AHF Laos calls on Asia to lead the fight for health equity in WHO Agreement

Vientiane, November 1 - As part of the global Save Our Society (SOS) campaign, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Laos emphasises Asia’s critical role in advocating for equity in the World Health Organisation’s Pandemic Agreement negotiations, which are nearing their end.

With firsthand experience of the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact and the challenges of securing vaccines and other life-saving commodities, the region must seek to shape a framework that decentralises the approach to pandemic preparedness and response and protects all nations.
Asia’s economic and technological advancements uniquely position it to advocate for an equitable framework that will benefit the region and lower-income countries globally. The region’s existing manufacturing capabilities and cross-border partnerships in ASEAN offer an opportunity to increase health resilience across Asia and the Global South.
Country Programme Manager Dr Soulivanh said “The Covid-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in healthcare access, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where access to life-saving vaccines and supplies lagged behind wealthier nations. By advancing decentralised production and enforcing technology-sharing, Asia can lead the charge toward a fairer, more prepared global health framework.”
“Through a united commitment to equity, we can create a Pandemic Agreement that not only serves Asia but builds resilience for all, ensuring no region is left vulnerable in future crises,” Dr Soulivanh added.
SOS advocates are urging that the new Pandemic Agreement include:
•Regional Production Capacity: Concrete mechanisms to facilitate the local production of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics in the Global South. This requires a binding roadmap for the transfer of knowledge, technology, and long-term sustainable financing.
•Technology Transfer: Enforceable provisions that ensure technology transfer is not restricted to voluntary and mutually agreed terms but allows low- and middle-income countries the same flexibilities that rich nations like the United States, which can use non-voluntary means and ancillary measures to address public health emergencies and other crises.
•Sustainable Financing: The agreement must secure long-term, binding financial commitments from high-income countries to support pandemic preparedness and response in low- and middle-income countries. Voluntary contributions alone will not suffice.
•Civil Society Participation: Effective global health governance now recognises the crucial role of civil society and other non-state actors in decision-making processes. Embracing a governance model that includes their meaningful participation can enhance legitimacy, bolster accountability, and transform the global health security architecture into a more equitable and effective system to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to global health threats.
As pandemic negotiations reach a critical point, AHF calls on Asian nations to support a meaningful, enforceable agreement that promotes public health equity and builds a prepared, resilient future.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the largest global AIDS organisation and currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 2 million clients in 48 countries worldwide in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Europe.

By Advertorial Desk
(Latest Update November 1, 2024)