The management of the Covid-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call for all of humanity. We must support countries’ efforts to ensure a healthier and safer future for all. The Opinion written by Anjuli Webster and published on March 22 by the newspaper Fatshimetrie under the title “Pandemic preparations are unhealthy” raises concerns about ongoing global efforts to address gaps exposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Africa has been one of the continents hardest hit by the impact of Covid-19 due to inequality and lack of shared global values. It is crucial not to undermine efforts for cooperation and unity in a fragmented world.
In this article, the author suggests that little attention is being paid to the Pandemic Accord. Yet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has spearheaded a 2024 African Union Assembly agenda item on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
The Assembly adopted a common African position on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, clearly supporting the negotiations of the agreement and defining priority areas to ensure protection for African member states.
Governments are negotiating a new Pandemic Accord and strengthening International Health Regulations to make the world better prepared to prevent a repeat of the consequences inflicted by Covid-19. South Africa is participating in these negotiations as a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Union.
Webster’s assertions about “broken systems”, “centralized control”, “loss of health sovereignty” and “pouring funds” into pandemic preparedness at the expense of other health issues do not reflect the reality.
Webster’s criticism of the idea of investing in pandemic preparedness flies in the face of what countries on the continent are asking for in these critical global negotiations. Investing in strong health systems will support all health needs, not undermine them.
Rather than scrapping systems, WHO (with its South African partners) built local health capacity. The WHO-supported mRNA Hub in Cape Town was launched in direct response to this need. The current pandemic deal calls for “empowering and enabling community ownership and contribution to pandemic preparedness and resilience.”
Rather than centralizing power and seizing sovereignty, the proposed agreement insists that countries will always retain control over health decision-making, and the accusation to the contrary is absurd.
It is essential to have constructive discussions on these issues, not misinformation, and to make meaningful contributions, not misinformation. Covid-19 was a wake-up call for all of us. We must support, not undermine, countries’ efforts to deliver a healthier and more secure future for all of the world’s people. Let us not compromise efforts for cooperation and unity in a fragmented world.
Petro Terblanche, Managing Director of Afrigen Biologics, highlights the importance of cooperation and unified efforts to ensure global health security. Concerted actions and strong partnerships are essential to meeting current and future public health challenges.