We need a pandemic agreement for all, not for the privileged few

Dr Penninah Lutung
Dr Penninah Lutung

The specter of COVID-19 still hangs heavy. Its brutal wake-up call exposed the gaping vulnerabilities in our global health architecture, particularly in Africa, where the pandemic laid bare the stark inequities in access to life-saving resources.

Yet, as the ink dries on a proposed World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement, a disquieting sense of déjà vu sets in. This agreement, intended to be a bulwark against future public health emergencies, threatens to become a monument to missed opportunities.

Negotiations, riddled with self-interest and a lack of transparency, are prioritizing the profits of pharmaceutical companies over the collective health security of the world, a chilling echo of the vaccine nationalism witnessed during COVID-19. The current draft of the agreement is a pale imitation of what's needed.


Editor's Comment
Depression is real; let's take care of our mental health

It is not uncommon in this part of the world for parents to actually punish their children when they show signs of depression associating it with issues of indiscipline, and as a result, the poor child will be lashed or given some kind of punishment. We have had many suicide cases in the country and sadly some of the cases included children and young adults. We need to start looking into issues of mental health with the seriousness it...

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