Africa: The Race to Build a Pandemic-Proof World

Six years after COVID-19 claimed millions of lives and wreaked havoc on health systems and economies worldwide, humanity remains determined to learn from its mistakes. The pandemic exposed glaring inequities in access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments, with richer nations far better equipped than poorer countries.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that the global response was a mix of human ingenuity and failure. While vaccines were developed rapidly, the lack of preparedness left the most vulnerable with the least access to care.

Viruses, including COVID-19, do not respect borders, making outbreaks a global threat that necessitates international cooperation in surveillance, research, and development. Over 60% of emerging infectious diseases originate from animal hosts, underscoring the importance of rigorous surveillance at the human-animal-environment interface.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the stark inequities in vaccine, therapy, and diagnostic access. Closing this gap is crucial, as prevention, preparedness, and response must be treated as an international responsibility rather than a national one. The landmark WHO Pandemic Agreement, adopted in May 2025, marks a step forward, but the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex still needs to be agreed upon to ensure equitable access to medical supplies.

Once adopted by the World Health Assembly with 60 ratifications, the treaty can legally enter into force and establish a global supply chain, financial mechanism, and coordinated international action.