Civil Society faults Pandemic Agreement for health sector

The proposal, under the present terms guarantees access to 20% of health products during pandemic to the WHO, leaving the remaining 80% of crucial vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics prey to the international scramble.

Speaking on Wednesday during a press conference convened to address on equity and accountability of the proposal, Dr Samuel Kinyanjui, the Country Director of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) emphasized the need for a review to strike an equitable share in the provision of lifesaving medical resources.

"The provisions within this proposal limit access to life-saving vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics, leaving the majority of the world's population vulnerable and exposed.

As it currently stands, the proposal is a testament to the prioritization of profits over lives. Developed nations, hand in hand with pharmaceutical giants, have crafted a document riddled with platitudes, falling short of accountability, and fundamentally inequitable. This agreement, born out of least common denominator policymaking,” Kinyanjui stated.

James Kamau, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kenya Treatment Access Movement (KETAM), called for binding financial commitments to establish a robust pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response architecture.

 "Without binding financial commitments and a coherent long-term financing strategy, we risk repeating the failures of the past," remarked Kamau.

On his part, Timothy Wafula, the Program Manager at the Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN) underscored the essence of adjusting the proposal to establish document's vigor and mechanisms of accountability.

"The calls for accountability are not isolated; they echo across prominent international bodies and experts. The absence of independent oversight is troubling, as relying solely on state self-reporting mechanisms has proven inadequate time and again. The lessons of the International Health Regulations (IHR) should serve as a stark reminder of the perils of incomplete compliance," remarked Wafula.

As negotiations enter their final stretch, the coalition of civil society organizations urges delegates to heed the warnings of experts and take decisive action.

WHO member states are expected to vote on the final text of the agreement during the WHA meeting this year, which starts on May 27, 2024. 

If member states vote in favor, the agreement would be adopted as one of several different types of international legal agreements allowed under the WHO Constitution.