Covid vaccine: Swadeshi Jagran Manch starts campaign for universal access

The RSS affiliate has started the campaign to pressure global pharma companies into voluntarily giving patent-free rights, including technology transfer, passcodes and raw material to other pharma manufacturers to ramp up Covid vaccine production

Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), on Monday started an online campaign for “Universal Access of Vaccine and Medicines” and has dubbed patent protection as a “major barrier” to the generic production of vaccines and medicines.

Representational Image. (Shutterstock)

The RSS affiliate has started the campaign to pressure global pharma companies into voluntarily giving patent-free rights, including technology transfer, passcodes and raw material to other pharma manufacturers to ramp up Covid vaccine production.

“As we are aware that the humanity is facing the worst medical crisis these days due to the second wave of Covid-19. To deal with the situation, the country needs sufficient supply of vaccine, medicines and different types of medical equipment. Swadeshi Jagran Manch firmly believes that many Indian manufacturers have the capacity and expertise in production of essential medicines and vaccine, provided intellectual property rights hurdles are removed with technology transfer and trade secret issues resolved,” the SJM said in a statement.

It has also pointed out that although many Indian companies are already making drugs such as Remdesivir under the voluntary license, the quantity is not sufficient to meet the demand, and the price is also very high.

“We understand that the government needs to use the public health safeguards in the Patents Act and permit more companies to produce these medicines in the coming days. As we may be requiring nearly 2 billion doses of vaccine in the next six months, we need to involve many more companies in manufacturing these vaccines. It’s heartening to note that licences have been issued to many companies for Covaxin and also for Remdesivir. We may have to multiply these efforts,” the statement said.

The SJM has been demanding that all medical products required to respond to Covid-19 be declared global public good, and profiteering ended to serve the needy in these difficult times.

The signature campaign seeks the WTO granting waiver in the provisions of TRIPS; government for taking necessary steps including using its sovereign rights to grant compulsory license to other pharma manufacturers to produce vaccine and medicines and for concerned individuals and organisations to facilitate universal access to vaccines and medicines to fight Covid-19.