Kenya Civil Society Organizations are appealing for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to strengthen the pandemic agreement ahead of its final negotiations to restore global health security and deal with future pandemics, emergencies and crises.
According to, Aids Healthcare Foundation Kenya (AHF), Country Director, Dr Samuel Kinyanjui, the latest pandemic – COVID-19 —with its wide-reaching social, political, and economic implications—showcased the importance of sustainable and equitable public health governance especially during pandemics.
Dr Kinyanjui declared the CSO’s opposition against the April 16th 2024 proposal for the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic agreement as a profit-driven agreement made at the expense of global health security.
“The April 16, 2024, Proposal for the WHO Pandemic Agreement has undergone extensive negotiations, resulting in a text that has been watered down and lacks accountability,” Dr Kinyanjui said adding that, “The recent iteration of the text is filled with platitudes, anemic in obligations, and devoid of any accountability with the proposal also criticized by The Lancet as “shameful, unjust, and inequitable,” fails to prioritize global health security over profit-driven interests.”
In December 2021, the World Health Assembly, the governing body of the World Health Organization, announced that it would “draft and negotiate a convention, agreement or other international instrument to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.” The goal was to create a binding international agreement that would compel countries around the world to take steps to prevent future pandemics and, should those efforts fail, to ensure smoother coordination in any future public health emergency.
According to WACI HEALTH, African Union Liaison CiSPHA coordinator, Fistum Lakew Alemayehu the world is still suffering from social and economic effects of Covid 19, with the Pandemic preparedness and response agreement seen as the world’s great chance to right the wrongs of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He observed that the new pandemic preparedness and response agreement draft is weak on practical actions to secure equitable access to medical products, and lacks the concrete measures needed to mandate the sharing of technology and know-how with pharmaceutical product developers in low and middle-income countries with essential clause which would waive intellectual property rules in pandemics remaining but it is framed as ‘optional.”
AHF and AHF Global Public Health Institute are expressing concerns that developed nations have defended interest of pharmaceutical companies over the collective common interest of achieving global health security.
“Under the present terms, only 20percent of pandemic-related health products are guaranteed to the WHO, leaving the remaining 80percent vulnerable to market forces. Such an arrangement will effectively leave 80percent of crucial vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics prey to the international scramble seen in COVID-19,” noted Dr. Kinyanjui, adding, “The statistics underscore the urgent need for equitable access to life-saving medical resources.”
The CSO’s say that pharmaceutical companies also disregard WHO pathogen and Benefit sharing system as they seem to want lower-income countries to share pathogens without any commitment to share medical products, technology, or knowhow in return.
“They don’t want to recognize that pathogen access and sharing benefit is a two-way street. If they want access to pathogens – and to profit from resulting countermeasures – they need to guarantee benefits in return and collective common interest of global health security.
Equally troubling is the absence of effective mechanisms for accountability and enforcement. “Equity will not be operationalized without effective mechanisms for accountability and enforcement,” emphasized Dr. Kinyanjui. The proposal lacks tangible provisions for monitoring and compliance, perpetuating past failures in global health security.
Calls for accountability have been widespread, echoed by the United Nations General Assembly and prominent international bodies. “Relying solely on state self-reporting mechanisms does not work,” stated Kinyanjui. The absence of independent oversight and clear enforcement frameworks undermines the agreement’s effectiveness.
He says that without financial commitment and strategy we are facing challenges of the past. He urged stakeholders not to forget past lessons because failure to get it right maybe of dire consequence to global health security.
Kenya Treatment Access Movement (KETAM, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), James Kamau, emphasized the need 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,” warned Kamau.
While, The Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN), Program manager Timothy Wafula said that Civil society’s participation in decision-making processes remains marginalized, despite their critical contributions during past health crises. “The voices of civil society remain marginalized in the decision-making processes of the WHO and its implementation,” remarked Wafula adding that “their inclusion is vital for meaningful participation and effective governance.
As negotiations enter their final stretch, the coalition of civil society organizations urges delegates to heed the warnings of experts and take decisive action. “Empty handshakes in Geneva will not prevent another global health disaster,” concluded Kinyanjui. The time for meaningful action is now.
