Say hello or waive goodbye? The life and death issue of Covid vaccine equity

How does SA stand legally when it comes to vaccine patent rights? The answer may surprise you

10 May 2021 - 20:08 By Dina Biagio

You may have felt a cold chill from the storm brewing among member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), resulting from inequality in the sale and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.

Amid growing calls for vaccine equity, there is increasing pressure to temporarily waive patents for Covid-19 vaccines and other coronavirus-related medical products. At the core of the discussion stands a proposal by SA and India to suspend the WTO’s agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic...

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