Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024

WHO chief urges world to follow U.S. lead and support waiving Covid vaccine patent protections

WHO chief says he urges other countries to follow the example of the U.S. on supporting vaccine patent waivers.

World Health Organization Director General-Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday urged other countries, particularly the Group of Seven industrialized nations, to follow the U.S. example and support a World Trade Organization motion to temporarily waive Covid-19 vaccine patent protections.

“Wednesday’s announcement by the U.S. that it will support a temporary waiver of intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines is a significant statement of solidarity and support for vaccine equity,” Tedros said at a press briefing. “I know that this is not a politically easy thing to do, so I very much appreciate the leadership of the U.S. and we urge other countries to follow their example.”

The U.S., which is a strong advocate for enforcing intellectual property rights worldwide, previously opposed waiving patent protections for Covid vaccines.

President Joe Biden personally made the decision to change the U.S. stance, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday. Biden had supported waiving Covid vaccine intellectual property rights as a presidential candidate.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America – whose members include vaccine makers AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson – strongly opposes the Biden administration’s decision.

WHO chief Tedros also called Friday for the G-7 industrialized nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.K in addition to the U.S. – to do more to facilitate the equitable distribution of Covid vaccines worldwide.

“For G-7, now the most important and immediate support we need is vaccines, vaccine equity,” Tedros said. “I think everybody knows what we should do to increase the production capacity and then increase vaccination coverage in all countries.”

According to the WHO chief, more than 80% of the more than 1 billion Covid vaccine doses distributed worldwide have gone to high-income countries, while low-income countries received 0.3%.

“This kind of divide is unacceptable,” Tedros said. “It’s unacceptable not just because of a moral issue but it’s unacceptable because we will not defeat the virus in a divided world.”


“It’s in every country’s interest in this world to share vaccines and to help in any way possible to ensure vaccine equity,” the WHO chief said. “Vaccine equity is not charity. Vaccine equity is in the interest of everybody.”

The push to waive patent protections, proposed by India and South Africa in October of last year, faces an uphill battle at the WTO, which makes decisions through consensus among its 164 member nations.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has come out against the push to temporarily waive vaccine patents. BioNTech, which developed a Covid vaccine in partnership with Pfizer, is based in Germany.

“The US proposal to remove patent protection for Covid-19 vaccines has significant implications for vaccine production as a whole,” a German government spokesperson said Thursday. “The limiting factor in vaccine production is production capacity and high quality standards, not patents.”

The governments of Canada, Italy, Japan and the U.K. have not adopted clear public stances for or against waiving IP protections in the wake of the U.S. reversal. French President Emmanuel Macron has backed the U.S. position.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – who heads the European Union’s executive body – did not embrace the waiver plan, saying in a speech she is “ready to discuss any proposals that address the crisis in an effective and pragmatic manner.”

Russia, which developed the Sputnik vaccine, expressed support for the move and China is open to further discussion. The WHO announced Friday that it has approved the vaccine developed by China’s Sinopharm for emergency use.

About 80 countries in the WTO, largely developing nations, have expressed support for the proposal, according to The Associated Press, which cited a Geneva-based trade official.

“It’s also important to remember that intellectual property waivers will need to be accompanied by transfers of technology and know-how for these difficult to make vaccines,” Tedros said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
The Saudi Kingdom's Ultimatum to Israel: A Win-Win Peace with Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, or a Lose-Lose Continued Occupation and Endless Conflict
Biden condemns anti-Arab hate after WSJ opinion piece calls Dearborn ‘jihad capital’
Turkey Releases Seven Hostages Captured by Pro-Gaza Gunman
Arab Parliament Commends Women's Contributions to Societal Development
British and Hungarian Foreign Ministers visited Lebanese leaders to stress the importance of enacting UN Resolution 1701
Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea
Donald Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for 'Historic' Middle East Policy
US lawmakers approve F-16 jet sale to Turkey following NATO expansion support
Saudi Arabia Climbs 25 Places in World Bank's National Statistics Indicator
Tourism Growth in Saudi Arabia Fuels Advancements in the Hospitality Industry," Says Rotana Official
Houthi Rebels Request Departure of UN Staff from Yemen, Including US and UK Personnel, within a Month
Modi Inaugurates Hindu Temple on Site of Demolished Mosque in India
Over 25,000 Deaths in Gaza Amid Israeli Offensive
Escalating Clashes in Gaza as Israel Distributes Leaflets to Assist in Locating Hostages
Turkey's First Astronaut Set to Launch for International Space Station Today
Head of Palestinian Investment Fund Warns More People May Die of Hunger Than War in Gaza
Palestinian Envoy Criticizes UK for Alleged 'Double Standards' in Policies Toward Israel
Morocco to Lead UN Human Rights Council in 2024
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Egypt has been identified as the leading military force among Arab nations and ranks 15th globally
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Receives Additional Prison Sentence
"Gazans Urge Israeli Forces to Target Hamas in Leaked Audio"
Biden States US and UK Airstrikes on Houthis Were a 'Defensive Action
Large Pro-Palestine Rally in London as Gaza Conflict Hits Day 100
South Africa Urges World Court to Halt Israeli Actions in Gaza
×