Reaction to World Health Organisation call for governments to back voluntary scheme to share coronavirus trial data and patents

“Governments should back the World Health Organisation’s call and make public funding conditional on the sharing of research and patents. We cannot afford to continue with business as usual – it will cost lives and livelihoods.

“The fastest way to get a vaccine to every individual, in every country, is for every company and organisation involved in research and development to share their know-how, their data, and their patents.

“The pharmaceutical industry’s attempt to rubbish the World Health Organisation’s initiative suggests that they care more for profits than people’s health.  Vaccine development is being bank rolled with public money – big pharma should not be allowed to treat it like a private asset.”

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Notes to editors:

The World Health Organisations Global Solidarity Call for Action is being launched today with the backing of a number of countries including Portugal, Norway, and the Netherlands.

More than 140 world leaders, former leaders and economists, including the President of South Africa and Chair of the African Union, Cyril Ramaphosa, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, the President of the Republic of Senegal, Macky Sall, the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, signed an open letter calling on all governments to unite behind a people’s vaccine against the coronavirus.