CSOs Urge FG To Support WHO’s Pandemic Treaty
Several civil society organisations are urging Nigeria to support the World Health Organisation (WHO) Pandemic Treaty.
The treaty was designed to embed equity, cooperation, and human rights into pandemic preparedness and response.
The Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGOs), which is leading the call, said it has become clear that the global community needs to work together to ensure better preparation for future pandemics.
“In this light, we urge the Nigerian government to support the proposed pandemic treaty at the WHO that will embed equity, cooperation, and human rights into pandemic preparedness and response.
“The pandemic has exposed deep inequalities in our societies, and the impact has been particularly severe on vulnerable and marginalized populations.
“It is, therefore, essential that the pandemic treaty includes provisions to address these inequalities and ensure that everyone has access to essential healthcare and other services during a pandemic while ensuring it takes care of challenges experienced in this pandemic, especially on sharing of technology, decentralised production,” NNNGOs said in a statement by its Communications Lead, Oyindamola Aramide.
Other NGOs that joined in the call are the People’s Vaccine Alliance (PVA), a coalition of over 100 organisations working together for a people’s vaccine; and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), a network of over 11,000 CSOs organised in 58 national coalitions and constituency groups of women, youth and socially-excluded people, among others.
According to them, cooperation is also critical in pandemic preparedness and response.
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NNNGOs added: “No country can tackle a pandemic alone, and international collaboration is necessary to share knowledge, resources, and expertise. The pandemic treaty should, therefore, include provisions that promote international cooperation in pandemic response and preparedness.
Read Also: NCDC: Bilateral Collaboration Necessary For Health Security, Pandemic Preparedness
“Finally, human rights must be at the heart of pandemic preparedness and response. Governments must ensure that the response to pandemic respect and protects human rights, including the right to health, the right to information, and the right to participate in decision-making.
“The pandemic treaty must therefore include provisions that promote and protect human rights during a pandemic. We believe that the proposed pandemic treaty at the WHO is a critical step towards ensuring that we are better prepared for future pandemics.
“We, therefore, urge the Nigerian government to support the treaty and work towards its adoption. By embedding equity, cooperation, and human rights into pandemic preparedness and response, we can ensure that we build a more resilient and equitable world for all.”
The organisations are also involved in the COVID-19 Pandemic Anniversary Week of Action, which is a global event to commemorate the third anniversary of WHO declaring COVID-19 a pandemic.
The event aims to honour those who have lost their lives due to the virus, recognise the sacrifices made by healthcare workers and essential workers, and raise awareness about the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
NNNGOs is the first generic membership body for civil society organisations in Nigeria that facilitates effective advocacy on issues of poverty and other developmental issues.
Since its establishment in 1992, the organisation has worked to give non-profits in the country the needed support to keep their doors open and to serve millions of communities, families, individuals, and a variety of causes that critically need their intervention.
