A year after SA and India introduced a novel proposal to temporarily waive intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines and therapies at the World Trade Organization, negotiations are deadlocked and directionless, trade sources said.
But a handful of countries, including some hosting major pharmaceutical firms such as Switzerland, remain opposed. Washington threw its weight behind the proposal in May, raising expectations of a breakthrough that has so far failed to materialise.
He urged delegates to come forward quickly with advice on next steps, the sources added. “I definitely need your advice,” he told them. The meeting was the penultimate scheduled session on the waiver ahead of a major ministerial conference in November-December which provides a rare opportunity for new trade deals, such as on intellectual property, to be finalised.
Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said in a statement on Friday that the administration of US President Joe Biden should urge countries that remain opposed to the waiver to change their stance.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
COVID-19 Relief | Updated systems will help fight fraud - SassaSASSA's Paseka Letsatsi also says the agency has received a memorandum of demands from protesters who demonstrated outside its offices on Thursday.
Read more »
Covid-19 update: Cases, deaths decrease in the past 24 hoursThe majority of new Covid-19 cases are from KwaZulu-Natal (22%), followed by Western Cape (19%) and Eastern Cape, which accounted for 16%.
Read more »
Covid-19: SA reports 809 new cases and 27 deathsSouth Africa reported 809 new Covid-19 cases and 27 deaths on Sunday, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said in a statement.
Read more »
Can I get the flu shot and Covid-19 jab at the same time?Both vaccines are important but should not be given at the same time.
Read more »
Japan aims to boost budget over Covid-19 after electionVaccinations have to be tackled first, says Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general Akira Amari
Read more »