As 7 April, World Health Day, approaches, mutual societies, trade unions, NGOs and social movements involved in the European Citizens« Initiative No Profit on Pandemic are drawing attention to some important lessons to be learned from the pandemic. Under the slogan »Our health is not a commodity!", these organisations staged an action at the European Parliament on 31 March.
On Thursday, 31 March, mutual societies, trade unions, NGOs and social movements from the European Citizens' Initiative No Profit from the Pandemic gathered at the European Parliament. With the slogan «Our health is not a commodity», their aim was to draw attention to some important lessons to be learned from the pandemic. The organisations, which include Mutualité Chrétienne, CSC, Viva Salud and 11.11.11, fear that we may lose sight of these lessons as the pandemic comes to an end in some countries.
«The rush by rich countries to declare the end of the pandemic, after exhausting their stocks of available vaccines, is simply shameless,” says Jasper Thys, policy officer at Viva Salud. “The coronavirus continues to rage in the poorest countries. In low-income countries, only 15% of the population has received their first jab. Meanwhile, Pfizer and Moderna are making up to £1,000 profit per second on vaccines and medicines for Covid-19.”
The Coalition organisations point out that significant amounts of taxpayers' money have been spent on developing and purchasing coronavirus vaccines. They are concerned that part of the social security budget has been used to enrich pharmaceutical companies at a time when healthcare and healthcare workers are facing major difficulties.
According to a study by Oxfam, Pfizer made a profit of €18.30 per vaccine in Belgium. The estimated production cost of the Pfizer vaccine is €1.20, yet Pfizer is charging €19.50 per vaccine. Member organisations of the European Citizens' Initiative are calling for transparency and fair prices.
With the slogan «Our health is not a commodity», activists are speaking out against this commercial logic. They are calling for the strengthening of public healthcare worldwide and for social justice to be made a priority.
«Countries with strong public health systems have weathered the pandemic much better than countries where healthcare is almost entirely in the hands of the private sector,» explains Fanny Polet, director of Viva Salud. «A public health system is accessible to all and can focus more on prevention. Indeed, we must overcome not only the coronavirus, but above all the social inequality that has exacerbated the impact of the pandemic.».
Activists also expect the Belgian government to compel large pharmaceutical companies to share their knowledge and technology so that vaccines, treatments and tests for coronavirus can be produced worldwide. Those present at the protest therefore symbolically shared their meals with others.
Organisers of the action: We Social Movements, Christian Mutual Aid Society, Left Ecology Forum, CSC, Viva Salud, Memisa, Quinoa, Walloon Network for the Fight Against Poverty, Health & Solidarity Action Platform
