Pandemic treaty text shows negotiations “at a crossroad”, campaigners say
Pandemic treaty text shows negotiations “at a crossroad” campaigners say
Release date: 18 November 2022
Responding to the draft text of a Pandemic Treaty, Mohga Kammal Yanni, policy co-lead for the People’s Vaccine Alliance, said:
“The draft text for a pandemic treaty shows that negotiations are at a crossroads. A treaty could break with the greed and inequality that has plagued the global response to COVID-19, HIV/AIDS and other pandemics. Or, it could tie future generations to the same disastrous outcomes.
“The treaty gives world leaders a chance to prevent this inequality through increasing the pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity of developing countries and sharing of technology and knowhow. It needs to mandate this sharing and commit countries to waiving intellectual property rules for relevant products in future pandemics. This would avoid the current inequitable access to essential medical products needed to deal with pandemics.
“A pandemic treaty must fundamentally change this cruel and unjust system into an equitable one. And governments must resist any attempts to turn a pandemic treaty into another obscene profit opportunity for pharmaceutical companies.”
/Ends
Notes
- This is a response to the draft pandemic treaty text reported in Reuters and Politico:
- Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/big-pharma-may-have-reveal-government-deals-whos-draft-pandemic-rules-2022-11-17/
- Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/how-world-health-organization-might-fight-future-pandemics-2022-11-17/
- Politico: https://www.politico.eu/article/new-pandemic-playbook-draft-treaty-far-reaching-rules-countries/
Media contact
Joe Karp-Sawey, senior media advisor, People’s Vaccine Alliance,