Advocates have appealed to Australian officials to support stronger commitments for equitable vaccine access in a pending agreement about how the international community approaches future pandemics.
The call from public health and fair trade organisations to learn from the mistakes of the COVID-19 pandemic came on the day international officials met in Geneva to commence final talks about how to deal with future pandemics.
A final agreement about how to approach similar public health emergencies will be made at the World Health Organization (WHO) assembly later this year (May 27-June 1).
According to Dr Patricia Ranald, Australia should support strong commitments to improve equitable access in future pandemics.
“Most vaccines are sold to high-income countries at high prices, with access delays for low and lower-middle-income countries leading to lower vaccination rates and higher death rates,” Ranald said.
The convenor of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTIN) added that Big Pharma could make 20-year patents on new COVID medicines under current trade-related intellectual property rules
“[This means pharmaceutical companies control] both the quantity and prices,” she said.
Ranald and other advocates are highlighting that the mandatory language in provisions of the latest draft WHO agreement are weaker than in earlier versions.
Among the equitable access for developing countries, advocates want Australian officials attending the WHO future pandemic agreement negotiations to support technology sharing and capacity building, in return for sharing data on emerging pathogens and genomic sequencing.
Where agreement on a temporary waiver on WTO rules for pandemic products to suspend monopolies cannot be agreed, AFTIN and the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) are further pushing for Australia to support compulsory licensing expansion and other flexibilities to clear the way for the production of more pandemic products at affordable prices for developing countries.
Advocates have also called for any funding toward research and development of pandemic-related products to be provided to pharmaceutical companies on the condition that technology and knowledge will be shared in line with equitable pricing policies.
Leanne Coombe, a policy and advocacy manager for PHAA, underscored the important role of essential workers in any effective agreement. In this vein, she said Australia should back proposals made by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for recognised UN fundamental rights, social protections, occupational health and safety, and decent work for health personnel.
Coombe said the indispensable contribution of frontline health workers should be recognised, and a plan be in place to deal with the risks they face in order to protect public health.
“Strengthening health systems that address the determinants of health requires a resilient public health workforce,” Coombe said.
“[The workforce must also be] equipped with the knowledge and skills to deal with these complex and whole-of-system challenges.”
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