TRIPS Waiver Petition Letter
Dec 30, 2021
Health workers from India and South Africa call on G7 and EU governments to put people's health before Big Pharma's profits. Share #Covid-19 vaccines and treatments!
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Public funding has paved the way for scientific developments to beat the coronavirus – but now corporate property rights are threatening access to vital medicines and equipment and putting millions of lives at risk.
That's why many governments – supported by unions and civil society – are calling for the WTO to waive intellectual property protection measures for Covid-19 vaccines, medicines and medical supplies (a.k.a. TRIPS waiver). But countries from the Group of 7 and the European Union are opposing this proposal.
Sign this letter to let them know that private profits must not be put ahead of public health.
Read more about the TRIPS Waiver:
SIGN THE Petition
Dear [G7/EU country] leaders,
As health workers on the frontline of the COVID pandemic in India and South Africa, every day we are witness to the tremendous suffering the virus is causing; people taking their last breaths and families being ripped apart. Our fellow health workers are also dying.
We know many health workers and their families in the [G7/EU country] have experienced immense suffering as well and we share a collective grief with them.
What we do not share, however, is the sense of hope that people in the [G7/EU country] are now starting to have, because of the life-saving vaccines which are being rolled out there.
While [EU/G7 countries] have enough vaccines for more than their entire population, 9 in 10 people in the poorest countries will miss out on a vaccine this year. As health workers we have an obligation to protect the life of all people, but it is our people who are last in line for the vaccine.
A handful of companies in our countries are already making Covid 19 vaccines but there are many more manufacturers in ours and other developing nations with the skills and capacity to make more, so that more lives could be saved. It pains us that the [G7/EU] government is actively blocking efforts that would allow this to happen.
Our governments have proposed a temporary waiver of intellectual property rules , which would allow qualified manufacturers across the globe to produce more vaccines and other Covid health technologies such as therapeutics and diagnostics. Yet the [G7 country/EU] are refusing to support this. They are allowing the vaccine knowledge to be hoarded by just a handful of pharmaceutical companies, who get to decide who lives and who dies.
[While our government representatives have been invited to join you at the G7 Summit this week, we want you to hear our voices from the front line of this crisis too.]
How can the [G7/EU] government, in our greatest hour of need, continue to stand by the pharmaceutical monopolies whose choices are killing tens of thousands of us. We call on you to change course and urgently support the waiver of intellectual property rules our governments are calling for. Every day of delay is prolonging our suffering.
*Note this letter may be adapted to target other governments failing to support the TRIPS waiver proposal at the WTO.
Sign the petition
We, the health workers from India and South Africa call on G7 and EU governments to not block the TRIP waiver proposal
Veronika BüssyVERDI Germany
about 3 years agoAnonymous signature
about 3 years agoLeila Maxhuni Germany
over 3 years agoAlice Barrett United States
over 3 years agoGeorge Bonn Italy
over 3 years agoCasey Qian Canada
over 3 years agoRochelle Senwana South Africa
almost 4 years agoKedibone Mdolo South Africa
almost 4 years agoMarko Janžić Croatia
almost 4 years agoJOSE ANTONY India
almost 4 years agoArul Anthony Australia
almost 4 years agoDr. Mohan Rao India
almost 4 years agoJan Swasthya Abhiyan-Mumbai India
almost 4 years agoDr Sarin S M India
almost 4 years agoShomon ThomasNurse Malta
almost 4 years agoAlsa Saraswathy Staff nurse Malta
almost 4 years agoBexenCarer India
almost 4 years agoNebu Mathai India
almost 4 years agoNimrat kaurproject coordinator India
almost 4 years agoMishthi aroraStudent India
almost 4 years agoAkansha AroraManagement India
almost 4 years agoSibusiso Nkasa South Africa
almost 4 years agoHermann Reuterdoctor South Africa
almost 4 years agoLisema International Relations Officer South Africa
almost 4 years agoJohn FultonPresident Biotech Canada
almost 4 years agoVanessa JapthaEducation Rights Advocacy Manager South Africa
almost 4 years agoNtsiki MpuloCommunications South Africa
almost 4 years agoolivia comptonFull time employee United Kingdom
almost 4 years agoJibin TCNurse India
almost 4 years agoABDIKADIR AHMEDHealth Worker Kenya
almost 4 years agoChristian Rumu Kenya
almost 4 years agoGenevieve Quintaljournalist South Africa
almost 4 years agoDeepak KumarPublic Health Professional India
almost 4 years agoJeremiah Tshabangu OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH STUDENT South Africa
almost 4 years agoMULAMBYA FredMedical doctor Zambia
almost 4 years agoJoyce SibandaNurse Eswatini
almost 4 years agoTracy EastmanMedical Doctor South Africa
almost 4 years agoRehema ChengoCHW Coordinator Kenya
almost 4 years agoHelen BockClinical Program Coordinator and Supporter/NIMART NURSE South Africa
almost 4 years agoMike tauSaccawu 2nd Deputy President South Africa
almost 4 years agoMaikepa MotlalepuleProfessional Nurse South Africa
almost 4 years agoZodwa GqiranaNurse South Africa
almost 4 years agoLettyshaNursw Kenya
almost 4 years agoMd AsaduzzamanDeputy Director Bangladesh
almost 4 years agoEmmanuel E Longshakmxwlth2014@gmail.com Nigeria
almost 4 years agoRashidatu Fouad KamaraMedical Doctor Sierra Leone
almost 4 years agoRebecca BerhanuPhysician South Africa
almost 4 years agoReeby merry thomasStaff nurse India
almost 4 years agoRamaswiela Tshinakaho Nurse South Africa
almost 4 years agoTshepo Moreetsi Enrolled nursing assistant South Africa
almost 4 years agoSpanera Professional nurse South Africa
almost 4 years agoHeather SamInternational Relations & Marketing Manager South Africa
almost 4 years agoSacha KnoxHealth researcher South Africa
almost 4 years agoMandisa MbunduNurse South Africa
almost 4 years agoSALOME MALATJIAuxiliary Nurse South Africa
almost 4 years agoManti Enrolled Nurse Auxiliary South Africa
almost 4 years agoMzikazi Nkata Forensic Pathology Officer South Africa
almost 4 years agoLinda GreeffOncology social worker South Africa
almost 4 years agoPhilip LewisLocal government United Kingdom
almost 4 years agoThandeka Msibi Nursing South Africa
almost 4 years agoFran Baumprofessor Australia
almost 4 years agoBojan Kanižaj Croatia
almost 4 years ago