Survival for All: Securing Vaccines for the Global South
At the beginning of the pandemic, we reported on the extreme inequality of the vaccine rollout to low income countries. Their access was hindered because of a Western\xa0patent system which was imposed globally\xa0through the WTO.\xa0At the time, activists tried to pass the\xa0TRIPS (Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights)\xa0Waiver,\xa0which would have suspended all patents related to\xa0COVID.\xa0This would have allowed countries all over the\xa0world to make vaccines, therapeutics and protective equipment during the pandemic crisis.\xa0
The TRIPS Waiver failed to provide access to medicines, and poor countries never received the vaccines they were promised.
But, as the world moved on from COVID, so did the efforts for equity. The TRIPS waiver failed to provide access to medicines, and poor countries never received the vaccines they were promised. Despite this, the Global South continues to fight back. On today's show, we look back at the failures of the early pandemic and at new initiatives led by scientists and activists to circumvent patents and create broader access to medicines.
Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org.
Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world.
EPISODE FEATURES: Fatima Hassan, Human rights lawyer and founder of Health Justice Initiative; Piotr Kolczynski, EU Health Policy & Advocacy Advisor for The People's Vaccine Alliance; Achal Prabhala, Researcher and coordinator of the AccessIBSA project; Petro Terblanche, Managing Director of Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines\xa0
MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Salima Hamirani. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung.\xa0
MUSIC: This episode includes music from Blue Dot Sessions, \u201cSweetly;\u201d Deef, \u201cNostalgia of an Ex Gangsta Rapper;\u201d Doctor Turtle, \u201cLeap Second;\u201d frankum, \u201cReward MusicTrack - Ambiance guitar;\u201d Monplaisir, \u201cJuan Garcia Madero,\u201d \u201cRidiculous,\u201d and \u201cStay Quiet;\u201d Robert John, \u201cSlinky.\u201d\xa0
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