RSS body holds global campaign for patent-free Covid-19 vaccines, medicines

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) on Sunday said it held a global campaign to press for patent-free vaccines and medicines for Covid-19, joining hands with organisations of workers, farmers, small traders and more.

While people in small groups held demonstrations in various parts of India and 20 other countries, holding placards and raising slogans that demanded patent-free vaccines and medicines for all, others joined them online, it said.

"On the occasion of 'World Awakening Day', the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, along with several organisations of workers, farmers, small traders, industry, academic institutions and the civil society, organised more than 3,000 programmes in India and 20 other countries to support the 'patent-free vaccine' campaign," SJM co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said.

The US, the UK, Italy, Indonesia, the UAE, Malaysia, Sweden, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan are among the 20 countries where people participated in SJM’s campaign and held demonstrations for patent-free vaccines and medicines for Covid-19, he added.

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“The programme was aimed at creating awareness on the issue and expose those individuals, companies and governments of some developed countries, and exert pressure on them to accept India’s proposal for TRIPS waiver to make vaccines and medicines free from patents,” Mahajan said.

The impediment to the mass production of the Covid-19 vaccines is the patent law and intellectual property rights under the provisions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) which do not allow other pharma companies to manufacture these vaccines, he said.

Patent laws need to be relaxed, even if it is for a limited period of time, to increase the production of vaccines and medicines to save the world's 7.87 billion population from the clutches of the coronavirus, Mahajan added.

“While people along with their representatives around the world are one on this issue and are supporting the proposal of India and South Africa for TRIPS waiver for vaccines and medicines, greedy companies and their supporter governments in some countries are creating hurdles in the smooth passage of this resolution at the WTO,” he said.

While the world needs about 14 billion vaccine doses (1,400 crore) to protect people from Covid-19, only 200 crore were produced by pharma companies in the last six months, the SJM said.

One billion is equal to 100 crores.

“At the current rate, it may take another two to three years for the world's eligible population to be vaccinated,” it said.

Though countries like Israel, the US, the UK and Norway have almost controlled fresh infections and deaths from Covid by vaccinating the majority of their adult population, most of the countries are still reeling under the pandemic, the RSS-affiliate said.

“It is imperative to vaccinate all the people all over the globe at a much faster pace because no one will be safe until everyone is safe,” it added.