African leaders look forward to a fair and just agreement on the pandemic and a high-level ministerial consultation for the intergovernmental negotiating body on the draft Agreement on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response.
Health Ministers of African Union member states met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on April 27, facilitated by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to drive this message home.
“We need the African opinion and voice to be heard because this is the only way to show that we are together,” said Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa CDC, opening the meeting in Addis Ababa.
All AU members were represented at the meeting for the first time and eight health ministers participated online.
“We decided to come and amplify the voice for the continent and the world,” Dr Kaseya said.
The pandemic agreement is a potential international agreement currently being negotiated by the 194 WHO member states, including the US. It is intended to address some of the capacity gaps and lack of international cooperation during the global response to COVID-19.
Africa CDC is not a negotiator. provides political, strategic and technical support to negotiators.
Dr. Mekdes Daba, Ethiopia’s new health minister who took office in February 2024, said the ministers were meeting at a critical moment in global health governance, where a pandemic had left a management gap in our collective forces, leading experts in the health sector to unforgivably reflect the world’s vulnerabilities.
“As we navigate these challenging times, we must learn from our past experiences and share the future of global health security,” said Dr. Dhaba.
Slyvia Masebo, Zambia’s Minister of Health, said the health of “our” people in our respective countries is a key component of economic and social development and our collective voices today should encourage unity around this common cause of achieving universal health coverage.
“Our voices today should lead to equitable access to pandemic-related health products, increased access to vaccines and diagnostics, ensuring no one is left behind, technology transfer, local manufacturing capabilities, and strengthening our health systems,” Masebo said.
Health Ministers finally agreed that the current Pandemic Agreement should ensure equality.
In a statement on 27 April, ministers mentioned the multilateral Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System (PABS), which provides legal certainty to both users and providers and ensures improved access to pandemic-related health products, technologies with measures establishing regionally distributed production of pandemic-relevant health products and measures establishing regionally distributed production of pandemic-related health products were required.
Ministers also called for coherent national and regional strategies for emergency preparedness, response and health workforce development, including the community health workforce. “Let us stand united in our commitment and ensure a fair and comprehensive deal on the pandemic for the benefit of all our people and a healthier Africa,” Masebo said.