Human rights lawyers have threatened legal action against the governments of Canada, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom if they fail to support a waiver of the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement in relation to COVID-19 healthcare products. The waiver will be discussed at the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) […] Continue reading ->
CAPE TOWN – A new COVID-19 variant with a “very unusual constellation of mutations” – currently referred to as B.1.1.529 – has been identified in southern Africa, South Africa’s Health Ministry announced on Thursday. On Friday, WHO dubbed the variant “Omicron”, adding it to its list of variants of concern – even as the European […] Continue reading ->
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to condemn COVID-19 vaccine boosters in the face of global vaccine inequity, a top official conceded that they looked increasingly likely in future. “The first priority everywhere has got to be reaching the unvaccinated, most highly vulnerable populations,” stressed Dr Bruce Aylward, special advisor to the WHO Director-General. […] Continue reading ->
Six months after publication of their landmark report, Make it the Last Pandemic, the co-chairs of Independent Panel have re-entered the political fray over the slow pace of urgently needed reforms to vaccine equity, pandemic finance and countries’ legal obligations – that they say are required to end the COVID-19 pandemic and head off the […] Continue reading ->