SA pushing for vaccine patents reprieve

SA and India have formally requested the G7 countries to temporarily relax patent laws for the development of Covid-19 vaccines. Beeld reports that Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations & Co-operation, made the call in London where she is attending a G7 meeting on the invitation of the UK. ‘There are African countries with capacity to produce and distribute vaccines, but then the large countries who own the intellectual property must be prepared to part with their rights temporarily. If one country is safe but nobody else is, that country is also not safe.’ The request has been referred to the World Trade Organisation. When asked by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour how the request at the meeting was received, Pandor said it remains a challenge. However, Pandor reiterated that the world was given assurances last year that vaccines would be distributed worldwide and the current production capacity is not enough. ‘That promise (of worldwide distribution) cannot be broken now.’