EU Efforts to Increase the Pandemic Preparedness on a Global Scale Before the COVID-19 Outbreak

Olga S. Kulkova ()
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Olga S. Kulkova: Russian Academy of Sciences

A chapter in Africa and the Formation of the New System of International Relations—Vol. II, 2023, pp 251-268 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The pandemic of COVID-19 intensified cooperation between the EU and Africa in the sphere of healthcare, as well as humanitarian cooperation and scientific dialogue. EU also increased immediate humanitarian assistance to Africa during the pandemic. EU developed new mechanisms and updated existing ones to help Africa overcome the coronavirus pandemic. Main financial, material and logistical support to Africa for these aims were invested under the aegis of the “Team Europe” Initiative, launched in 2020. Other important formats of healthcare and scientific EU cooperation with Africa are the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and «Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator» (and COVAX as its pillar). The European Commission supports «Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator», a global collaboration to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. However, the question of providing vaccines to Africa remains very acute, which generates speculations about the EU “vaccine nationalism”. It should be noted that South Africa and dozens of developing countries have been calling for quite a long time already for the developed countries to waive the intellectual property rights to COVID-19 vaccines in order to increase their production outside of European countries and the United States for the sake of expanding global access to vaccines. EU remains opposed to this idea and pushed for its own solution of the problem. This global health crisis is a reason for the EU to reshape its relations with Africa in various spheres, not only in healthcare cooperation. The EU seeks to emerge as a global leader in the fight against the pandemic, however, on this road the union will have to address the concerns and appeals of the African partners—in the field of healthcare and beyond—more effectively, fairly and equitably which still presents a challenge for the EU.

Keywords: Africa; COVAX; COVID-19; EDCTP; EU; Healthcare cooperation; Humanitarian assistance; Pandemic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:aaechp:978-3-031-34041-3_16

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-34041-3_16

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