An African perspective on the interplay between international solidarity and vaccine equity

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between international solidarity and vaccine equity from an African viewpoint. The importance of international solidarity in addressing vaccine inequities has not been properly acknowledged. International bodies such as the United Nations have recognised and articulated both the concept of international solidarity and vaccine equity on a global scale. The patenting of vaccines as regulated by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) often increases vaccine inequities. Compulsory licences are used seldom, leading to calls for a temporary waiver on the WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property to enable developing states to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines. To advance vaccine equity during the pandemic, several initiatives such as COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) and the African Union (AU) COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Access Strategy were implemented. While COVAX relied on vaccine donations from developed states, the AU’s approach embraced international solidarity. International solidarity is frequently observed in soft and hard law instruments but not explicitly termed as such. The African approach to international solidarity views it as an obligation of justice; the principle of ubuntu provides useful insights on this concept. Recommendations in this article include forming a collaboration between the World Health Organisation (WHO) and WTO to manage vaccine patents, adopting legal instruments that recognise international solidarity as an obligation and implementing reparative justice. Reparative justice is a comprehensive recommendation since it enables states to manufacture vaccines, maintain their health systems and address patent rights and temporary initiatives simultaneously. As vaccine inequities stem from colonial legacies, it remains to be seen whether a stance will be taken against the powers of affluent states in anticipation of the next pandemic.