COVID-19: BRICS backs vaccine patent waiver plan proposed by India, South Africa

In a notable move, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa or BRICS on June 1 backed India and South Africa’s joint proposal to temporarily wave the COVID-19 vaccine patents amid the pandemic. In a joint statement on Tuesday, the BRICS, known for their significant regional influence, called for their equitable access and distribution while ensuring transparency on its prices. External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar chaired the 13th BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting and opened the summit by stating the BRICS aims “for a fair, just, inclusive, equitable and representative multipolar international system."

BRICS joint statement said, “The Ministers reaffirmed the need to use all relevant measures during the pandemic, including supporting ongoing consideration in WTO on a Covid-19 vaccine Intellectual Property Rights waiver and the use of flexibilities of the TRIPS agreement and the Doha Declaration on TRIPS Agreement and Public Health.”

“They also reiterated the need for sharing of vaccine doses, transfer of technology, development of local production capacities and supply chains for medical products, promotion of price transparency and called for exercise of due restraint in the implementation of measures that could hinder the flow of vaccines, health products and essential inputs,” they added.

The India-South Africa proposal of October 2020 says that the property rights such as patents, industrial designs, copyright and protection of undisclosed information delays the timely access to affordable vaccines and medicines that are essential to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The nations have also demanded the waiver to be practised for an unspecified time period allowing yearly review until its termination.

COVID-19 Vaccine Patent Waiver Won't Be Enough: WTO

Meanwhile, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on May 20 noted that waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines will not be enough to narrow the huge supply gap between rich and poor countries. South Africa and India have already submitted proposals on the WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) that would allow for a temporary waiver of certain aspects. While the WHO has noted that poorer countries have received just 17% of doses, US President Joe Biden last week said that he supported the waiver idea. However, the European Union and other developed country opponents said that it will not increase output. 

IMAGE: Twitter/PTI