Africa Must Seize Pandemic Agreement for Equitable Access

The Agreement is a stepping stone for African countries to achieve a fairer and more just global health system, but for that, they must strategically engage in the upcoming negotiations.

After more than three years of negotiations, the World Health Assembly has recently adopted the Pandemic Agreement, a milestone worth celebrating. While the final text falls short of the ambitions set early in the process, it still marks a notable victory for public health and multilateralism.

For African countries, the agreement represents a cautious but important step forward. It acknowledges that the system, which allowed glaring inequities during past pandemics, such as COVID-19 and HIV, must change. However, it stops short of offering the binding guarantees needed to prevent history from repeating itself.

Equity Provisions: Laying the Groundwork

Since late 2021, African delegations, often united under the “Africa Group” banner, have played an active role in shaping the negotiations, pushing for concrete equity measures. Their efforts led to the inclusion of several progressive provisions, including on supply chain diversification, research and development (R&D) collaboration, increased transparency, and more efficient regulatory pathways.

These provisions offer a promising foundation for improved pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Still, many equity-related commitments are framed in aspirational terms, leaving too much room for wealthier countries to sidestep meaningful obligations.

Crucially, several key equity issues were deliberately left vague and deferred to the next phase of negotiations. This is where African countries must remain fully engaged and well-coordinated.

The Road Ahead

At the heart of this next phase is the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS), which will be refined by a newly established Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG). Starting on July 15, the IGWG will have one year to agree on how pathogen samples and related data will be shared, and, most importantly, how the resulting benefits, including vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments, will be distributed fairly.

PABS is widely seen as the central equity mechanism within the Agreement. Due to pushback from high-income countries, particularly the U.S. and members of the EU, on key issues like intellectual property and technology transfer, many equity demands have been channelled into the PABS discussions. This provides a unique opportunity since PABS is one of the few areas where African countries have concrete leverage to include access conditions.

While reaching consensus on PABS will be challenging, it’s only part of the job for the IGWG. Countries must also work through the practicalities of other mechanisms within the Agreement and develop rules and timelines of the first Conference of the Parties, which will consist of countries that ratify the Agreement.

Ratification Ahead

To enter into force, the Pandemic Agreement must be ratified by at least 60 countries. Each will need to complete its own national legal procedures, a potentially lengthy and complex process. African governments should begin this work now, working with legal teams and initiating the necessary steps for ratification.

Fast-tracking ratification will ensure that African countries have a strong voice at the first Conference of the Parties. Being at the table will be essential for influencing how the Agreement is implemented.

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us a hard lesson: without enforceable commitments, promises of solidarity remain hollow. African countries have already demonstrated unity, resilience, and strategic skills during negotiations in Geneva. Now, they must carry that same energy into the PABS talks and national ratification processes.