{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T17:49:46Z","timestamp":1790790586781,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]],"date-time":"2026-03-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773446400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]],"date-time":"2026-03-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773446400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Global Health"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The adoption of the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement in May 2025 marked a political commitment to stronger global pandemic preparedness. Its credibility, however, depends on the successful negotiation and implementation of the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex under Article 12, to be finalized by April 2026. The COVID 19 pandemic exposed the failures of voluntary global health mechanisms, as African countries rapidly shared pathogen samples and sequence data yet faced severe delays in access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. The PABS annex therefore represents the core test of whether the Agreement can move beyond symbolic equity toward enforceable obligations. This commentary argues that African countries enter the PABS negotiations with an unusual convergence of leverage: early scientific contributions, expanding regulatory and manufacturing capacity, and coordinated diplomacy through the African Union and Africa CDC. In a fragmented multilateral environment dominated by high income state interests, the central challenge is not recognition but conversion of capacity into binding rules. African negotiators have responded by pushing for standardized contracts, traceability of pathogen materials and sequence information, and compliance mechanisms that condition access on enforceable benefit sharing. Drawing on Africa\u2019s institutional readiness, the paper contends that the continent is positioned not merely to influence the PABS annex, but to co-design its operational architecture. Whether this potential is realized will determine if the Pandemic Agreement corrects past inequities or reproduces them under a new legal form.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12992-026-01190-3","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]],"date-time":"2026-03-14T13:03:30Z","timestamp":1773493410000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Africa\u2019s Critical Role in Shaping and Implementing the Pandemic Agreement\u2019s PABS Annex in an Era of Fragmentation"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Nelson Aghogho","family":"Evaborhene","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"1190_CR1","unstructured":"World Health Organization. World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement to make the world more equitable and safer from future pandemics. 2025. Available at: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/20-05-2025-world-health-assembly-adopts-historic-pandemic-agreement-to-make-the-world-more-equitable-and-safer-from-future-pandemics (Accessed: 20 May 2025)."},{"issue":"8069","key":"1190_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"841","DOI":"10.1038\/d41586-025-01967-3","volume":"642","author":"N Evaborhene","year":"2025","unstructured":"Evaborhene N. Missile defence won\u2019t prevent the health crises that rock global security. Nature. 2025;642(8069):841.","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"1190_CR3","unstructured":"World Health Organization. WHO Pandemic Agreement. Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly, Geneva, 20 May. 2025 Available at: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/gb\/ebwha\/pdf_files\/WHA78\/A78_R1-en.pdf (Accessed: 23 July 2025)."},{"key":"1190_CR4","unstructured":"Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. \u2018Communiqu\u00e9 from the African High-Level Ministerial Consultation for Intergovernmental Negotiating Body on the Draft Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Agreement\u2019, Africa CDC. 2024. Available at: https:\/\/africacdc.org\/news-item\/communique-from-the-african-high-level-ministerial-consultation-for-intergovernmental-negotiating-body-on-the-draft-pandemic-prevention-preparedness-and-response-agreement\/ (Accessed: 3 July 2025)."},{"issue":"6615","key":"1190_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"eabq5358","DOI":"10.1126\/science.abq5358","volume":"378","author":"H Tegally","year":"2022","unstructured":"Tegally H, San JE, Cotten M, Moir M, Tegomoh B, Mboowa G, Martin DP, Baxter C, Lambisia AW, Diallo A, Amoako DG. The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in africa: insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance. Science. 2022;378(6615):eabq5358.","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"1190_CR6","unstructured":"United Nations. 2021. Only 2% of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Africa. [online] Available at: https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2021\/09\/1099872 [Accessed 23 July 2025]."},{"issue":"2","key":"1190_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e011431","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2022-011431","volume":"8","author":"NA Evaborhene","year":"2023","unstructured":"Evaborhene NA, Udokanma EE, Adebisi YA, Okorie CE, Kafuko Z, Conde HM, Waliaula C, Mburu S. The pandemic treaty, the pandemic fund, and the global commons: our scepticism. BMJ Global Health. 2023;8(2):e011431.","journal-title":"BMJ Global Health"},{"key":"1190_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Evaborhene NA, Oga JO, Nneli OV, Mburu S. The WHO pandemic treaty: where are we on our scepticism? BMJ Global Health. 2023;8(6).","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2023-012636"},{"issue":"1","key":"1190_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1017\/jme.2023.59","volume":"51","author":"AR Hampton","year":"2023","unstructured":"Hampton AR, Eccleston-Turner M, Rourke M, Switzer S. Equity in the pandemic treaty: access and benefit-sharing as a policy device or a rhetorical device? J Law Med Ethics. 2023;51(1):217\u201320.","journal-title":"J Law Med Ethics"},{"key":"1190_CR10","unstructured":"Third World Network. WHO: Pandemic Agreement Adopted by Vote; All Eyes on PABS Annex, Third World Network. 2025. Available at: https:\/\/www.twn.my\/title2\/health.info\/2025\/hi250505.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com (Accessed: 6 January 2026)."},{"key":"1190_CR11","unstructured":"Africa Group, WHO Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement. Initial Submission of the Africa Group on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Instrument. 2025. Available at: https:\/\/apps.who.int\/gb\/igwg\/pdf_files\/IGWG2-initial-text-proposals\/Africa_Group.pdf (Accessed: 6 January 2026."},{"key":"1190_CR12","unstructured":"Third World Network. Developing countries call for standard PABS contracts under\u2026, Third World Network. 2025. Available at: https:\/\/twn.my\/title2\/biotk\/2025\/btk251201.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com (Accessed:6 January 2026)."},{"key":"1190_CR13","unstructured":"Agnew H, Smyth J. Moderna investors reject proposal to transfer vaccine tech. Financial Times. 2021. Available at: https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/731ae6a6-fa0d-4781-a6e3-0725e68ce060 [Accessed 23 July 2025]."},{"key":"1190_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Switzer S, Strobeyko A, Eccleston-Turner M, Aubry S, Rourke M. Negotiating pathogen access and benefit-sharing (PABS): Recommendations and priority issues. 2025. Available at: https:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=5383869 [Accessed 21 September 2025].","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.5383869"},{"key":"1190_CR15","unstructured":"Afreximbank. Africa announces the rollout of 400m vaccine doses to the African Union Member States and the Caribbean. 2021. Available at: https:\/\/www.afreximbank.com\/africa-announces-the-rollout-of-400m-vaccine-doses-to-the-african-union-member-states-and-the-caribbean (Accessed: 23 July 2025)."},{"key":"1190_CR16","unstructured":"Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) Framework for Action. 2022. Available at: https:\/\/africacdc.org\/download\/partnerships-for-african-vaccine-manufacturing-pavm-framework-for-action\/ (Accessed: 3 July 2025)."},{"key":"1190_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Duga A, Dereje N, Fallah MP, Angasa T, Bayih AG, Agbenu E, Ngongo N, Tajudeen R, Kaseya J. Strengthening national regulatory authorities in Africa: a critical step towards enhancing local manufacturing of vaccines and health products. Vaccines. 2025;13(6):p.646.","DOI":"10.3390\/vaccines13060646"},{"key":"1190_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Ndembi N, Mboowa G, Tessema SK, Tebeje YK, Kaseya J. The pandemic agreement: an African perspective, Nature. 2024;631:p. 505. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/d41586-024-02317-5. Available at: https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-024-02317-5 (Accessed: 6 January 2026).","DOI":"10.1038\/d41586"},{"key":"1190_CR19","unstructured":"African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC. 2025. Available at: https:\/\/africacdc.org\/appm\/ (Accessed: 6 January 2026)."},{"issue":"4","key":"1190_CR20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0003147","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0003147","volume":"4","author":"E Torreele","year":"2024","unstructured":"Torreele E, Sherwin H. Health equity requires transformational change: financial incentives based on worn-out market thinking will not deliver. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024;4(4):e0003147. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pgph.0003147.","journal-title":"PLOS Glob Public Health"},{"key":"1190_CR21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Clark H, Sirleaf EJ. The pandemic agreement is a milestone: now it is time for action in national capitals. The Lancet; 2025.","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(25)01178-X"},{"key":"1190_CR22","unstructured":"Evaborhene NA. America first and the fragmentation of global health: how Africa can reimagine its agency. Global Policy Journal, 6 November. 2025 Available at: https:\/\/www.globalpolicyjournal.com\/blog\/06\/11\/2025\/america-first-and-fragmentation-global-health-how-africa-can-reimagine-its-agency [Accessed 6 January 2026]."},{"key":"1190_CR23","unstructured":"Evaborhene NA. Pathogens, Power and the price of aid: why Africa must stand united, Global Policy Journal, 04 December. 2025. Available at: https:\/\/www.globalpolicyjournal.com\/blog\/04\/12\/2025\/pathogens-power-and-price-aid-why-africa-must-stand-united (Accessed: 6 January 2026)."},{"issue":"11","key":"1190_CR24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0005385","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0005385","volume":"5","author":"LO Gostin","year":"2025","unstructured":"Gostin LO. The Trump presidency: cascading global shocks on global health. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025;5(11):e0005385. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pgph.0005385.","journal-title":"PLOS Glob Public Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"1190_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.1093\/heapol\/czad109","volume":"39","author":"CP Ojiako","year":"2024","unstructured":"Ojiako CP. Innovative health financing mechanisms: the case of africa\u2019s unified approach to vaccine acquisition. Health Policy Plann. 2024;39(1):84\u20136.","journal-title":"Health Policy Plann"}],"container-title":["Globalization and Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12992-026-01190-3.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s12992-026-01190-3","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12992-026-01190-3.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T20:07:32Z","timestamp":1781640452000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1186\/s12992-026-01190-3"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]]},"references-count":25,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]}},"alternative-id":["1190"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12992-026-01190-3","relation":{},"ISSN":["1744-8603"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1744-8603","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]]},"assertion":[{"value":"17 October 2025","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"22 January 2026","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"14 March 2026","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics declaration"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"30"}}