Proposed Covid-19 vaccines IP waiver welcomed

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday welcomed the support of the US for a temporary and targeted waiver of intellectual property protections that apply to Covid-19 vaccines, a campaign led by South Africa and India on behalf of emerging economies.

The US government on Wednesday announced that, in order to end the pandemic, it would at forthcoming negotiations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) support the waiver of those protections for Covid19 vaccines.

The anticipated temporary waiver would provide a global response to Covid-19 and establish a global solution to enhance manufacturing and boost supply capacity, enabling coordination and access to information currently under patent protection.

The Presidency said: “For countries that do not currently have manufacturing capacity on certain medical technologies, the waiver could open up more supply options and avoid countries being reliant on only one or two suppliers. Where supply capacity currently exists, it can be repurposed to Covid vaccine production and in this way improve the supply available to all nations.

“In light of the growing global consensus, we call on pharmaceutical companies to facilitate sharing of know-how and technology to enable a rapid increase in supply capacity in order to save lives.”

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel said he looked forward to more developed countries joining the growing consensus on a waiver.

The waiver proposal is cosponsored by 60 members of the WTO and supported by over 100 members of the WTO and 175 former heads of state and Nobel laureates.

World Health Organization director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this was a monumental moment in the fight against Covid-19.

“Now let’s all move together swiftly, in solidarity, building on the ingenuity and commitment of scientists who produced life-saving Covid19 vaccines,” Ghebreyesus said.

The Fix the Patent Laws campaign, a joint coalition of the Treatment Action Campaign, Doctors Without Borders and Section27 welcomed the announcement.

“This decision is as result of massive global solidarity and mobilisation by activists around the world who have been fighting for equitable access for Covid-19 vaccines for all.

“While the US and Europe roll out mass vaccinations, the vast majority of African countries have vaccinated less than 3% of their populations due to the lack of vaccine equity,” said Section 27 executive director Umunyana Rugege.