DIVERSIONARY TACTICS ️ ️ ️
Germany, the European Commission and the UK are pushing for another diversion from the proposal to suspend intellectual property rights and share vaccine technology and know-how with developing countries. Their newest tactic is called the Pandemic Treaty.
Over one year ago South Africa and India proposed the temporary suspension of IP rights (and privileges) for Covid-19 vaccines and treatments at the World Trade Organization. The TRIPS Waiver proposal (titled “W669”) is the only trade response to the pandemic that could guarantee the urgent and affordable supply of Covid-19 vaccines desperately needed by people who are yet to receive their first jab in developing countries—approximately 58% of the world’s population remains unvaccinated (Oxford/Our World in Data). It is also essential to prevent the brewing and spread of new, vaccine-resistant variants.
Instead, the countries that oppose the TRIPS waiver championed the Pandemic Treaty at the The World Health Assembly (WHA, the governing body of the World Health Organization). The WHA just ended today with a self pat on the back and a standing ovation from countries for agreeing on the Pandemic Treaty.
However, the treaty has several troublesome aspects that encroach upon health and human rights. This includes securitisation of health, dealing with health emergencies through surveillance and other pervasive measures. Markedly absent from this treaty is one of the most pressing aspects for pandemic preparedness: capacity-building in low-income countries so they can create solutions for themselves. And also the Treaty would take years to be approved and functioning: a time we do not have.
The bottom line is that developed countries should be putting public health before corporate interests, but that is just the opposite of what the Pandemic Treaty proposes. The Pandemic Treaty will not solve the supply shortage and inequity in vaccine access. Instead, it will only prolong the pandemic, which is great business for #BigPharma, and catastrophic news for over half the world’s population.
#WHASpecial #PandemicTreaty #TRIPSWaiver #Fem4PeoplesVaccine
