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Advancing African Medicines Agency through Global Health Diplomacy for an Equitable Pan-African Universal Health Coverage: A Scoping Review

Author

Listed:
  • Vijay Kumar Chattu

    (Department of Medicine, Division of Occupational Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
    Department of Public Health, Saveetha Medical College, SIMATS, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, India
    Institute of International Relations, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, St. Augustine 999183, Trinidad and Tobago)

  • Vishal B. Dave

    (TI Global Limited, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ, UK)

  • K. Srikanth Reddy

    (Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 5C8, Canada
    WHO Collaborating Centre for Knowledge Translation and Health Technology Assessment in Health Equity, Ottawa, ON K1N 5C8, Canada)

  • Bawa Singh

    (Department of South and Central Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda 15100, India)

  • Biniyam Sahiledengle

    (Department of Public Health, Madda Walabu University Goba Referral Hospital, Bale-Goba P.O. Box 302, Ethiopia)

  • Demisu Zenbaba Heyi

    (Department of Public Health, Madda Walabu University Goba Referral Hospital, Bale-Goba P.O. Box 302, Ethiopia)

  • Cornelius Nattey

    (Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Wits Health Consortium, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa)

  • Daniel Atlaw

    (Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Madda Walabu University Goba Referral Hospital, Goba P.O. Box 302, Ethiopia)

  • Kioko Jackson

    (Country Medical Services, Ministry of Health, Nairobi 00100, Kenya)

  • Ziad El-Khatib

    (Bill and Joyce Cummings Institute for Global Health, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali P.O. Box 6955, Rwanda
    Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Akram Ali Eltom

    (Former Federal Minister of Health, Transitional Government of Sudan, Khartoum 825109, Sudan)

Abstract

The African continent is home to 15% of the world’s population and suffers from a disease burden of more than 25% globally. In this COVID-19 era, the high burden and mortality are further worsened due to inequities, inequalities such as inadequate health systems, scarce financial and human resources, as well as unavailability of inexpensive medicines of good quality, safety, and efficacy. The Universal Health Coverage ensures that people have access to high-quality essential health services, secure, reliable, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines, as well as financial security. This paper aimed at addressing the critical need for a continental African Medicines Agency (AMA) in addressing the inequities and the role of global health diplomacy in building consensus to support the ratification of the Treaty of AMA. A literature review was done in Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE/PubMed, and Google Scholar search engine to identify the critical literature in the context of study objectives. All the articles published after 2015 till 2021 in the context of AMA were included. African Health Strategy 2016–2030 highlighted the importance of an African regulatory mechanism for medicines and medical products. Through global health diplomacy (GHD), the African Union and its partners can negotiate and cooperate in providing infrastructural, administrative, and regulatory support for establishing the AMA. The paper emphasizes the South–South cooperation and highlights the contributions of India and China in the supply of medicines and vaccines to Africa. A strong AMA created through GHD can be a vital instrument in utilizing Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) flexibilities extension and an ideal partner for European and other regional regulatory authorities seeking to stem the tide of counterfeit, sub-standard, or fake products.

Suggested Citation

  • Vijay Kumar Chattu & Vishal B. Dave & K. Srikanth Reddy & Bawa Singh & Biniyam Sahiledengle & Demisu Zenbaba Heyi & Cornelius Nattey & Daniel Atlaw & Kioko Jackson & Ziad El-Khatib & Akram Ali Eltom, 2021. "Advancing African Medicines Agency through Global Health Diplomacy for an Equitable Pan-African Universal Health Coverage: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-22, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:22:p:11758-:d:675323
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Priya Gauttam & Bawa Singh & Jaspal Kaur, 2020. "COVID-19 and Chinese Global Health Diplomacy: Geopolitical Opportunity for China’s Hegemony?," Millennial Asia, , vol. 11(3), pages 318-340, December.
    2. Fazal, Tanisha M., 2020. "Health Diplomacy in Pandemical Times," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 74(S1), pages 78-97, December.
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