Washington (AFP)
The United States supports the lifting of intellectual property protections for vaccines against Covid-19, in order to accelerate the production and distribution of precious serums around the world, the Biden administration announced on Wednesday.
"This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures," US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement.
"The administration strongly 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", she added, adding that Washington was participating " actively "in the negotiations at the WTO to allow the lifting of these patents.
The temporary lifting of patents on vaccines is notably demanded by India and South Africa in order to be able to speed up production, but certain countries, including France, are opposed to it.
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The powerful pharmaceutical companies are globally opposed to the suspension of their patents, arguing that it deters expensive research.
In this context, Katherine Tai acknowledges that negotiations at the World Trade Organization "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 Katherine Tai as the pandemic rages on, especially in India.
"The administration will continue to intensify its efforts - in collaboration with the private sector and all potential partners - to expand the manufacture and distribution of vaccines," the ambassador also commented.
© 2021 AFP