Class in: Science and Technology, Sant
As part of a collaborative effort to overhaul the global health policy discourse, the AHF Global Public Health Institute, in collaboration with the University of Miami Public Health Policy Lab and AHF’s Africa office, released a major report, African Insights: Recommendations for the global pandemic governance and financing 2023.
The report presents eleven recommendations from a series of consultations with leading African non-governmental global public health experts and thought leaders on critical global health issues. In particular, this report provides recommendations on the management of global health financing, the WHO Convention on Pandemics, and regional pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPRP) strategies. It also highlights the importance of further integrating African voices into the global health discourse to ensure that the region’s specific needs and perspectives are adequately taken into account in global deliberations on pandemics.
World Health Organization member states are currently negotiating the content of the pandemic agreement, which lacks practical and effective accountability mechanisms. This consultation makes clear that without a strong system of accountability, it will be impossible to maintain equitable access to global public health goods before and during pandemics. Relying solely on the goodwill of countries has proven woefully inadequate in the past, and this will in turn have disastrous consequences, because empirical evidence and experience show that accountability and implementation mechanisms are essential components of ensuring that “such agreements are theirs Achieving the goal,” said Jorge Saavedra, executive director of the AHF Global Public Health Institute.
Given the uncertainty over whether the pandemic agreement will deliver on its promises, the report recommends that global health financing mechanisms adapt to regions to support a regionally driven PPRP approach. A particular focus is on strengthening regional institutions such as the Africa CDC and the yet-to-be-established African Epidemic Fund.
While we are cautiously optimistic about the progress being made through global efforts such as the WHO Pandemic Agreement and Fund, experience has shown that strong regional resilience is necessary to “protect the public health of African nations,” said Dr. Penninah Iutung, Head of the AHF Africa Office. The recommendations in this report represent a step forward in promoting a balanced approach that combines rational global action with an effective regional strategy.
The report also highlights that without adequate and sustainable financing for global health, it is unlikely that low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) will be able to develop adequate levels of PPRP capacity and resilience is available. To this end, the report makes a number of recommendations for the Pandemic Fund, the global financing mechanism established to provide LMICs and regions with significant resources to address PPRP gaps.
Among these recommendations, the Board of the Pandemic Response Fund is asked to work with the WHO Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, the body responsible for drafting and negotiating the pandemic agreement, to integrate its fund into the agreement. Instead of creating two additional financing mechanisms for the PPRP, as currently proposed in the negotiating text of the WHO agreement, the Pandemic Fund would become the official financing mechanism for the instrument for LMICs. Creating additional mechanisms for the PPRP with redundant functions to the Pandemic Fund and the established Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria could be counterproductive and damaging to the current global health financing ecosystem.
As the world continues to face health challenges, this report is aimed at policymakers ahead of important negotiations currently taking place at the global level.
About the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
AIDS Health Foundation The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global nonprofit organization providing cutting-edge medicines and advocacy to more than 1.9 million people in 45 countries around the world in the United States, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia. Pacific region and Europe. We are currently the world’s largest nonprofit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care. To learn more about AHF, visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and on Instagram: @aidshealthcare
The text of the press release resulting from a translation should in no way be considered official. The only authentic version of the Communiqué is the Communiqué in its original language. The translation must always be compared with the source text, which establishes the case law.
These press releases might also interest you
|
Press release sent on December 19, 2023 6:50 p.m. and distributed by: 