Call to allow manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccine

LAHORE: AwazCDS-Pakistan, Pakistan Development Alliance, Ujala Network, Global Call to Action Against Poverty and People’s Vaccine Alliance Asia have written letters to embassies of US, UK, Canada, South Korea, European Union and demanded them for a temporary waiver on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to allow manufacturers worldwide to produce COVID-19 vaccine (diagnostic and therapeutic) and prevent deaths of millions across the world.

“More than one million people are COVID-19 positive in Pakistan whereas around 2,677 are critical and 23,048 have died. On an average 32 people are dying every day,” Ziaur Rehman, chief executive of AwazCDS-Pakistan and national convener of Pakistan Development Alliance, said about the situation of COVID-19 in Pakistan.

During the fourth wave of COVID-19 in the country, 50 per cent of hospital beds with ventilators and oxygen cylinders are already occupied. Only 5.2 million people are fully vaccinated and 20 million are partially vaccinated. This shows that a huge eligible population is still in need of timely provision of vaccine and for making this vaccine available; support of developed countries is substantial. More than 100 million population is above age 18 and eligible for vaccine. Further, the network also calls for not limiting official travels due to non-EMA approved vaccines.