Big Pharma profits have trumped lives and health again. Some, such as India, China, Russia, South Africa, can produce vaccines for all, but there hang threats of sanctions by rich countries

During his inaugural address, Chinese President Xi Jingping denounced Western countries’ policy of using their economic power as a weapon against the rest of the world and called for greater south-south cooperation in the field of technology and collective economic development 

George Poe Williams from the National Health Workers Union of Liberia comments on the recent outcome of the WTO Ministerial Conference and the disappointment this has caused among health workers

In this episode, we bring you developments from the World Trade Organization Ministerial, protests for abortion rights in Malta, the agitation against the Omnibus law in Indonesia, and environmental degradation in Brazil

Trade delegates and WTO Secretariat celebrate package of documents issued at the end of the Ministerial Conference, yet outlook for Global South remains bleak

NewscClick’s Prabir Purkayastha and immunologist Dr. Satyajit Rath discuss the TRIPS waiver and the larger question of intellectual property rights and public health

At the 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO taking place from 12-16 June, trade delegates are likely to pass a meaningless Covid-19 decision in an attempt to safeguard the organization’s face after months of botched negotiations for a suspension of harmful trade rules on intellectual property

Obstruction by pharmaceutical companies from the Global North and misuse of monopoly privileges continue to slow down research into new vaccines and medicines, with disastrous effects for people’s health in the Global South. Discussions at the 75th World Health Assembly did little to address this

As the COVID-19 pandemic turns two, access to medicines movements warn that a recent compromise deal on the TRIPS waiver allegedly outlined by the US, the EU, India and South Africa will not be enough to address existing inequities

By showing reluctance on the patent waiver on COVID-19-related products even after the majority of its population is vaccinated, the EU leadership has once again taken the side of Big Pharma and perpetuated vaccine apartheid

A small group of WTO members has been discussing a watered-down version of the TRIPS waiver, which would leave most of the Global South’s production capacities unused

Fatima Hassan from Health Justice International talks about the TRIPS waiver proposal, vaccine apartheid, and the WTO’s role in pandemic response and recovery