Health body, not trade lawyers, ‘should decide patents access’

ABSTRACT

Speed read Least-developed countries push for patent waivers for COVID-19 drugs, diagnostics Health body should replace WTO oversight of medical patents, says justice advocate But vaccine manufacturing requires substantial infrastructure, skills development Trade negotiations are dictating access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and diagnostics. In April, the World Health Organization issued a call for expressions of interest in its mRNA technology hub, which aims to expand production capacity in low-and middle-income countries. Quality control The political will needed to ramp up vaccine production in Africa is deepening, according to analysis from consulting firm McKinsey, citing this year’s launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the nascent African Medicines Agency. According to McKinsey, the market for African vaccines could grow from US$1.3 billion today, to between $2.3 billion and $5.4 billion by 2030.