Seal pandemic deal before Geneva talks: AHF Nigeria urges WHO member states

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has called on World Health Organization (WHO) Member States to urgently finalize a strong and binding Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Annex, warning that failure to do so could undermine global pandemic preparedness and repeat the inequities witnessed during COVID-19.

The appeal came ahead of the resumed sixth meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group (Part B) scheduled to hold in Geneva from April 27 to May 1, described as the “last scheduled opportunity” to conclude negotiations before the World Health Assembly in May.

Although the WHO Pandemic Agreement was adopted in May 2025, AHF Nigeria stressed that it “cannot advance without the PABS Annex,” which it said is crucial in determining “how pathogen samples and genetic data are shared, and how resulting benefits, including vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments, are equitably returned.”

In a statement, AHF Nigeria Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager, Steve Aborisade, warned of dire consequences if equity provisions are not firmly embedded in the agreement.

“Without a strong, enforceable agreement, the world risks repeating the failures of COVID-19, when inequitable access to lifesaving tools left many countries behind,” Aborisade said.

He added that, “the outcome of these negotiations will determine whether future pandemic responses, Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC), and interpandemic periods are driven by equity and cooperation, or by delay, exclusion, and inequality.”

AHF Nigeria outlined key demands for WHO Member States, insisting that the Pandemic Agreement must not proceed without enforceable equity measures.

Among its top demands is a binding PABS Annex that guarantees benefit-sharing across all phases, stressing, “No Equity, No Agreement.”

The organisation further called for “clear, upfront obligations” during pandemics, PHEICs and interpandemic periods, including “set-aside percentages of vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments; pre-negotiated licenses and technology transfer; annual financial contributions; and public access to non-commercial outputs.”

AHF Nigeria also emphasized the need for standardized contracts to ensure “traceability, accountability, and enforceability,” insisting such provisions “must be negotiated upfront by countries, not left to bilateral negotiations.”

On transparency, the organization declared, “No Registration, No Access,” urging countries to adopt mandatory user registration and traceability systems to prevent anonymous exploitation.

It also rejected proposals for a dual-track system, warning that “any ‘hybrid’ approach that separates access from benefit-sharing creates loopholes, weakens the system, and allows obligations to be bypassed.”

On intellectual property, AHF Nigeria advocated a public health-driven approach, stating that “non-commercial use should not create IP monopolies,” and that where IP arises, “licenses must be granted to WHO for sub-licensing, especially in developing countries.”

The organization noted that it had earlier joined forces with several partners, including Lawyers Alert, NAWOJ, JOHESU, NEPWHAN, and others, to push for binding equity provisions.

The coalition stressed that “those who profit from the system must contribute to the system,” adding that “participating manufacturers and all commercial users must be subject to mandatory benefit-sharing with real accountability and legal certainty.”

They also demanded “meaningful benefits,” including equitable access to vaccines and treatments, non-exclusive licenses, technology transfer to developing countries, and annual financial contributions from manufacturers.

Highlighting concerns over transparency, the coalition warned, “If we do not know who is accessing the system, we cannot hold them accountable,” criticizing the European Union’s stance, which they said “supports anonymous access, compromising system integrity and creating real biosecurity risks.”

AHF Nigeria described the upcoming Geneva meeting as a defining moment for global health cooperation. “We acknowledge that for all countries, this is, perhaps, the last major opportunity to shape a multilateral cooperative instrument,” the statement said.

It added that a fair agreement would ensure that “pathogen materials and genetic sequence information are not extracted from developing countries without the sharing of fair benefits