AHF, Partners Urge EU To Let Developing Countries Access Vaccines

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and other stakeholders in the health sector have called on the European Union (EU) to stop blocking countries in the Global South from accessing vaccines and other life-saving health technologies.

Speaking in Abuja, the partners urged global leaders to prioritise equity, justice and fairness in the distribution of vaccines and other medical interventions during global health emergencies.

AHF country director in Nigeria, Echey Ijezie, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) Pandemic Agreement adopted in May 2025 cannot be ratified until the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) Annex is finalised.

According to him, the annex establishes the rules governing the sharing of pathogen samples and genetic data used in the development of vaccines, diagnostics and treatments, as well as how the benefits derived from such systems are shared.

“The Annex establishes rules for sharing pathogen samples and genetic data used to develop vaccines, diagnostics and treatments, and how the resulting benefits are distributed. Negotiations are now at a critical stage, but major EU powers are resisting binding equity provisions,” he said.

Ijezie warned that time was running out as the final round of negotiations on the annex is expected at the end of March 2026.

“Failure to reach agreement could force a weakened compromise or delay the ratification of the Pandemic Agreement. What is decided now will determine whether the next global health emergency is handled more fairly than COVID-19,” he added.

He stressed that countries in the Global South would not support the agreement if provisions for equity are excluded.

“The Pandemic Agreement cannot be ratified without the PABS Annex, and the Annex should not be approved without binding equity provisions,” he said.

He also called for mandatory benefit-sharing arrangements for companies and manufacturers that profit from the system, including equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments, technology transfer to manufacturers in developing countries during health emergencies, and annual financial contributions.

Ijezie further warned that allowing anonymous access to pathogen systems could undermine transparency and create biosecurity risks.

“If we do not know who is accessing the system, we cannot hold them accountable. Mandatory user registration and traceability are essential to protect the system and prevent anonymous exploitation,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of including civil society in the process to ensure transparency and accountability.

Also speaking, the general secretary of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Workers (NUAHW), Martin Egbanubi, said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed major weaknesses in Nigeria’s health system.

“Nigeria was poorly prepared. We had serious gaps in health infrastructure and human resources. We even had to recall retired health workers—nurses, doctors, pharmacists, therapists and laboratory scientists—to return to the frontline,” he said.

Egbanubi stressed the need for Nigeria to revive local vaccine production capacity.

“In the past, vaccines were produced locally through a medical research institute in Lagos. Nigeria must begin to restart vaccine production and invest in research and development across the entire value chain so that we can produce our own vaccines rather than depend on others,” he said.

He also urged developed countries to support the Global South through fair partnerships, research collaboration and knowledge sharing.

President of Lawyers Alert, Romy Mum, emphasised the importance of fairness in global pandemic frameworks.

“When pathogens are collected, they come from across the world. But when the drugs and diagnostics are developed, access is restricted. That is unfair. A pandemic does not respect licensing boundaries; it affects everyone,” he said.

He stressed that benefits from global health systems must be shared equitably across nations.

Similarly, the national coordinator of the Nigeria Network of Religious Leaders Living with HIV/AIDS (NINERELA), Amber Itohan, called for greater inclusion of civil society in the negotiation process.

“It is important that equity and justice are guaranteed for all countries. No country is superior to another and no life is more valuable than another. Before any approval, there must be fairness and justice in the agreement,” she said.