Precious Matsoso, a renowned health policy trailblazer from South Africa, has been recognized for her tireless efforts in shaping some of the most consequential health policy negotiations in South Africa and globally. With a career spanning over three decades, Matsoso has played a pivotal role in leading negotiations on the world's first pandemic treaty. Her approach to dealing with intense engagements has been unique, often breaking into song, including The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," to impart a message of cooperation among delegates.
Matsoso's contributions to global health governance have been acknowledged through her inclusion in TIME magazine's TIME 100 Health 2026 and 100 Most Influential People in the World 2026 lists. In her acceptance speech, she emphasized the aim of the pandemic treaty as a collective refusal to repeat the devastation and inequities witnessed during Covid-19. Matsoso highlighted the need for equitable access to pandemic-related health products, particularly for African countries, which were severely affected by the pandemic.
The pandemic treaty, adopted in May 2025, aims to address the inequities in access to health products, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. A working group is currently drafting final aspects of the treaty, including an annex on "pathogen access and benefit sharing." This section is considered crucial in altering power relations in global health governance. Matsoso's work on the treaty has been driven by her experiences and memories of how African countries were marginalized during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Matsoso's background and upbringing have significantly influenced her approach to her work. Growing up in Soweto, she was exposed to music and science from a young age. Her father, a self-taught mechanic, and her mother, a math teacher, encouraged her love for music and learning. Matsoso witnessed the 1976 Soweto student uprisings, a pivotal moment that forced her into early political consciousness. She excelled in science, particularly chemistry, and taught it to her classmates.
Matsoso pursued a career in pharmacy, studying toward a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of the Western Cape. Her involvement in campus politics led her to Cape Town, where she finished her degree. She later obtained a diploma in Health Management from the University of Cape Town and a Master of Laws in Healthcare Law and Ethics from the University of Dundee in Scotland. Matsoso's early career included working as a public sector pharmacist and owning a pharmacy in the private sector.
In 1995, Matsoso was recruited to head pharmaceutical services at the National Department of Health under then health minister Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. She played a crucial role in formalizing South Africa's National Drug Policy and compiling the country's Essential Medicines List. Matsoso's work in this area has had a lasting impact, with the Essential Medicines List growing from strength to strength since its inception in 1996.
Currently, Matsoso heads the Health Regulatory Science Platform at the University of the Witwatersrand, where she works alongside Professor Helen Rees, founder and director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute. Matsoso's contributions to health policy and governance have been recognized through numerous awards, including the South African Medical Research Council's Lifetime Achievement Award.
Key points
- Precious Matsoso used music, including The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," to promote cooperation among delegates during pandemic treaty negotiations.
- Matsoso's work on the pandemic treaty aims to address inequities in access to health products, particularly for African countries.
- Her experiences growing up in Soweto and her early career in pharmacy have influenced her approach to health policy and governance.
