We, the undersigned organisations, are dismayed and exasperated by your refusal to countenance sharing vaccine knowledge and capacity with potential vaccine-producing countries around the world, especially in Africa. Despite overwhelming and growing calls to action, you continue not to move on this issue, and in that way you are putting all our lives at risk.
The people of the world should be able to expect their leaders to apply justice, equity, and solidarity in the quest to vanquish the pandemic and protect all people. For that to be the case, everyone must have access to the COVID-19 vaccine, and all WHO-approved vaccines must be accepted as valid. As Antonio Gutierrez, Secretary-General of the United Nations said, ‘No one is safe until we are all safe’. While Europe’s remarkable vaccine roll-out – apparently at the rate of approximately 30 EU citizens per second – is to be praised, this must not be a competition. This is not a glory-seeking exercise. This is about everyone’s right to life, no matter where they live or where they were born. And you, leaders of the EU & UK, do not have the right to deny that to anyone.
This is about everyone’s right to life, no matter where they live or where they were born. And you, leaders of the EU & UK, do not have the right to deny that to anyone.
While some countries begin to talk about recovery, are starting to resume normal life and are able once again to enjoy social, cultural and sports activities, many others are still struggling with new waves of the pandemic. While that remains the case, we are all at risk of virus mutations. We have already learnt that the virus knows no borders. Why, therefore, would you allow it to mutate freely in some parts of the world and risk those new variants resurfacing in your own countries?
We have already learnt that the virus knows no borders.
It is abundantly clear that if we are to prevent infection, mutation and re-infection, everyone must be protected from the COVID-19 virus. Only this will ensure a global path to recovery.
In a globalised world, a ‘me-first’ approach is as short-sighted and misguided as it is selfish and dangerous.
For all people to have equal access to the vaccine and be treated without discrimination, we are calling for three key actions:
1. Overcome vaccine hegemony
We, the undersigned organizations, take exception to the continued refusal by European leaders, especially Germany and the UK, to allow the temporary relaxation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) as requested by India and South Africa. Your refusal is preventing other countries from producing much-needed vaccines for billions of people. We have clearly seen that it is impossible to produce enough vaccines for the whole world when relying on just a few companies and production sites.
It is shameful to hear EU leaders proudly declare that “Europe is nowadays the pharmacy of the world” when cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in Africa, the COVAX mechanism is failing to deliver the required doses of vaccines and you refuse to allow South Africa and India, among others, to play a critical role in vaccine production. No one is asking or expecting Europe to be the pharmacy of the world. Africa does not want that. We call on you urgently to end your neocolonial control over other parts of the world.
Current Intellectual Property (IP) protection rules, as contained in the TRIPS Agreement, are a barrier to knowledge-sharing, technological transfer and raw material production. They are therefore a barrier to scaling up vaccine production and to ending the global pandemic. The best way to overcome this is to end your monopolistic hegemony on vaccines and to protect the right to life for all people, by agreeing to a TRIPS Waiver in the WTO.
Private sector interests cannot be allowed to determine who lives and who dies. The profit of major pharmaceutical companies cannot take precedence over equity and justice! Enough is enough! “COVID-19 vaccines must be considered a global public good”, as UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated recently.
We, the undersigned organizations, therefore call on you, EU & UK leaders, to agree urgently to a WTO TRIPS Waiver. We also call on you to withdraw the EU’s current, counter communication, which is simply a distraction. Stop delaying the process and risking all our lives!
2. Support manufacturing capacity in other countries
We know that agreeing to a WTO TRIPS waiver will not suffice. Countries will need support to manufacture and produce at scale the vaccines. It is estimated that to date only 2% of Africans have received a vaccine. However, a number of countries in Africa are interested in supporting vaccine production, in addition to South Africa, such as Senegal, Rwanda and Egypt. The EU must therefore also share knowledge, support technology transfer and strengthen capacity so that such countries can gear up vaccine production as rapidly as possible.
It is estimated that to date only 2% of Africans have received a vaccine.
In light of the proclaimed “partnership” that Europe wishes to develop with Africa, it should bear in mind that actions speak louder than words. Europe is not living up to the very first real test of partnership.
Just as the virus knows no boundaries, so the virus will continue to mutate, creating variants, against which current vaccines may no longer work. Do you, EU & UK leaders, really want to have to rely on sealing borders, creating a Fortress Europe, in a vain attempt to keep the virus out, possibly for years to come? Your investment in the African continent now would serve to increase resilience in the longer term and to counter any future health pandemics more effectively.
We, the undersigned organizations, therefore call on you, EU & UK Leaders, to require pharmaceutical companies to share knowledge and technology so as to allow non-EU countries to produce vaccines and increase global production levels so that all countries can protect their people.
3. Support vaccine delivery in-country
While ‘vaccine-sharing’ is a very limited and short-term option, it will inevitably fail if commensurate efforts are not made to support vaccine delivery in-country. A number of countries, such as Malawi, DRC and South Sudan, have not been able to benefit from those few doses of vaccine that were delivered through the COVAX mechanism, owing to under-resourced and fragile domestic health systems. Once production ramps up in other parts of the world, notably in Africa, ensuring that the vaccine is delivered to individuals as quickly and efficiently as possible will require support.
The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the importance of robust, well-resourced health systems. Even rich countries’ health systems have struggled to deal with the high rates of infection and to address the pandemic. Previous experiences from viral outbreaks such as Ebola have provided valuable lessons for Africa, but this has largely served to limit infection. Those lessons have, however, also shown the critical importance of investing in frontline health-workers and community-based care. Investment in universal access to quality health systems is thus paramount and, as part of that effort, investment in health-workers and care-workers is key.
We, the undersigned organizations, therefore call on you, EU and UK Leaders, to support all countries to make critical investments in their health systems and to ensure fair and efficient delivery of vaccines to all.
As Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, said, “[t]he world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure, and the price of this failure will be paid with lives and livelihoods in the world’s poorest countries.” Don’t let that happen on our watch!
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Sign our letter to join people around the world in demanding EU leaders, Heads of State and Government to ensure #Vaccines4All. You can sign the letter as an individual or as an organization by completing this form.
This letter is also available in French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Signatories:
#THEHULLWEWANT
ACT ALLIANCE EU
ACTED UGANDA
ACTION AID FRANCE
ACTION AID INTERNATIONAL
ACTION AID IRELAND
ACTIONAID UGANDA
ACTIONAID VIETNAM
ADRA EUROPE
ADRA ÖSTERREICH
AFRICA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
AFRICA PHILANTHROPY NETWORK
AFRICAN ALLIANCE
AFRICAN MONITORING OBSERVATORY FOR CLIMATE WATERS EARTH AND CULTURES (AMOCLIMWEC)
AFRICAN PHILANTHROPY NETWORK
AFRICANS RISING
AKINA MAMA WA AFRIKA
ALLIANCE2015
ALIANZA POR LA SOLIDARIDAD
ANTI CORRUPTION COALITION UGANDA
APEFE ASBL
ARCHE NOVA – INITIATIVE FÜR MENSCHEN IN NOT E. V.
ARE YOU SYRIOUS?
ASOCIACIÓN CHILENA DE ONG ACCIÓN
ASSOCIAÇÃO BRASILEIRA DE ORGANIZAÇÕES NÃO-GOVERNAMENTAIS – ABONG
BRAC
BRAZILIAN PHILANTHROPY NETWORK FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
CANCER ALLIANCE SOUTH AFRICA
CARITAS EUROPA
CENTER FOR BASIC RESEARCH
CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE
CENTER FOR THE STUDIES OF PEACE, CONFLICT AND WELL-BEING
CENTRE FOR CHILDREN IN VULNERABLE SITUATIONS
CESE – COORDENADORIA ECUMÊNICA DE SERVIÇO
CIDSE
CNCD-11.11.11
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION WESTERN CAPE
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR NORTHERN IRELAND
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THE WESTERN REGION OF ZIMBABWE
CONCORD EUROPE
CONFLICT RESOLUTION BY YOUTH (UGANDA)
COORDINACIÓN DE ONG Y COOPERATIVAS
COORDINADORA DE ORGANIZACIONES PARA EL DESARROLLO
CORPORACIÓN CONPAZES
CROSOL – CROATIAN PLATFORM FOR INTERNATIONAL CITIZEN SOLIDARITY
DAFNE- DONORS AND FOUNDATIONS NETWORKS IN EUROPE
DALIA ASSOCIATION
DALIT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
DALIT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (DCF)
DEUTSCHES MEDIKAMENTEN-HILFSWERK ACTION MEDEOR E.V.
DEVELOPMENT EXPERTISE CENTER
EARTHRISE TRUST
EAST AFRICA PHILANTHROPY NETWORK
ELLAS – MUJERES Y FILANTROPÍA
FAIR TRADE ADVOCACY OFFICE
FINGO
FINN CHURCH AID
FIRELIGHT FOUNDATION
FOCSIV ITALIAN FEDERATION CHRISTIAN NGOS
FORUS
FOUNDATIONS FOR PEACE NETWORK
FUND FOR CONGOLESE WOMEN
FUNDACAO MICAIA
GLOBAL FUND FOR COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS
GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN PROGRESS
GLOBAL NETWORK OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS FOR DISASTER REDUCTION (GNDR)
GLOBAL NETWORK OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV (GNP)+
GRAMIN EVAM NAGAR VIKAS PARISHAD
GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES FOUNDATION-KENYA (GRADIF-K)
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL E.V. (GERMANY)
HANNS R. NEUMANN STIFTUNG AFRICA
HEALTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL
HOLISTIC PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL UGANDA
HOPE AFTER RAPE
HOPE FOR CHILDREN
HUMANITY & INCLUSION
HUMENA FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
ICVA
IDEA
IKHALA TRUST
IMANLE AFRICA TELEVISION
INTERNATIONAL AID SERVICES UGANDA
INTERSOS
JUST TREATMENT
JUSTICE ACCESS POINT- UGANDA
KAWEMPE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
KENYA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
KEYSTONE FOUNDATION
KICK CORRUPTION OUT OF UGANDA
KIGEZI WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT
KIJANI GROUP
KIKANDWA ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION
KULU – WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT DENMARK
LIGHT FOR THE WORLD
LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION STIP
MAURITIUS COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE
MÉDECINS DU MONDE BELGIQUE – DOKTERS VAN DER WERELD
MÉDECINS DU MONDE
MÉDECINS DU MONDE BELGIUM
MEDICUS MUNDI SPAIN
MEDITERRANEAN WOMEN’S FUND
MEDPORT GLOBAL
MIDWESTERN REGIONAL CENTRE FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS – MICOD
MINDSHAPERS
MUSLIM CENTRE FOR JUSTICE AND LAW
NGO FEDERATION OF NEPAL
NO PROFIT ON PANDEMIC
OXFAM INTERNATIONAL
OXFAM UGANDA
PACIFIC ISLANDS ASSOCIATION (PIANGO)
PAD
PALLISA CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS’ NETWORK
PARTOS
PEOPLE’S VACCINE KENYA
PHILANTHROPY CIRCUIT
PLATAFORMA PORTUGUESA DAS ONGD
PROSPER CONSULT
PROYECTO CULTURA Y SOLIDARIDAD
PSJP
PUBLIC EYE
PURPLE BENCH INITIATIVE
RECONSTRUCTION WOMEN’S FUND
RETHINKING POVERTY
RICH (RIGHT TO IMPROVED CHILD HEALTH)
ROOTS AND WINGS FOUNDATION
SODI E.V.
SOLIDARNA – FOUNDATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOLIDARITY
SOUTH SINAI FOUNDATION
SOUTHERN VOICE
STAR GHANA FOUNDATION
SUCCESS CAPITAL ORGANISATION
SUGUR DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
SUPPORT FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
SUPPORT FOR WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT (SWAGEN)
TANGO
TANZANIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION NETWORK
TEWA
THE CRANKY QUEER GUIDE TO CHRONIC ILLNESS
THE EQUITY INDEX
THE HUNGER PROJECT
THE INSTITUTE FOR MONITORING AND EVALUATION
THE MOVEMENT FOR COMMUNITY LED DEVELOPMENT (MCLD) LIBERIA CHAPTER
THUBUTU AFRICA INITIATIVES
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL ZAMBIA
TRÓCAIRE UGANDA
TWIKATANE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
UGANDA COALITION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
UGANDA MUSLIM RURAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
UGANDA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY AND HEALTH
UGANDA NATIONAL NGO FORUM
ULUNTU COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
VIJANA CORPS
WE RISE AND PROSPER (WRAP)
WEST AFRICA CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTE
WIDE+
WILDE GANZEN FOUNDATION
WOMEN’S COALITION AGAINST CANCER IN MALAWI – (WOCACA)
YOUTH ADVOCACY AND DEVELOPMENT NETWORK UGANDA
YOUTH FOR UNITY AND VOLUNTARY ACTION
YOUTH LINE FORUM
YUMBE DISTRICT NGO FORUM
ZAMBIAN GOVERNANCE FOUNDATION FOR CIVIL SOCIETY