A COALITION of Africa scientists has raised alarm over the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) plans for a new pandemic treaty, accusing the organisation of adopting a ‘colonialist’ approach. The proposed treaty, aimed at enhancing global preparedness for future health crises, has sparked controversy within the scientific community.
The WHO, which faced criticism for its handling of the Covid pandemic, is considering up to 300 amendments to its legally-binding rulebook. However, concerns have been raised by the Pan-African Epidemic and Pandemic Working Group regarding certain measures that could grant the WHO unprecedented authority over member states during pandemics.
According to the coalition, one of the contentious measures in the treaty empowers the WHO to enforce recommendations such as vaccine passports and border closures, potentially leading to lockdowns imposed at the whim of the UN agency. Dr. Maria Nkengasong, a member of the Pan-African Epidemic and Pandemic Working Group, voiced their concern, stating, ‘Lockdowns are a class-based and unscientific instrument that cause significant harm to low-income nations.’
Instead of prioritising lockdowns, the coalition emphasises the importance of African nations tackling their own major health needs, including diseases like cholera, yellow fever, and malaria. Dr. Kwame Akuffo, another member of the coalition, stressed, ‘These plans threaten our health sovereignty and economic independence. African nations should have the autonomy to address their health challenges without external interference.’
Reginald Oduor, a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, condemned the proposed treaty as a form of ‘health imperialism,’ perpetuating Western dominance in global health governance. He advocates for a decentralised approach to health knowledge, where every society has the right to develop its own innovations. Oduor stated, ‘It is health imperialism to subjugate knowledge from other parts of the world and think medical innovations and knowledge about Covid or other pandemics have to come from Geneva or the developed countries.’
Under the draft treaty, countries would be obliged to follow WHO recommendations in their international public health response, raising concerns about the erosion of national autonomy. The treaty aims to prevent a repeat of the ‘vaccine apartheid’ witnessed during the Covid pandemic, where access to vaccines and drugs was highly unequal among nations.
The WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) group is expected to finalise the amendments package for presentation at the 77th World Health Assembly in May. However, calls for a review of the proposed treaty’s provisions persist, with African scientists urging a more inclusive and equitable approach to global health governance.