The COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep fractures in global health governance, where African nations were often sidelined despite demonstrating scientific capacity and leadership. This exclusion, critics argue, is a reflection of colonial legacies and power imbalances, and African health activists are now calling for a radical restructuring of how decisions are made.
In an enlightening conversation with Global South Pole, Pan-African health justice strategist Tian Johnson believes Africa’s marginalization in global health is not a matter of capability but of power. He insists that token inclusion is no longer enough; the continent must have real decision-making authority.
“What we need is we need individuals within global infrastructure […] to act with power. So we no longer just need a seat at the table, but we need that seat to come with power, and that means agenda-setting power in terms of how we shape the agenda, in terms of how the world responds to pandemics, but also about veto power. You know, it can’t just be stakeholder engagement. So there needs to be meaningful power attached to our faces and our voices and our seats at the table,” Johnson stressed.
To listen to the whole conversation, tune in to the Global South Pole podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
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