Washington in favor of lifting patents on anti-Covid vaccines
In Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 5, 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
REUTERS - NAVESH CHITRAKAR
Text by: RFI Follow
6 mins
The United States announced Wednesday, May 5 that it was in favor of the lifting of patents on anti-Covid vaccines, a significant gesture at a time when poor countries are sorely lacking in precious doses, the only weapons against the continuing pandemic. its devastation, especially in India.
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"
This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures
," said US Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
"
The administration firmly believes in intellectual property protections, but to put an end to this pandemic, it supports the lifting of these protections for vaccines against Covid-19
",
explained
Katherine Tai, specifying that Washington was "
actively
"
participating
negotiations at the World Trade Organization to allow the lifting of these patents.
► Read also: Anti-Covid-19 vaccines: laboratories against the suspension of their patents
The boss of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, greeted shortly after on Twitter a "
historic decision
".
This is a monumental moment in the fight against # COVID19.
The commitment by @POTUS Joe Biden & @USTradeRep @AmbassadorTai to support the waiver of IP protections on vaccines is a powerful example of 🇺🇸 leadership to address global health challenges.
pic.twitter.com/3iBt3jfdEr
- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 5, 2021
For the time being, the divide is widening between the struggling underprivileged nations and the rich countries, where vaccination campaigns - soon extended in the United States to adolescents and in Canada to children from 12 years old -, allow a gradual lifting of health restrictions.
Urged by the World Health Organization (WHO) to show solidarity in this area, the members of the G7 (United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy) discussed on Wednesday in London the means of '' increase their financial assistance or share their excess doses to help poor states.
► Read also: Covid-19: in the United States, Joe Biden wants to extend vaccination to adolescents
Exposed to potential cases of Covid-19, the head of Indian diplomacy, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, was forced Wednesday to participate virtually in this meeting.
India, which suffers a second devastating wave, has counted 3,780 deaths and 382,000 additional contaminations in 24 hours, or more than 222,000 deaths and nearly 20.3 million cases in total, a toll that some experts widely consider. undervalued.
Billions of dollars released in India
This situation is attributed in particular to religious gatherings, such as the immense Hindu pilgrimage Kumbh Mela which drew millions of people, and to authorized political meetings in recent months, as well as to the inaction of the government of Narendra Modi.
Hospitals are overwhelmed and short of supplies of oxygen, medicines, beds, despite international aid that is pouring in.
The temporary lifting of patents on vaccines is notably demanded by India and South Africa to be able to speed up production, but some countries including France are opposed to it.
Paris rather pleads for donations in favor of poor countries.
► See also: India releases 6.7 billion dollars in loans for its health sector
The powerful pharmaceutical companies are globally opposed to the suspension of their patents, arguing that it deters expensive research.
In this context, Katherine Tai recognizes that negotiations at the WTO "
will take time given the consensual nature of the institution and the complexity of the issues at stake
".
"
The goal (...) is to provide as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as possible as quickly as possible,
" insisted the American ambassador.
In India, the Central Bank announced $ 6.7 billion in cheap loans to the health sector.
Dilapidated and underfunded, it struggles to overcome the influx of patients, some finding death at the very doors of hospitals.
As for Malaysia, also facing a new wave, it will tighten restrictions in its capital Kuala Lumpur where only essential businesses will be allowed to open and restaurants closed.
EU Travel Discussions
Meeting in London since Monday for their first face-to-face meeting in two years, the foreign ministers of the G7 states resumed their discussions to consider in particular how to achieve a fairer distribution of vaccines.
Covax, the sharing system with poor countries, which mainly supplies itself with AstraZeneca serums, is indeed slipping: it has delivered only 49 million doses in 121 countries and territories, against a target of two billion in 2021.
► Read also: Covid-19: the Covax initiative seeking funding for more vaccines
On the other hand, in the United States, the country most bereaved by the pandemic, Joe Biden would like at least 70% of adults - against 56% currently - to have received a first injection by the national holiday of July 4.
Canada on Wednesday approved Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for adolescents over 12 years old.
In the European Union, more than a quarter of the population has been administered at least one dose of vaccine and more than 9% of its inhabitants are now fully vaccinated according to an AFP count.
The German government has for its part decided to alleviate for people who have received two doses the many bans in place for several months.
Parliament will vote in principle Thursday and Friday on this text, which could enter into force this weekend.
► Read also:
Covid-19 in Germany: the situation is improving and optimism is returning
The ambassadors of the 27 Member States of the European Union were also due to examine on Wednesday a Commission proposal in favor of entry into the Union to travelers from third countries who have received the necessary doses of vaccines.
The pandemic has killed more than 3.2 million people worldwide since the WHO office in China reported the onset of Covid-19 at the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP on Wednesday.
(With
AFP
)
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