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

World Health Organization has supported India and South Africa’s proposal to 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 tools available to all who need m at an affordable cost," WHO chief Tedros Adham 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 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 provisions pertaining to intellectual property rights could t only speed up vaccine development process but would also allow poorer and developing countries to gain access to it.

“As new diagstics, rapeutics and vaccines for Covid-19 are developed, re are significant concerns how se will be made available promptly in sufficient quantities and at an affordable price to meet global demand,” two countries said in ir appeal.

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Make COVID-19 vaccines available for all

As per reports, joint submission to Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights argues that if existing safeguard is t removed, n certain countries, particularly developing ones which have borne brunt of pandemic, will find it hard to gain access to COVID-19 vaccines and or relevant medicines.

t only vaccines but procuring test kits, medicines will also be difficult for poor countries as race of vaccines becomes intense across world. United States, 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 protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets. 

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