Geneva —Standing before a room of global health leaders in Geneva, Kenya’s Dr Ouma Oluga delivered a message with quiet urgency: Africa must stop depending on others to protect its people during health crises.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA), the Principal Secretary for Medical Services called for swift investment in local manufacturing of essential medical supplies, from vaccines to protective gear.
“We cannot afford to wait for others to rescue us again,” Dr Oluga said during a panel hosted by Unitaid, an international health partnership. “COVID-19 showed us, painfully, how dangerous that dependency can be.”
The panel, which included health ministers, global health agency officials, and policy experts, focused on how countries can better prepare for future pandemics lessons drawn from the disarray of recent years.
Africa, Dr Oluga pointed out, bore the brunt of supply shortages during the pandemic. Vaccines were slow to arrive. Protective equipment was rationed. The continent’s reliance on imports, he argued, left health workers and citizens exposed.
“This is not just about sovereignty,” he said. “It’s about survival.”
Yet Dr Oluga wasn’t advocating for Africa to go it alone. Far from it. In his remarks, he stressed that no country can tackle global health threats in isolation.
“We are too connected. What affects one region today spreads tomorrow. That’s why partnerships are not optional,” he said.
The panel discussion came just hours after the World Health Assembly adopted a new Pandemic Agreement pending ratification by member states. The treaty sets out new rules for cooperation, equity, and transparency in the face of future outbreaks.
Dr Oluga described it as a “step in the right direction,” adding that it could close dangerous gaps in access to life-saving tools. “We must not repeat the mistakes of COVID-19,” he said.
Unitaid’s Executive Director, Dr Philippe Duneton, echoed those concerns. “Health security begins with equity,” he told attendees. “That means building capacity everywhere, especially in regions that have long been overlooked.”
There was broad agreement in the room that local manufacturing is critical not just for vaccines, but for diagnostics, oxygen, and essential drugs.
However, building this capacity takes time, money, and political will. Many African nations, burdened by debt and limited budgets, face steep hurdles.
Some, like Rwanda and Senegal, have made progress with support from international partners. But experts warn that without long-term commitments, momentum could stall.
Still, for Dr Oluga and many others at WHA78, the message is clear: the next pandemic is not a question of if, but when. The goal now is to be ready on Africa’s own terms.
“We have the talent. We have the drive. What we need now,” he said, “is investment, trust, and a seat at the table.”
