future of global health security is still ours to write. Let us write it with equity at its core.
*The author is the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Africa Bureau Chief.