Since early 2020, the coronavirus has caused great human suffering around the world. The arrival of vaccines brings hope for improvement. These vaccines were developed mainly with public money. However, a few large pharmaceutical companies control their production and set the prices. Why? Because they hold patents. As a result, too few vaccines are being produced at a reasonable price to protect the entire global population.
Suspend patents
South Africa and India are therefore proposing a solution. They are asking the World Trade Organisation to temporarily suspend patents on medicines, vaccines, tests and other technologies that are crucial in the fight against Covid-19. By sharing research results, this would enable other small and medium-sized enterprises to also produce vaccines and make them cheaper. Such a temporary patent suspension has already been accepted for the polio vaccine and HIV drugs. However, in this case, some governments, including the European Union, are blocking the proposal.
Many citizens and civil society organisations disagree with this European Union veto. They have therefore launched a European Citizens“ Initiative (ECI) called: "No profit from the pandemic”The goal? To collect 1 million signatures from 1 million European citizens. If we succeed, the European Commission will have to reconsider the suspension of these patents.
You can take action
Do you agree that everyone has the right to a vaccine and medicines to combat Covid-19? That information on the quality, safety and production costs of vaccines should be made public? That research funded with public money should not be privatised? That no profit should be made from a pandemic?
So join us and sign the European Citizens' Initiative by visiting noprofitonpandemic.eu/en
Because everyone has the right to health and safety!
Thanks to We Social Movements and to the Christian Mutual Aid Society for designing this video.
