COVID-19 vaccine: WHO backs India & South Africa’s bid to ease Intellectual Property rules

The World Health Organization has supported India and South Africa’s proposal to the World Trade Organization to relax intellectual property agreements that might pose a challenge to gain access to Covid-19 vaccine, once it is available.

"WHO welcomes South Africa’s and India’s recent proposal to WTO to ease international and intellectual property agreements on COVID-19 vaccines, treatments & tests in order to make the tools available to all who need them at an affordable cost," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom said in a tweet. 

READ | India Urges WTO To Relax Intellectual Property Rules For COVID-19, South Africa Supports

India and South Africa have urged the World Trade Organisation to waive some provisions regarding intellectual property rights so that COVID-19 vaccine development could be fast-tracked. As per reports, relaxing the provisions pertaining to intellectual property rights could not only speed up the vaccine development process but would also allow poorer and developing countries to gain access to it.

“As new diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines for Covid-19 are developed, there are significant concerns how these will be made available promptly in sufficient quantities and at an affordable price to meet global demand,” the two countries said in their appeal.

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Make COVID-19 vaccines available for all

As per reports, the joint submission to the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights argues that if the existing safeguard is not removed, then certain countries, particularly developing ones which have borne the brunt of the pandemic, will find it hard to gain access to COVID-19 vaccines and other relevant medicines.

Not only vaccines but procuring test kits, medicines will also be difficult for poor countries as the race of vaccines becomes intense across the world. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany have already finalised deals with several vaccine manufacturers for procurement of millions of doses.

India and South Africa's joint submission reportedly seeks waivers in rules that relate to multiple areas such as copyright, industrial designs, patents and the protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets. 

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