Gates Foundation supportive of a 'narrow' IP waiver on Covid vaccines

"It is clear there’s much more to be done" with the "heartbreaking" surges in India and Brazil, and the lack of vaccines across African countries, the statement said

Backing the move for TRIPS waiver, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman has said that no barriers should stand in the way of equitable access to vaccines, including intellectual property.

In a statement, Suzman said that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is supportive of a narrow waiver during the pandemic, adding that "it is clear there’s much more to be done" with the "heartbreaking" surges in India and Brazil, and the lack of vaccines across African countries.

The US Trade Representative Katherine Tai had on Wednesday underscored the urgency of addressing a proposal to waive some intellectual property rights under global trade rules given the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read: Explained | How the US waiving IP rights could pave way for a 'people’s vaccine'

Interestingly, in a media interview last week, founder Bill Gates had expressed his opposition to the idea of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver of Covid-19 vaccines moved by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The statement said that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been working urgently since January 2020 with a range of partners to help Covid-19 vaccines reach as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. Those negotiations will occur via the WTO process, led by country negotiators, it added.

"We will continue to advocate for countries with supply to share doses with those without as soon as possible, and for COVAX to be fully funded," the CEO said.

"Getting vaccines to everyone who needs them is one of the causes Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates have committed their lives to. The Gates Foundation will use its resources to ensure that work continues and succeeds," the statement said in conclusion.