Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1354201
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 MARCH 2021 10 NEWS NICOLE MEILAK A tug-of-war is playing out in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) between Western blocs and the Global South to waive patent rights on COVID-19 vac- cines, so as to be able to boost produc- tion in developing nations. The proposal was put forward by South Africa and India back in October 2020, where they argued that intellec- tual property rights are hindering the timely provision of affordable medical products to patients, including vaccines and medical equipment. While Italy supports the waiver, a great deal of European Union countries, Malta included, are said to be opposing the waiver, according to Doctors With- out Borders, the international medical humanitarian organisation. So far, the proposal has been co-spon- sored by Kenya, Eswatini, Mozambique, Pakistan, Bolivia, Venezuela, Mongolia, Zimbabwe, Egypt, the African Group and the Least Developed Countries Group. They say the waiver should remain in place until a majority of the world's population has developed immunity against the virus. They also propose that WTO members' obligations on in- tellectual property rules be waived until COVID-19 is contained. But at WTO level, there is a lack of consensus on the waiver request. Its proponents argue that existing vaccine manufacturing capacities in the devel- oping world have remained unutilised because of intellectual property barri- ers. This has forced the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines to remain signifi- cantly below full capacity. Sceptics want an evidence-based discussion as to whether intellectual property rules are preventing access to vaccines, so as not to upset the WTO regime that protects patents. Malta is among a group of European Union member states that is actually opposing the proposal; only Italy, one of the worst-hit countries by COVID-19, is supporting the proposal. Doctors Without Borders are strong- ly urging governments to stop blocking this waiver, pointing out that many of the countries blocking or delaying the proposal – including EU countries – had managed to secure the bulk of avail- able vaccines, often ordering more than is needed to vaccinate its populations. Members of European Parliament are similarly urging the European Commis- sion and European Council to review their opposition to the waiver proposal, in a cross-party declaration signed by 115 MEPs, including Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba. "The vaccine is a public good," he told MaltaToday. "It's not something that we should be nationalist about, even where IP rights come in. This is a world emergency, and it's important for every- one, whether you're coming from a rich country or a poor country." While the declaration was signed by a cross-party lobby, the political groups in European Parliament are divided too, even among left political groups. "There is division on the issue, with some claiming that it's important to protect intellectual property rights even at this junction. From the left groups in parliament, there is a majority pushing for this direction [the waiver]," he said. Agius Saliba further said that Mal- ta should have no reason to oppose this waiver, especially given that Malta would lose nothing from the agreement. "We won't give part of our vaccines to other countries, but we will give them access to vaccines that are needed by everyone. It's a huge discrimination for rich countries to create this sort of pressure to leave these countries with- out access to vaccines, while those can have access have to wait years. It doesn't make sense." Labour MEP Alfred Sant has also called for the abolition of patent rights on the COVID-19 vaccine so that mass production on a global level could be- gin, warning that an oligopoly in global manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines would not work in the future. Recently Malta was subject to criti- cism from Austrian Chancellor Sebas- tian Kurz for ordering an excess sup- ply of COVID-19 vaccines, with Malta slated to have three times more vaccine doses relative to its population by the end of June than Bulgaria. Prime Minister Robert Abela brushed off the criticism, saying that govern- ment is doing what's necessary to en- sure Malta is at the front when it comes to vaccinating the public. Malta stockpiles COVID vaccine, while EU opposes patent abolition As Malta bulk-orders COVID vaccines, the Global South is fighting to be able to produce the vaccine patent-free THE Nationalist Party's shad- ow health minister Stephen Spiteri has warned that Malta's health services are on the brink due to the rising increase in COVID cases and ITU admis- sions. Spiteri said Mater Dei Hos- pital was facing an overload in COVID infections, and that hospital services were finding it difficult to keep up with the rising cases. "This is especially felt inside the ITU and the cardiac units (CCU) and medical wards," Spiteri, a GP, said. "Doctors and nurses are doing their best to keep up, but the frontline is burnt out and exhausted, and finding it difficult to keep up." Spiteri said MDH capaci- ty was "on the brink up" and showing signs that the spread of COVID-19, at an average of over 200 cases a day, is no longer under control. "These numbers are exaggerated," Spi- teri said. He called for measures to be taken by the Public Health Su- perintendent. "Emergency sur- geries are being delayed and waiting times have increased in immediate care units and those handling acute heart attacks and other diseases requiring immediate attention." Spiteri ITU workers who had spoken to him said they were seeing the highest rate of ad- missions to the intensive thera- py unit ever since the pandem- ic started. "This is a red alert. The num- ber of patients on ventilators is a parameter for the decisions that must be taken. ITU staff tell me they saw this coming since September 2020, because it was a red alert back then. The second wave has broken us." PN says Mater Dei ITU struggling to keep up with rising COVID cases