At least 10 Democratic senators in the United States have written to President Joe Biden and urged him to support a proposal moved by India and South Africa at the WTO last year, seeking a temporary waiver of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for Covid-19 vaccines, therapeutics and related technologies.
The senators have endorsed the temporary lifting of restrictions of intellectual property barriers to allow countries to locally manufacture Covid-19 diagnostics, treatments and vaccines to ensure equitable access to healthcare. They have said that supporting the TRIPs waiver would help everyone and the current flexibilities in TRIPs are ill-suited to a global crisis.
On Saturday, 108 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to President Biden saying unless countries co-operate and share medical technology, there will not be a sufficient supply of vaccines, diagnostics and treatments. The letter has been signed by Pramila Jayapal, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Karen Bass, Brad Sherman and others.
A targeted, time-limited waiver would help to flatten the curve and also help restore America’s leadership in public health on the global stage.
Meanwhile, India and South Africa are preparing for a fresh push at the WTO for the waiver, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity on Saturday.