The World Health Organisation and UNAIDS have joined Irish religious orders and charities in calling the Irish Government to “take a stand for fairness” over Covid-19 vaccine inequity.
Trócaire, Oxfam Ireland, the Association of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI) and other organisations launched the People’s Vaccine Alliance July 8, along with Dr Mike Ryan of WHO and Winnie Byanyima of UNAIDS.
Ireland should ensure that pharmaceutical companies share know-how on vaccine production, the Alliance said, by supporting the TRIPS waiver and by endorsing WHO’s Covid Technology Access Pool.
“Pharmaceutical company monopolies could leave countries in the Global South waiting years for widespread vaccination,” the alliance said in a statement July 8. “This must change, so they too can protect their citizens.”
The Alliance added that to produce sufficient vaccines for everyone globally, “manufacturing capacity must be greatly increased” and called on pharmaceutical companies to share their know-how.