AHF, Stakeholders Urge EU to Back Health Equity in Global Pandemic Agreement Talks

From Dooshima Hir, Makurdi
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria, in collaboration with other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), has urged the European Union (EU) to support health equity in the ongoing global pandemic agreement negotiations.

The organisation cautioned that injustices witnessed during global health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 era, should not be allowed to recur.
The call was made during a press briefing on the WHO Pandemic Agreement and Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex negotiations on Tuesday.
Briefing journalists, the Country Programme Director of AHF, Dr. Echey Ijezie, urged EU leaders to stop blocking equity provisions and instead facilitate the conclusion of a fair and effective agreement.
He warned that a weak Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Annex could lead to a repeat of what he described as “vaccine apartheid” experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, putting countries worldwide at risk.
“The EU must stop blocking equity and get the agreement done. A weak Annex risks repeating the vaccine apartheid of COVID-19 while putting all countries at risk,” he said.
He stressed the need for the EU to align its position with the values of solidarity and fairness it publicly promotes by supporting mandatory benefit-sharing, legal certainty, and real accountability in the agreement.
According to him, a strong PABS Annex is critical, noting that it is not merely symbolic but essential to saving lives.
Ijezie outlined key concerns, emphasising that the PABS Annex should not be approved without adequate equity provisions, warning that weak commitments could perpetuate COVID-19-era inequalities.
He added that developing countries were demanding binding rules rather than voluntary arrangements, stating that clear and enforceable obligations were necessary to build trust and ensure fairness in global health responses.
The AHF official further noted that the EU’s position remained pivotal, as it could either unlock progress in the negotiations or weaken the final outcome.
He also warned that without equitable benefit-sharing, efforts by countries to strengthen regional production and achieve health sovereignty could be undermined.
He explained that advocacy efforts were focused on key EU powers due to the bloc’s central role in the negotiations, noting that a shift in its position could help break the current deadlock and ensure a more equitable global pandemic agreement.
President of Lawyers Alert (LA), Romy Mom, stated that issues concerning pandemics and human lives are too important to be commercialised, calling for equity and justice before the pandemic agreement is ratified.
He said, “When we collect pathogens, it is from all over the world, but when drugs and diagnostics are ready, you say the benefits should not be equal.
“Benefits should not be limited to the Global North in terms of licensing and distribution, while poorer countries in the Global South struggle to access them.
“When a pandemic occurs, it does not recognise licensing—it affects everyone. Therefore, the global framework must not be signed unless the annex ensures equitable access to drugs and diagnostics, since the pathogens used originate from across the world.”
Also speaking, the National Secretary of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), Martin Egbanubi, emphasised the right of every citizen to access healthcare and urged the government to prioritise the health needs of Nigerians.
Egbanubi, who is also the General Secretary of the Nigerian Allied Union of Health Workers, called on the government to invest in and commence local vaccine production to better respond to health emergencies.
“We must develop strategies for tackling health emergencies. It is not something to be taken lightly, because the next pandemic may not be as forgiving as the last,” he said.
He urged Africans to intensify advocacy efforts and invest in research and development to enable local production rather than relying on other nations.
A Board member of the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in West Africa, Gloria Asuqwo, stressed the need for CSOs to be included and granted access to the process and all relevant documents before the agreement is signed.
“Equity, justice, and fairness are essential. For the PABS Annex to be signed, everyone must be carried along in the process,” she said.
The Vice President, Zone D, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs. Chizoba Ogbeche, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to advocating for equity to promote inclusivity, diversity, and justice across all sectors.
Other speakers at the event included representatives of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPHWAN), Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ASHWAN), Association of Positive Youths Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, and the Nigeria Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS (NINERELA+).