NEHAWU Statement On The Trade Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Rights
Friday February 26, 2021
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) notes that the South African government, working with the Indian government and others as well as interest groups internationally, is placing a motion that calls for the waiver of the relevant clauses of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement on the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights or TRIPS.
This is to facilitate access to the necessary vaccines and therapeutics for the countries in the global-south that are struggling in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, NEHAWU throws its full weight behind this initiative because if successful, it would allow for access to vaccines to countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, to have the possibility of implementing compulsory licensing and parallel importation of vaccines, to ensure early access to protect lives.
We note that already in 2020 the western imperialist countries have blocked this initiative and may also undermine it again this year. Hence, if this initiative is frustrated and thwarted again, NEHAWU would call on the South African government to proceed in terms of the implementation of the TRIPS Flexibilities, as covered under the 2001 Doha Declaration. Even before the availability of these flexibilities as covered in the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health as adopted by the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference held in Doha, Qatar, in 1998 the South African government was able to withstand litigation attacks from these imperialist governments and their Big Pharma in its drive to allow for the alternative access to essential medicine in terms of the generic versions of the extortionately expensive patented antiretroviral medicines, to deal with the scourge of AIDS.
So, in our view the process of requesting a waiver is not and must not be made the only route towards ensuring adequate access to the necessary vaccines and other therapeutics in the face of the present public health emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are calling for the vaccination for all and the precedence of public health over private intellectual property because for us, healthcare and medical products are basic public goods, with inestimable use-value and not commodities.
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968;
December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969;
Khaya Xaba (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 082 455 2500
email: khaya@nehawu.org.za
Visit NEHAWU website: www.nehawu.org.za