Speech by Minister of Health, South Africa, Dr Joe Phaahla, MP, at Senior-level Technical Meeting
Programme Director,
Special Advisor to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Professor Olive Shisana,
Norwegian Ambassador to South Africa, Ambassador John-Arne Rottingen,
Representatives of different Countries and Regions,
Representatives of Development Agencies,
Senior officials from the World Health Organization,
Members of the Senior-Level Technical Meeting,
Members of the Accelerator (ACT-A) Facilitation Council,
The ACT-A Civil Society Organisations platform,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
We warmly welcome you to South Africa.
It is an honour to join and open this historic meeting and particularly symbolic that it is taking place on Southern African soil and the African continent.
Let me begin by congratulating Professor Olive Shisana and Ambassador John-Arne Rottingen for their continued leadership and determination to make the world a better place by spearheading a process that builds on the lessons learnt from the global COVID-19 response. They have ably represented South Africa and Norway in the countries' capacities as co-chairs of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) Facilitation Council. We congratulate them and their teams for initiating and executing this critical gathering.
This meeting is long overdue. The broad and complex issues of equity regarding access to pharmaceuticals have a long history, and there are signs that threaten to cast long shadows into the future. However, an awakening has begun here in Johannesburg. Today, we will never again accept inequity in access to quality medical countermeasures.
I also wish to thank all the co-hosts and collaborators who have come together to respond to an urgent need for a global medical countermeasures platform: our fellow co-chairs of the ACT-A, Norway; the African Union; the European Union; the World Health Organization; Japan, India, the United States of America and the ACT-A Independent Evaluations Reference Group comprising of Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Nigeria, Sweden, and the representatives of the ACT-A Civil Society Organisations platform.
I would particularly like to thank the reference group members for the progressive work that was done in overseeing the ACT-A Independent Evaluation, which delivered a set of key recommendations that will take the world forward in terms of pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. The ACT-A Independent Evaluation is one of many studies that evaluated our collective and sectoral performances during the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe many references will be cited as part of your evidence-based deliberations.
I have had the honour of sometimes representing President Ramaphosa by presiding over ACT-A Facilitation Council Meetings. We should take a moment to reflect on the unprecedented nature of the ACT-A and its astounding achievements:
The first global pandemic response platform of its kind. It has raised at least 24 billion US dollars in less than 2 years. It deployed almost 1,9 billion doses of vaccines globally (of which more than 70% went to low-income countries). Further, it delivered 164 million tests and provided 276 million US dollars’ worth of treatments and oxygen supplies.
All of you in this room have played a leadership role in contributing to this collective effort. You sacrificed your time, sleep, livelihood, and sometimes even sanity to deliver on the mandates. I salute you all and particularly thank the co-chairs of the transitional ACT- A Task Force- India and the United States of America- for helping us wrap up the work of ACT-A while remaining vigilant for any signal of a possible surge.
I also know that the Task Force continues to focus on attaining the USA-led Global Action Plan's targets regarding reaching 70% global vaccination coverage, booster campaigns, test-and-treatment for vulnerable populations, ongoing risk communication, and community engagement. The ACT-A Task Force should remain in place in one form or another until a permanent global countermeasure mechanism is in place within a broader system for global pandemic preparedness and response.
The following two days should reflect on our performance in delivering equity in access to medical countermeasures- we have gathered to confront this issue as an acknowledgement that we came short in this regard. However, it takes maturity, vision, and excellence to strive for better future regimes towards an ideal world. This is an undertaking we have all made as we committed in various fora to the Sustainable Development Goals.
This meeting takes place amid a highly robust health diplomacy environment, our colleagues have identified at least fourteen medical countermeasure initiatives led by 12 entities or organisations at the WHO. We welcome all these processes because it ensures that all experiences and perspectives are captured for maximal inclusion.
We should have established a consensus by the time of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA). This means that global arenas like the World Health Assembly, G7, G20, and BRICS become critical stepping-stones towards the road to UNGA. At each step of the way, we must be getting closer to the ideals, closer to consensus, and we must take every opportunity to reconcile with the other global processes so that, in the end, we do land together on the same landing pad at UNGA.
You will be embarking on a robust conversation around four key issues:
- An assessment of the gaps and needs that are relevant to the establishment of a future medical countermeasures’ platform.
- Exploring an end-to-end medical countermeasure ecosystem.
- Coordinated delivery support for vulnerable countries and humanitarian settings.
- Financing during inter-pandemic times and day zero financing for surge response.
I encourage you all to take full advantage of the Chatham House rule status and engage frankly, robustly and with a determined focus on the task at hand. I cannot over-emphasise the critical importance of amplifying the voice of the Global South to ensure that we solve the realities, not assumptions.
What encourages us most is that this meeting also espouses the ideals of the African Union New Public Health Order. As part of its five pillars, the Order calls for Expanded Manufacturing of Vaccines, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics to democratise access to life-saving medicines and equipment. This is the rallying cry from Africa, and we are glad of this opportunity to lead the conversation on equitable access to medical countermeasures.
My message is simple, we must ensure that a future medical countermeasures platform delivers life-saving tools to the right people at the right time and place. Achieving this means protecting lives and livelihoods, advancing economies, and securing world peace and health security.
The stakes are high, but we are confident that this initiative is in the world’s most capable and expert hands. I am truly excited by the meeting of the world’s best minds in medical countermeasures and pandemic management. There is no doubt that this will be a fascinating and highly fruitful meeting.
I wish you all robust deliberations and thank you again for making the journey to South Africa. I hope you will get a little time to enjoy some of our world-famous attractions, and I wish you all safe travels.
We thank you for your audience.
