Alfred Sant isejjaħ għat-tneħħija tad-drittijiet patentati biex issir produzzjoni dinjija tal-vaċċini COVID-19

Fi stqarrija waqt dibattitu plenarju fil-Parlament Ewropew dwar is-sitwazzjoni attwali tal-istrateġija tal-UE għat-tilqim COVID-19, Alfred Sant qal li l-oligopolija fil-manifattura globali tal-vaċċini COVID-19 mhux qed jaħdem issa, u mhux se jaħdem fil-futur. Fil-periklu hemm mijiet ta’ eluf, tabilħaqq miljuni, ta’ ħajjiet.

F’seduta oħra aktar qabel, Alfred Sant ħeġġeġ għat-tneħħija tad-drittijiet patentati, sabiex tkun tista’ ssir produzzjoni massiva mad-dinja kollha tal-vaċċini COVID-19 u, b’bod sussegwenti, it-tnedija mgħaġġla u mifruxa ta’ programmi ta’ tilqim.

“Miljuni mietu. Miljuni spiċċaw priġunieri fi djarhom. Intilfu negozji u mpjiegi. Globalment, bosta kumpaniji huma kapaċi u lesti li jikkontrollaw l-għarfien u jipparteċipaw fil-produzzjoni u l-provvista ta’ dożi tal-vaċċin “, qal Alfred Sant fil-Parlament Ewropew.

Kumpaniji farmaċewtiċi ilhom jikkompetu biex jiksbu riċerka u produzzjoni mgħaġġla u mbagħad jiksbu l-approvazzjoni regolatorja għall-vaċċin tagħhom kontra l-virus.

“Kellna bżonn li din it-tellieqa sseħħ sabiex niksbu kontroll malajr fuq il-pandemija. Issa li wasalna fl-istadju tal-produzzjoni għall-vaċċini li nħolqu, huwa inkredibbli li l-gvernijiet tad-dinja jibqgħu apparentement marbuta ma’ sistema ‘business as usual’ rigward il-produzzjoni u l-kunsinji tal-vaċċini “, qal Alfred Sant.

---

Alfred Sant calls for worldwide production of COVID-19 vaccines

In a statement during a plenary debate in the European Parliament on the state of play of the EU’s COVID-19 vaccination strategy, Alfred Sant said that an oligopoly in global manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines is not working now, and will not work in the future. At stake are hundreds of thousands, indeed millions, of lives.

In an earlier session, Alfred Sant also questioned the implementation of the EU global strategy on COVID-19 vaccinations and said that many questions remain over the transparency of the whole deployment process of vaccines.

“Millions have died. Millions ended up prisoners in their homes. Businesses and jobs have been lost.  Globally, many companies are able and ready to master the knowhow and participate in the production and provision of vaccine doses”, Alfred Sant told the European Parliament.  

Pharmaceutical companies have been competing hard to achieve fast research and production breakthroughs and then to obtain regulatory approval for their vaccine against the virus.

“We needed this race to happen in order to acquire swift control over the pandemic. So now that we have reached the production stage for the vaccines that have been created, it is incredible that world governments remain apparently tied to a business as usual approach regarding the production and delivery of vaccines”, Alfred Sant stated.