Billions of people around the world continue to be denied access to COVID vaccines, tests and treatments specifically because Europe and the United States are prioritizing the interests of pharmaceutical monopolies ahead of human life and an end to the pandemic.

Over 100 countries across the globe are calling for an emergency waiver of World Trade Organization (WTO) pharmaceutical monopoly rules that are standing in the way of increased global vaccine, test and treatment access.  But powers in the Global North have rejected theses calls.

For the better part of two years, the European Union, United Kingdom and Switzerland have blocked a “TRIPS waiver” at the WTO.  And the United States, which says it supports a waiver for vaccines, has opposed extending a waiver to lifesaving diagnostics and therapeutics.  

The WTO is having its biggest meeting since the start of the pandemic in June.  Feeling the pressure to do something on COVID, WTO leaders have introduced a bogus new proposal that not only fails to remove WTO barriers to COVID medicine accessibility, but actually introduces new obstacles.  The constant protection of Big Pharma profits over human lives has to end!

An estimated 15 million people globally have already been killed by the COVID pandemic.  Lack of access to vaccines, tests and treatments continues to cause needless deaths each day and give rise to new COVID variants that could extend the pandemic for everyone.  Please join activists worldwide in calling on the European Union, United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States to lift their opposition to a TRIPS waiver for COVID vaccines, tests and treatments.

The world has the technology to save lives and end the COVID pandemic, but only if it is shared.  Please join the call for COVID vaccine, test & treatment equity!

Questions: julie@washingtonfairtrade.org