Nairobi — The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Africa has urged leaders from the Global South to demand equitable health measures in ongoing World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement talks.
AHF Africa made the call on Wednesday while hosting a virtual press conference as part of its global Save Our Society (SOS) campaign.
The organization emphasized the urgent need for binding commitments focused on technology transfer to boost regional production of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics which it says is crucial to ensuring lower-income countries are not left behind in future health crises.
"Establishing a regional production mechanism is vital--it will ensure that developing countries can independently produce and distribute essential health products during any health crisis," stated Guillermina Alaniz, AHF's Director of Global Advocacy and Policy.
"This will reduce reliance on wealthier nations and promote equitable access for all."
Alaniz stressed the need for countries in the Global South taking part in the ongoing Pandemic Agreement talks in Geneva to link the Agreement's Article 11, which addresses technology transfer, with Article 12, which focuses on the World Health Organization's Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing System (PABS).
AHF noted that such discussions should be done in addition to the annual financial contributions and the percentages to be set aside through benefit-sharing provisions.
'Profits above lives'
Speakers at the conference also underscored how the Global North continues to put pharmaceutical profits above lives, particularly in the Global South.
They called for the WHO Pandemic Agreement to include binding provisions that ensure technology transfer necessary to build health resilience in developing countries.
"It's not enough to claim equity without taking real steps to achieve it," Alaniz added, emphasizing that the current commitment of setting aside only 20% of pandemic-related products for 80 per cent of the world's population is inadequate.
"We need the inclusion of technology transfer provisions in the PABS to empower the Global South to produce these products during global health crises, ensuring a more equitable and effective response."
AHF Kenya's Country Program Director Dr. Samuel Kinyanjui highlighted the challenges African nations face in international negotiations.
Lack of preparedness
Kinyanjui said that one of the key factors that weaken African countries in negotiations is a lack of preparedness.
"African representation often arrives late and under-resourced, with teams lacking the legal and economic expertise needed to navigate complex treaties," he said.
Kinyanjui stressed the importance of including civil society in negotiations and presenting a unified front, rather than fragmented national positions that undermine collective bargaining power.
The Africa Director of the Pandemic Action Network, Aggrey Aluso, lauded the recent efforts by the Africa CDC to enhance African leadership in the negotiation process.
However, he cautioned that significant hurdles remain, particularly in securing clear support from African capitals and resolving legal ambiguities that could weaken the agreement.
"The negotiations are caught between conflicting interests--public health versus industry profits," Aluso explained.
Non-binding deals
He criticized high-income countries for pushing non-binding agreements and discretionary financing models that have repeatedly failed during past health emergencies.
Aluso also called out what he described as the double standards in global health financing, where he argues philanthropy-based contributions lack accountability and fail to meet urgent needs.
"Everyone talks about equity, but the real challenge lies in creating an equitable system. A philanthropy-based, discretionary system will never ensure true equity," he stated, urging both high-income countries and African states to invest in robust, accountable financing mechanisms for the Pandemic Agreement.
AHF Africa Bureau Chief Dr. Penninah Lutung challenged leaders from around the world to "turn words into action and ensure that everyone is safe"
She pointed out that African countries and other nations struggling to prepare for the next global public health disaster cannot afford a repeat of what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In December 2021, the Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) initiated a global process to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement, or other international instrument ('Pandemic Agreement') aimed at strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
After more than two years of negotiations, countries failed to reach an agreement by this year's World Health Assembly (WHA), leading the assembly to extend the mandate of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to continue negotiations until 2025.
The 11th meeting of the INB taking place from September 9-20, 2024, will make decisions that could reshape global pandemic preparedness and response.
About The Author
Bruhan Makong reports on security, human rights, and global affairs. He is passionate about uncovering the truth, amplifying the voices often drowned in silence, and holding those in power to account.
