Uganda Champions Vaccine Equity in WHO Pandemic Treaty Negotiations

Uganda’s Ministry of Health is actively advocating for equitable access to vaccines and pandemic benefits during ongoing WHO negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex. This comes as officials from around the world meet from April 27 to May 1 to finalize the document, essential for activating the WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted in 2025.

The push stems from bitter lessons of the COVID-19 crisis. While the US began Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations months before Uganda received its first AstraZeneca doses in March 2021, wealthy nations snapped up global supplies, leaving developing countries waiting. Production sites were nearby, yet high demand blocked timely access.

Developing nations, led by African voices like South Africa and Namibia, demand 20% of manufactured vaccines, legal guarantees for benefit-sharing, mandatory registration for users, and technology transfers. Burkina Faso echoed calls for clearer obligations and capacity-building to prevent repeats of past disparities.

Activists express frustration over resistance from the European Commission, Germany, and Switzerland. Diana Tibesigwa of AHF noted that without strong provisions, the agreement risks perpetuating COVID-era inequalities. Ann Lumbasi of Resilience Action Network Africa stressed Africa’s need for inclusion in decision-making and benefits from shared pathogen data.

Uganda’s Flavia Kyomukama of NAFOPHANU highlighted eroding trust: communities provide samples for research but see few returns. Africa, despite 25% of global vaccine demand, holds just a fraction of the market, leaving millions under-vaccinated.

These talks aim to ensure rapid sharing of pathogen materials and equitable benefits for public health, fostering a fairer global response to future pandemics.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)