Nigeria seeks fair deal at World Health Assembly

As global health authorities gather for the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA), Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health and Welfare, Muhammad Pate, recommended the continuation of ongoing negotiations for a treaty on pandemics and review of the International Health Regulations.

Speaking at the opening plenary session on Tuesday, Pate stated that “Nigeria aligns itself with the Common African Position” as negotiations continue until a fair agreement is reached and concluded in a special session before the end of the year.

The 77th AMS will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 27 to June 1. Its theme is: “All for Health, Health for All.”

The International Treaty on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response or Pandemic Treaty is a proposed international agreement that is currently being negotiated by the 194 member states of the WHO.

The instrument, also called ‘the agreement’, aims to improve prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemics globally.

Setbacks in the pandemic agreement

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus had, in his opening remarks on Monday, expressed confidence that countries would one day reach an agreement on a pandemic after failing to reach an agreement last week.

Reuters reports that negotiators failed to produce a draft agreement on Friday for formal approval by the assembly this week.

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“Of course, we all wish we could have reached consensus on the agreement in time for this health assembly and crossed the finish line,” Ghebreyesus said in his opening remarks.

“I remain confident that we will still do it because where there is a will, there is a way. I know that there is still a common will among you to achieve this.”

Before the start of the assembly, organizations such as Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), a German political foundation, called for the adoption of the pandemic agreement, highlighting its importance for global preparedness and response to future pandemics.

Anja-Maria Rittner, research associate at KAS, said during a press conference attended by Newslodgethat “misinformation, waning interest and entrenched positions” are some of the challenges threatening the WHO negotiations related to the pandemic.

Rittner said there were rumors that the treaty would give the WHO the power to impose mandatory vaccination and lockdown. In January, WHO Director-General Tedro Ghebreyesus expressed concern that lies and entrenched positions would undermine negotiations on the pandemic.

“But an agreement will only be reached if Member States are willing to compromise and reject “fake news, lies and conspiracy theories,” said Mr Ghebreyesus.

He noted that the global disinformation campaign is driving the idea that the pandemic agreement and changes to the IHR “will cede sovereignty to the WHO and give the WHO Secretariat the power to impose lockdowns or vaccination mandates on countries.” .

Lessons from COVID-19

Reflecting further on the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria’s Minister of Health said it exposed the vulnerabilities of global health systems and highlighted the need for equitable access to healthcare.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of health systems in both developed and developing countries. It also challenged us to rethink the connection between health access and social justice, within countries and globally,” Pate said.

Furthermore, in her remarks on Tuesday, WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been renewed emphasis on reorienting health systems towards primary health care for advance universal health coverage and health security.

“This focus on primary health care requires investing more resources in health, and better and smarter investments,” said Ms Moeti.

“In the African region, the level of financing of domestic public resources for health remains inadequate compared to resource needs.”

About the pandemic agreement

In March 2021, the heads of state and government of the countries issued a declaration of commitment calling for global collaboration to prepare for, prevent and respond to pandemics.

In December 2021, WHO member states decided to launch a global process to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement or other legally binding international instruments to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

The final decision to adopt the instrument will rest with the WHO member countries. Once agreed, the instrument will be legally binding and rooted in the WHO constitution.