Amnesty International has recently inaugurated a campaign, "A Fair Shot: Universal Access to COVID-19 Vaccines" calling for universal access to COVID-19 vaccines. In the process it has identified quite important issues of the human right to health within the context of markets driven systems for allocation and availability. It is not meant necessarily as (yet another) indictment of markets driven globalization, but rather serves as an important marker for testing the principles under which markets are managed. In the process it really indicts--not enterprises and markets--by states and international public organizations for their utter failures to live up to their duty to protect human rights.
Rich countries have bought up over half of the world's vaccine supply, even though they represent just 16 per cent of the world's population. The same countries have administered over 60% of the world's doses so far, while over 100 countries are yet to vaccinate a single person.
“Nobody should be denied access to health care, including vaccines, because of where they live, who they are, or what they earn. With enough pressure on the right people, we can ensure COVID-19 vaccination systems guarantee human rights,” said Stephen Cockburn. ("A Fair Shot: Universal Access to COVID-19 Vaccines" )
Indeed, and ironically, it appears that small and less developed states appear to be at the forefront of this effort as the rich states (of whatever ideological political system they advance)--always at the forefront with gesture and words--scramble to protect their own (Iran receives COVID-19 vaccine from Cuba). The effort is misguided of course, especially given the "logic" of pandemic. But it does expose state failure at its basest level.
Of course even Amnesty is ,to some extent, both blind to the implications of its own analysis, and blindly bound to what it assumes are the principles through which markets driven allocations (with intellectual property protections at the center) must be confronted. They shame enterprises for the substantial state aids they received from countries that want "payback" in the form of first access to vaccines, and then fault the enterprises for refusing to distribute production without compensation to places that cannot afford the market price (that fall last in line under an allocation model based on ability to pay). Lastly they fault the states benefiting most from this model of state aids, intellectual property protection and first in line positioning for failing to create a waiver.
Governments must fulfill their human rights obligations and support a proposal to waive certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement, a global treaty governing intellectual property rights, which often restricts where, when and how medicines are produced. This waiver would lift the enforcement of patents and intellectual property protections that currently create obstacles for additional manufacturers to produce more COVID-19 vaccines. However, while it is supported by the vast majority of low- and middle-income countries, it is opposed by the wealthy ones. ("A Fair Shot: Universal Access to COVID-19 Vaccines" )
This is certainly the conventional approach. But there are others that might better align response to the fundamental (and often ignored) basis of a state duty to protect human rights that is consistent with the fundamental principles of markets driven economic globalization. These would focus not on waivers but on payment. For example, states that have subsidized the development of vaccines can purchase for the account of less developed states vaccines for their use. It can license its production by facilities in middle and lower income states offering to pay the difference between a subsidized price for use and the "wholesale price" that would otherwise be extracted. In other words, such states could protect the intellectual property rights of the enterprises whose innovation (spurred by the nudging of markets) produced the breakthroughs but in a way that extends the subsidies cost (or that subsidized production in) host states otherwise unable to effectively access vaccine. This would eliminate the obstacle to projects such as C-Tap in ways that align its purposes with the markets that made the innovation essential to its operation possible. At the same time, such efforts themselves may be tempting vehicles for the sort of bartering between states that would permit donor states to exact policy positive concessions from recipients (e.g., Biden to send surplus AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Mexico, Canada ("The plans coincide with an effort by the administration to get a handle on the surge of migrants at the southern border.")).
Still, whatever way is chosen, what ought to be at the center of analysis is the character of state failure to fulfill their respective duties to protect human rights rather than take the easier discursive route of blaming enterprises as the space from which these failures are operationalized. That is harder than it sounds. NGOs and others remain dependent on the good graces and are to some extent at the mercy of the police power of states. That dependence is both direct but also indirect, in the form of state encouragement or ease for accessing both public and private subsidies (memberships, contributions, and the large pools of wealth controlled by foundations). It might be useful at some point for some introspection about the way that the web of relationships may affect the focus and approach to solutions that fit within the "realistic" universe of possibilities that are effectively curated by the relationships themselves. That, however, will be an even greater challenge.
Despite its importance, that is a challenge for another day. Fr the moment the focus on the human rights duties of states in the context of vaccine availability ought to be at the forefront of the minds of policymakers and political figures in both liberal democratic and Marxist Leninist leading states.
The Amnesty International Announcement, in English and Spanish follow below.
COVID-19: Pharmaceutical companies and rich states put lives at risk as vaccine inequality soars
- Amnesty launches global campaign calling for universal access to COVID-19 vaccines
- Rich countries have bought up over half the world’s vaccine supply, but represent just 16 per cent of the world’s population
- Pharmaceutical companies refuse to share knowledge and technology
The actions of pharmaceutical companies and rich countries mean that billions of people at risk of COVID-19 are unlikely to receive a single dose of the life-saving vaccines this year, Amnesty International said as it launched a new global campaign calling for universal access to vaccines.
The campaign - A Fair Shot: Universal Access to COVID-19 Vaccines – calls for pharmaceutical companies to share their knowledge and technology to maximize the number of doses of vaccines available around the globe. It also calls on states to stop engaging in ‘vaccine nationalism’ and work together to ensure that those most at-risk of COVID-19 in all countries can access life-saving COVID-19 vaccines immediately.
“Who gets access to a COVID-19 vaccine, when, and at what price, are some of the most significant and contested questions facing our societies today. But the answers are being shaped by the interests of powerful states and companies,” said Stephen Cockburn, Head of Economic and Social Justice at Amnesty International
“So far they’ve created a dangerous situation with global inequalities in vaccine access spiraling out of control. A few rich countries are racing ahead, while the rest of the world struggles to get off the starting line. Everyone deserves a fair shot at a vaccine — when it comes to our right to health, there’s no place for discrimination.”
Rich countries have bought up over half of the world's vaccine supply, even though they represent just 16 per cent of the world's population. The same countries have administered over 60% of the world's doses so far, while over 100 countries are yet to vaccinate a single person.
“Nobody should be denied access to health care, including vaccines, because of where they live, who they are, or what they earn. With enough pressure on the right people, we can ensure COVID-19 vaccination systems guarantee human rights,” said Stephen Cockburn.
Sharing knowledge and technology
Billions of taxpayers’ money has been spent to help companies like AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech to develop and produce vaccines, yet these companies – and others - refuse to share their research, knowledge and technology. This means that other pharmaceutical companies cannot draw upon these advances in science to step up their own vaccine production, which would in turn increase supply, so they are accessible to countries with smaller budgets.
For example, in May 2020, the W so companies could pool data and knowledge, and then license production and technology transfer to other potential producers, with the aim of ensuring people everywhere could access vaccines quicker. Yet so far, not a single pharmaceutical company has joined C-TAP.
Governments must fulfill their human rights obligations and support a proposal to waive certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement, a global treaty governing intellectual property rights, which often restricts where, when and how medicines are produced. This waiver would lift the enforcement of patents and intellectual property protections that currently create obstacles for additional manufacturers to produce more COVID-19 vaccines. However, while it is supported by the vast majority of low- and middle-income countries, it is opposed by the wealthy ones.
As some states refuse to hold vaccine producers to account on their human rights responsibility to extend COVID-19 vaccine access to the maximum number of people, deep divides and inequalities between countries and communities have only become further exposed. And it’s those most at risk who are suffering as some countries and pharmaceutical companies continue to prioritize bilateral deals over ensuring that all people in every country have a fair shot at COVID-19 vaccines.
“As we mark the one-year anniversary of the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot stand by and watch this tragedy unfold when we have solutions on the table,” said Tamaryn Nelson, Amnesty International’s Health Advisor. “Amid governments’ race to vaccinate their own populations entirely first and the pharmaceutical industry’s tight grip on its patents, we’re forgetting that people’s lives are at stake. No one is safe until we’re all safe.”
It’s time for pharmaceutical companies and states to fulfil their human rights responsibilities and obligations. Amnesty International is campaigning for companies, including AstraZeneca, Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna, to share their knowledge and technology so that everyone in the world will have a fair shot at a vaccine. And states must step up by putting pressure on companies to do their part and work collectively to ensure those most at risk around the globe are vaccinated as soon as possible.
Notes to editors
See here for more information about C-TAP, a World Health Organization-run pool for voluntary licenses for COVID-19 products, which would enable other manufacturers to produce them, and its Solidarity call to realize equitable global access to COVID-19 health technologies through pooling of knowledge, intellectual property and data.
See here for more information about the TRIPS waiver proposal at the WTO.
All figures are based on analysis of data collected by Duke University and Our World In Data.
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COVID-19: Las empresas farmacéuticas y los Estados ricos ponen vidas en peligro mientras aumenta la desigualdad en el acceso a las vacunas
- Amnistía lanza una campaña global global para pedir el acceso universal a las vacunas contra la COVID-19
- Los países ricos han comprado más de la mitad del suministro de vacunas del mundo, pero representan sólo el 16% de la población mundial
- Las empresas farmacéuticas se niegan a compartir conocimientos y tecnología
Debido a la actuación de las empresas farmacéuticas y los países ricos, es probable que miles de millones de personas que corren el riesgo de contraer la COVID-19 no reciban este año ni una sola dosis de las vacunas de las que puede depender su vida, ha afirmado Amnistía Internacional, coincidiendo con el lanzamiento de una nueva campaña global para reclamar el acceso universal a las vacunas.
La campaña — Un pinchazo justo: Acceso universal a las vacunas contra la COVID-19— pide a las empresas farmacéuticas que compartan sus conocimientos y tecnología para elevar al máximo el número de dosis de vacunas disponibles en todo el planeta. Asimismo, pide a los Estados que dejen de practicar el “nacionalismo de las vacunas” y trabajen conjuntamente para garantizar el acceso inmediato de las personas más expuestas a contagiarse de COVID-19 en todos los países a unas vacunas de las que puede depender su vida.
“Quién tiene acceso a la vacuna contra la COVID-19, cuándo y a qué precio son algunas de las cuestiones más importantes y controvertidas a las que se enfrentan hoy nuestras sociedades. Pero las respuestas vienen determinadas por los intereses de los Estados y empresas poderosos”, ha afirmado Stephen Cockburn, director de Justicia Económica y Social de Amnistía Internacional.
“Hasta ahora, han generado un situación peligrosa en la que las desigualdades globales en el acceso a las vacunas se están intensificando sin control. Un reducido número de países ricos encabezan la carrera, mientras el resto del mundo se esfuerza por arrancar desde la línea de salida. Todas las personas merecen un pinchazo justo de esta vacuna: en lo que se refiere a nuestro derecho a la salud, no hay lugar para la discriminación.”
Los países ricos han comprado más de la mitad del suministro de vacunas del mundo, aunque representan sólo el 16% de la población mundial Los mismos países han administrado hasta ahora más del 60% de las dosis del mundo, mientras que más de 100 países no han vacunado todavía a ni a una sola persona.
Nadie debe ver negado su acceso a la atención de la salud —incluidas las vacunas— por el lugar en el que vive, por su identidad o por el nivel de sus ingresos. Si se ejerce suficiente presión en las personas correctas, podemos conseguir que los sistemas de vacunación contra la COVID-19 garanticen los derechos humanos”, ha afirmado Stephen Cockburn.
Compartir conocimientos y tecnología
Se ha gastado el dinero de miles de millones de contribuyentes en ayudas a empresas como AstraZeneca, Moderna y Pfizer BioNTech para que desarrollen y produzcan vacunas, pero estas empresas —y otras— se niegan a compartir sus investigaciones, conocimientos y tecnologías. Esto significa que otras empresas farmacéuticas no pueden hacer uso de estos avances científicos para aumentar su propia producción de vacunas, lo cual incrementaría a su vez el suministro y las haría accesibles a países con menos presupuesto.
Por ejemplo, en mayo de 2020, la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) estableció el Acceso Mancomunado a Tecnología contra la COVID-19 (C-TAP) para que las empresas pudieran compartir datos y conocimientos, y después acordar licencias de producción y transferencias de tecnología a otros potenciales productores, con objeto de asegurar el acceso más rápido de la población a vacunas en cualquier lugar. Pero, hasta ahora, ni una sola empresa farmacéutica se ha adherido al C-TAP.
Los gobiernos deben cumplir con sus obligaciones de derechos humanos y apoyar la propuesta de exención de ciertas disposiciones del Acuerdo sobre los ADPIC (acuerdo internacional que regula los derechos de propiedad intelectual relacionados con el comercio) que suelen restringir dónde, cuándo y cómo se producen los medicamentos. Esta exención dispensaría de la ejecución de las protecciones de patentes y propiedad Intelectual que actualmente crean obstáculos para que otros fabricantes produzcan más vacunas contra la COVID-19. Sin embargo, aunque cuenta con el apoyo de la inmensa mayoría de países de ingresos bajos y medios, los Estados ricos se oponen.
Mientras algunos Estados se niegan a hacer rendir cuentas a los productores de vacunas por su responsabilidad de derechos humanos de extender el acceso a la vacuna contra la COVID-19 al máximo número de personas, profundas fisuras y desigualdades entre países y comunidades salen a la luz con más fuerza. Y son las personas que corren más riesgo las que sufren porque algunos países y empresas farmacéuticas siguen concediendo prioridad a los acuerdos bilaterales antes que a garantizar que todas las personas en todos los países reciben el mismo trato en la administración de dosis de las vacunas contra la COVID-19.
“Cuando conmemoramos el primer aniversario de la declaración de la pandemia de COVID-19, no podemos permanecer de brazos cruzados ante esta tragedia cuando tenemos soluciones sobre la mesa”, ha afirmado Tamaryn Nelson, asesora de Salud de Amnistía Internacional. “En plena carrera de los gobiernos para vacunar ante todo a sus poblaciones, y con la industria farmacéutica aferrándose como puede a sus patentes, olvidamos que hay vidas humanas en juego. Nadie estará seguro hasta que todo el mundo esté seguro.
Es hora de que las empresas farmacéuticas y los Estados cumplan con sus responsabilidades y obligaciones en materia de derechos humanos. Amnistía Internacional hace campaña para que empresas como AstraZeneca, Pfizer, BioNTech y Moderna compartan sus conocimientos y tecnología, y que así la población del mundo entero reciba un pinchazo justo de esta vacuna. Además, los Estados deben dar un paso adelante, ejerciendo presión sobre las empresas para que cumplan con la parte que les corresponde y trabajen colectivamente para garantizar que las personas más expuestas en todo el planeta reciben la vacuna lo antes posible.
Nota a los editores
Aquí pueden encontrar más información sobre el C-TAP, iniciativa de la Organización Mundial de la Salud para el establecimiento de un fondo de licencias voluntarias para productos contra COVID-19 que permitiría a otros fabricantes producirlos, y sobre su Llamamiento a la Acción Solidaria para hacer efectivo el acceso mundial equitativo a las tecnologías sanitarias contra la COVID-19 mediante la puesta en común de conocimientos, propiedad intelectual y datos.
Aquí pueden encontrar más información sobre la propuesta de exención de los ADPIC presentada en la OMC.
Todas las cifras se basan en el análisis de datos recopilados por la Universidad de Duke y Our World In Data.
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