Coronavirus - Africa: MSF welcomes African Union’s motion supporting intellectual property (IP) waiver proposal at WTO

MédecinsSans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) welcomes this endorsementby the AU to support thislandmark proposal at the WTO that would allow countries to choose not to apply or enforce certain types of IP on COVID-19 medical tools during the pandemic. In the last few months, several international organisations including the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Unitaid and the Drugs for Neglected Diseasesinitiative(DNDi) have issued statements supporting this critical waiver.

The proposal initiated by India andSouth Africa is now being officially co-sponsored byEswatini, Kenya,Mozambique,Pakistan,Mongolia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Egypt.However, a smallgroupofWTOmembers including the EU, UK, US, Japan, Switzerland and Australia continue to withhold their support.

Candice Sehoma, Access CampaignAdvocacy Officer, MSF South Africa:

“By politically endorsing this landmark proposal, the African Union is giving a crucial boost of supportfrom thecontinent for waiving intellectual property during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is disappointing thatseveral developed countriesare continuing to stall this landmark waiver effort against the backdrop of a raging pandemic.AsSouth Africa, India and other official co-sponsoring countries urgently need support from as many countriesas possible to make this proposal a reality, we hope to see all Africancountries now come on board as official co-sponsors.

Ensuring access to equitableand affordable medical tools needed to respond to this pandemic can no longer simply be left tocorporations who continue to follow the business-as-usual approach of profit maximisation. Governments must act now to reach consensus on thisgame-changing proposal and fulfill theirobligations to protect publichealth. We also call on opposing countries to quit stalling this critical waiver and instead step out of the negotiations, allowing other countries to reach an early consensus.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).