Oxfam Reactive: Minister Simon Coveney’s comments on vaccine inequality

In response to Minister Simon Coveney’s comments on vaccine inequality, Jim Clarken, Chief Executive of Oxfam Ireland said:

"We welcome Minister Coveney’s comments about the need to ensure that protection of vaccine patents and intellectual property rights don’t undermine efforts to address the Covid-19 pandemic globally. We echo the Minister’s call for vaccine makers to share manufacturing know how and capacity more widely around the world. The proposal for a TRIPS waiver at the WTO is a suitable mechanism to help achieve this.

"On Friday, the EU has an opportunity to ensure intellectual property rights are not protected above human life. We call on Ireland to end its support of the EU’s position and engage with fellow member states to reverse the EU's continued opposition to this essential intervention - that is supported by over 100 low-and middle-income countries.

"This is an opportunity for Ireland to show leadership on the world stage in the interest of the world’s most vulnerable people. Ireland should, with other EU countries, follow Belgium’s example who just this week came out in support of the TRIPS waiver.

"Leaving low-income countries, some of which are the hardest hit by resurging waves of the virus, dependant on handouts and leftovers will not remedy the pandemic. We have the tools to overcome Covid-19 – now let's share them. This is after all a global health emergency."

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Contact

Caroline Reid | caroline.reid@oxfam.org | 087 912 3165

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