By Muhammad Amaan
The Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) has congratulated the World Health Organisation (WHO) Member States for reaching a landmark consensus on the draft Pandemic Agreement on April, 16 2025.
The pandemic agreement agreement was set to be presented at the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025.
It marks a significant global step toward a more coordinated, equitable, and accountable approach to pandemic preparedness and response.
“We are proud to have contributed to the Global civil society consultations and made input to the draft documents related to the negotiations and applauded WHO’s leadership, particularly the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), for facilitating inclusive and sustained negotiations over the past three years,” the organisation said in a statement.
Health Reporters Newspaper reports that the AHBN continues to play a strategic role in strengthening health security systems in Africa.
The AHBN has championed advocacy for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) as a critical element of pandemic preparedness, and have seen tangible progress at both national and regional levels.
As part of AHBN’s ongoing regional dialogue on health security, the organisation commissioned and launched a Regional Africa Accountability Framework on Health Security, “now adopted and used by civil society actors across the continent.”
The framework serves as a vital tool to track and advocate for the effective utilization of pandemic-related financing, including allocations from the Pandemic Fund.
As part of its advocacy efforts, the AHBN has also actively engaged the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in Nigeria to ensure pandemic preparedness is recognized as a core component of national security.
“Through this collaboration, we are advancing the integration of health security priorities into Nigeria’s broader national security agenda, a move that reinforces the importance of multisectoral coordination in pandemic response.”
“This milestone agreement reaffirms the critical role of civil society in shaping inclusive, resilient health systems.
“We commend WHO and all Member States involved in this process and reaffirm our commitment to supporting the ‘One Health, One Plan, One Budget’ approach, with equity and accountability at its core,” AHBN added.
