Can the media rather also interview and question the front runner vaccine companies please, about pricing, access, advance orders and tech transfer or pooling- we dont need to really know again how the alcohol industry feels...
Will they issue voluntary licenses to manufacturers to scale up production in the global south?
Do they understand what is at stake if they refuse?
Are they ready for a public backlash and for the possibility that our and other south governments will invoke compulsory licensing measures?
Will they make their pricing data public, and be transparent about all true R&D costs/ing including public funding?
Why have all of them not yet committed to Covax?
How much supplies can they committ ACTUALLY right now? If none/minimal, why are they blocking the TRIPS WAIVER request?
Why do they conduct trials here, if there is no immediate access arrangements?
Where is the transparency on the agreements with Universities, and others, where public funding is involved? Take for e.g. AstraZeneca and Oxford Grp, which has *2 SA SHAREHOLDERS*.
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If *you* want the economy to *open*, travel to resume, businesses to flourish, health care systems to not collapse, education to continue, then how do you defend patent monopolies in a pandemic? Direct causal link to reduced access, higher pricing & rationing.
And IF TRIPS waiver proposal does not work because rich countries wish to remain barriers to potential life saving interventions, then in THIS pandemic we expect our @GovernmentZA to issue compulsory licenses.
Benevolence & hope are not enforceable, rights are. #NoCovidMonopolies
Also, can @ParliamentofRSA pass the Patents Act amendment already.
COVAX limitations aside, @SolidarityRSA is now involved in vaccine$ matters? It is not a public body, not @COVID_19_ZA and has no real oversight. They briefed @ParliamentofRSA but not sure if @AuditorGen_SA is overseeing public funds/ purpose/spend/procurement.
Critical issue for the public to appreciate is that #COVAX is not an elected global institution, it is voluntary- a voluntary pooling mechanism that lets you in if you have money & willing to accept patent rights claims, & gives some charity dosages for those deemed very poor.
Actually, *we* should be *angry* because we don't have a functioning health system- insufficient ambulances, beds, oxygen, test kits, PPE, treatment. Poor social relief, ltd IP & price controls, inadequate state capacity, minimal transparency & procurement hijacking. #Covid19SA
We have not even commenced a proper and comprehensive legislative reform programme, given the impact of #Covid19SA
We have not been clear about the IP tipping point either.