Health Justice Initiative - HJI ...we also show that significant new policy shifts were made via these contracts on indemnification, intellectual property, and more. All without consultation or transparency.

Health Justice Initiative - HJI Why? Because the international system gave power in negotiations to the major pharmaceutical companies who held monopolies over the production of these medicines. They had the leverage they needed to extract these concessions in the middle of a crisis. There are alternatives...

Health Justice Initiative - HJI ... and secrecy was among the most powerful tools that concentrated power. Again, cooperation between states can address this.

Health Justice Initiative - HJI Important implications for World Health Organization (WHO) PAHO/WHO Africa CDC Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and others. Under the new pandemic agreement there are opportunities to do so. Time for action and planning is now, not when the next pandemic hits and the power dynamics play out in exactly this way again /fin

MUST READ: Law and power in pandemic negotiations: Policymaking via contract in SA dealings with COVID vaccine companies 🖋 Fatima Hassan Matthew Kavanagh [email protected] Luis Gil Abinader, @abinader.bsky.social 📲 tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10… Secret negotiations that were largely controlled by pharma co.s reinforced global inequality.

During the COVID pandemic, pharmacutical companies leveraged vaccine contracts to dictate policy on vaccine indemntification, IP and export controls to the South African government.

Among the most striking provisions in the vaccine contracts were those that required South Africa to make large, non-refundable, and up-font payments without committing the companies to delivery dates or volumes. These are *not* standard or good procurement practice.

South African negotiators objected, labeled these unacceptable, but they ultimately remained in the contracts.

Secrecy was among the most powerful tools that concentrated power:

'Access for the Privileged' SA Health Advocates Demand Competition Commission Reopen Vertex Investigation 1/2 of eligible cystic fibrosis patients in public & private health sectors still cannot access life-saving drug. healthjusticeinitiative.org.za/2025/08/07/acc… Vertex Save Us Just Treatment 💊

Access to life saving treatment should not only be for the privileged: SACFA and HJI call on the CompComSA to re-open the investigation into Vertex, for equal, equitable access to Trikafta. #accessNotsecured Download our FAQ here. https:// healthjusticeinitiative.org.za/wp-content/upl…