The lockdown and partial lockdown have resulted in a global economic crisis. Debts soared and businesses that could not contain the months of losses folded, and many workers lost their jobs. Coupled with the isolation from lockdowns, some have even become suicidal.
The vaccines are here at last, and they look to be the saviour of industry. But businesses just cannot get the vaccines fast enough. The government’s plan will take too long.
So, it was not surprising that recently, the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia asked for private hospitals to be allowed to procure Covid-19 vaccines and speed up vaccination. Needless to say, it is still too early to open up the private market as this will reduce global supplies for frontliners, even if there are vaccines that our government is not buying.
The Covid-19 vaccine production cannot meet the enormous worldwide demand.
With frustrations rising due to the global shortage, it is time the Malaysian government and other governments adopt the proposal submitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to temporarily suspend some parts of the intellectual property agreement of the WTO in order to expedite Covid-19 vaccine productions and accessibility.
The WTO Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council met again yesterday and the waiver proposal will be discussed today.
The proposal, which was initially jointly submitted by India and South Africa on Oct 2, calls for certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement that cover patents, trade secrets, copyright and industrial designs to be suspended temporarily.
But civil society organisations claim that some of the richest member countries such as the US, the European Union, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Norway and Australia are blocking the proposal.
However, it is heartening to know that 57 countries have co-sponsored the waiver proposal and more than 60 support it. Malaysia should support it too.
In Malaysia, 28 organisations and three community activists have sent two letters to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin – on Nov 11 and Feb 3 – urging the government to adopt the proposal but no answer has been given.
The Consumers Association of Penang said the move will open the doors to more research and development, as well as production of Covid-19 medical products – diagnostic kits, medicines for treatment, vaccines and personal protective gear.
A policy brief revealed that some of the richest nations are failing the world, and the adoption of the proposal is of importance for a global approach to end the Covid-19 pandemic.
The policy brief posted on the Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center website on Tuesday revealed that the EU, the US and the UK hoarded 50% of all vaccines although they make up only 10.8% of the global population.
In contrast, Africa gets only 1.5% of vaccinations although it makes up 17.2% of the world’s population.
With the cycles of mutation, resistance and reinfection, the brief said that an inequitable vaccine rollout will cost the global economy an estimated US$9.2 trillion (RM37.8 trillion).
Moreover, it said the World Health Organization-facilitated Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax) will achieve only about a quarter (5%) of its targeted vaccinations this year, a far cry from the 60%-80% vaccination to successfully prevent transmission. At this rate, it will take more than five years to achieve herd immunity, thus potentially prolonging the pandemic.
It also revealed that pharmaceutical profits of the top five manufacturers are projected to be US$38.5 billion (RM158 billion) this year, as countries were made to put up sovereign assets as guarantees against future legal cases, and poorer countries were charged two to three times more for vaccines.
They are now seeking sanctions for countries attempting to use TRIPS flexibilities to develop generic vaccines.
While that is the case, at the grassroots level, 69% of people in the US, the UK, France and Germany support removing patents for Covid-19 vaccines, said the brief.
Besides blocking the waiver proposal, some of the rich countries are also ignoring equitable vaccine distribution efforts.
Last month, WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hit out at these nations for entering into contracts with vaccine manufacturers that undermine the deals that the WHO-facilitated Covax has with those same companies, hence, reducing the number of doses Covax can buy.
While Tedros has warned that people need to fight the pandemic everywhere to end it, many have also raised the concern that as the pandemic prolongs, more mutations will occur which could make it harder to control, and more deadly.
Third World Network director Chee Yoke Ling explained that if a waiver is adopted at the WTO, it is up to each country to implement it as needed for ensuring access to vaccines, medicines and other Covid-19 medical products.
“It’s up to each country’s national capacity and situation,” she said.
Malaysia does not have the capacity to produce vaccines currently but it can benefit from having more vaccine producing sources to buy from.
Chee said that with the legal predictability and certainty of a waiver, companies in countries such as India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Thailand can invest in ramping up existing capacity without worrying about IP barriers.
Malaysia itself, currently, can only do the last stage of “fill-and-finish” of vaccines imported in bulk, but has the capacity to manufacture chemical-based medicines.
Chee said there are many ongoing clinical trials to see if existing medicines can also treat Covid-19, but several of these are already patented in Malaysia. A waiver will enable local manufacturing for these successful medicines.
Yesterday, the People’s Vaccine Alliance held a global online rally to kickstart the Global Day of Action today to raise awareness of the injustice that is restricting equitable vaccine access.
More than 140 world leaders and luminaries have called for a people’s vaccine against Covid-19 which includes sharing of data and adopting the waiver proposal.
Likewise, the Malaysian government should adopt the proposal and not wait any longer.
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