Kenyan MPs, preoccupied with the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, missed an important global meeting focused on addressing vaccine inequity during pandemics. On Wednesday, parliamentarians from across the globe gathered in Berlin for a summit to endorse the World Health Organization’s Pandemic Agreement, which is still under negotiation.
This agreement, first proposed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta and 24 other world leaders in March 2021 following the Covid-19 pandemic, aims to strengthen global preparedness, response, and ensure equitable access to health services. Last week’s summit saw the leadership of UNITE—a coalition of parliamentarians and global health leaders—sign a statement affirming their commitment to these goals.
“Parliamentarians are the voice of the people and play a vital role in protecting public health,” said Ricardo Baptista Leite, President of UNITE. “The WHO Pandemic Agreement offers a unique opportunity to prevent future pandemics and enhance global response capabilities. By signing this statement, we are not only backing the agreement but also pledging to uphold its core values of equity, solidarity, and global cooperation in every country.”
The UNITE Global Summit, held in collaboration with the World Health Summit, brought together parliamentarians, civil society leaders, and health experts. The event aimed to turn discussions into tangible policy changes and focused on four main areas: human rights and equitable healthcare access, global health security, strengthening healthcare systems, and sustainable health financing.
One of the summit’s highlights was the signing of the Global Parliamentary Statement in Support of the Pandemic Agreement, underlining the essential role of lawmakers in ensuring global health security and protecting populations from future pandemics.
