fb tracking

COVID-19: Principles for Global Access, Innovation and Cooperation

COVID-19 has no nation and no ethnicity. If the pandemic goes unattended in one country, it will accelerate beyond that country’s borders, potentially overwhelming the world’s ability to respond.

Nationalistic responses to COVID-19 are ineffective. Countries must urgently work together to ramp up the production of all medical countermeasures, from masks and ventilators to tests, treatments and vaccines, and ensure that everyone receives the medical attention they need. We must tend not only to COVID-19 and its symptoms, but to people’s ongoing and underlying health needs, which will become more acute as the pandemic runs its course.

There is real danger that access to medical breakthroughs addressing COVID-19 will be restricted by nation, by price, by limited production and fragmented supply lines, and by exclusivity and commercial confidentiality. We must prevent this – and help change medical innovation, health and nationalism – by moving corporations, health agencies and governments to share medical technology, invest in public manufacturing capacity and promote access for all.

We are concerned that powerful countries may favor their drug corporations and hoard medical tools at the expense of global cooperation. We are concerned that privileged individuals who receive tests, treatments and vaccines first may not be those who need them most. We stand in solidarity with those disproportionately affected by factors such as health status, geography, age, gender or race.

We call on governments, agencies, manufacturers, donors and development partners to commit to:

Innovation for all: Monopoly-based drug development is failing the world. Governments should support open science and research practices for COVID-19 related health needs that align innovation and timely access. Technology owners should commit patents, trade secrets, know-how, cell lines, copyright, software, data, and all other relevant intellectual property to the public domain. Access and affordability should be integral requirements of the entire research and development (R&D) and manufacturing process.

Access for all: Medical tools urgently needed to diagnose, treat, mitigate and prevent COVID-19 should be accessible and available to all without delay, with necessary priority given to healthcare workers and vulnerable populations. Governments must ensure that diagnostics, treatments, devices, vaccines, and personal protective equipment are priced fairly and affordably to healthcare payers and are free to the public at the point of care in all countries.  Corporations and other intellectual property holders must suspend enforcement of exclusivities.

Solidarity and global cooperation: Governments, technology owners and researchers should urgently coordinate with the World Health Organization to organize platforms for the public sharing of R&D outcomes, data, know-how and intellectual property to accelerate innovation, quickly scale-up production and mitigate shortages and supply chain vulnerability. Medical tools must be manufactured for the public in robust supply to meet unprecedented global need and promptly distributed across borders.

Good governance and transparency: Governments and international organizations should promote transparency and meaningful civil society participation in critical decision-making processes. Funders and technology developers should ensure that costs related to R&D and manufacturing as well as pricing, regulatory status and intellectual property claims all are published transparently.

Health is a human right. Medical knowledge is a public good. No one should be left behind.

Please sign on by filling in the form.

Organizational Sign-on

International 

Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI)
Health Action International
Health GAP
International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC)
Médecins du Monde
Médecins Sans Frontières Access Campaign
OXFAM
ReAct–Action on Antibiotic Resistance
Society for International Development
Soroptimist International
T1 International
Third World Network
Women Enabled International


Regional

AIDS Action Europe
Caritas de América Latina y el Caribe
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)
DAWN (Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era)
DiEM25
EQUINET (Eastern and Southern Africa)
European Alliance for Responsible R&D and Affordable Medicines
FEMNET – African Women’s Development and Communication Network
International Association for Health Policies in Europe (IAHPE)
International Treatment Preparedness Coalition Latin American and Caribbean ITPC-LATCA.
International Treatment Preparedness Coalition Middle East and North Africa (ITPC-MENA)
International Treatment Preparedness Coalition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ITPCru)

 

 

North America 

ACNS Canada
AIDS HealthCare Foundation United States
American Medical Student Association United States
Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation United States
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Canada
Center for Economic Justice United States
Center for Popular Democracy United States
Chronic Illness Advocacy & Awareness Group United States
Citizen Action of Wisconsin United States
Citizen Trade Campaign United States
COCQ-SIDA Canada
Council of Canadians Canada
Doctors for America United States
EnGen Collaborative United States
Faith in Healthcare United States
HealthWrights United States
Hesperian Health Guides United States
HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario Canada
Indivisible United States
Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK) United States
Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy United States
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility United States
Knowledge Ecology International United States
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns United States
Ore Group United States
Public Citizen United States
Salud y Farmacos USA United States
The Democracy Collaborative United States
The Well Project United States
Treatment Action Group United States
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines United States
Women’s Health in Women’s Hands CHC Canada
Yale Global Health Justice Partnership United States

Europe

100%Life Ukraine
Access to Medicines Ireland Ireland
Action against AIDS Germany Germany
AIDES France
AIHTA Austria
Aitec France
Albanian Coalition for Education Albania
Albanian National Youth Network (ANYN) Albania
Altroconsumo Italy
Anders Handeln Austria
ARAS – Romanian Association Against AIDS Romania
Association des Femmes de l’Europe Méridionale France
Association of Women of Southern Europe (AFEM) France
Asociación por un Acceso Justo al Medicamento (AAJM) Spain
Attac Austria Austria
Attac France France
Attac Ireland Ireland
BAME Lawyers for Justice United Kingdom
BARAC UK United Kingdom
BUKO Pharma-Kampagne Germany
CBM International Germany
Centre for Community-Driven Research Switzerland
Child Rights Centre Albania Albania
Commons Network Netherlands
Consumer Association the Quality of Life-EKPIZO Greece
Creación Positiva Spain
Ecologistas en Acción Spain
EPSU Belgium
European Alternatives Italy
Fairwatch Italy
Fondation Eboko France
Gen-ethisches Netzwerk e.V. Germany
Global Health Advocates Belgium
Global Justice Now United Kingdom
Groupe sida Genève Switzerland
ICDC (International Code Documentation Centre) Netherlands
Just Treatment United Kingdom
KEPKA – Consumers’ Protection Center Greece
LWC Health Netherlands
Médecins du Monde Belgique Belgium
Medicines Law & Policy Netherlands
Milieukontakt Albania Albania
Naturefriends Greece Greece
Novi put Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation Netherlands
Phasuma (Pharmaceutical Supply Management consultancy) Netherlands
Positively UK United Kingdom
Prescrire France
Public Eye Switzerland
Salamander Trust United Kingdom
Salud por Derecho Spain
Sophia Forum United Kingdom
Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland United Kingdom
Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) Belgium
STOPAIDS United Kingdom
Turkish Medical Association Turkey
Ubi Lab Leeds United Kingdom
Unidos por la Paz Alemania Germany
Universidad de Barcelona Spain
Vrijschrift Netherlands
WECF- Women Engage for a Common Future Netherlands
Wemos Nederland
Women Against Nuclear Power Finland
World Vision Germany
Worldwide Unemployed Workers Unions Australia
Yolse, Santé Publique & Innovation Switzerland

 Sub-Saharan Africa 

African Union of Consumers Chad
Agence De Medecine Preventive Afrique (Amp) Cote d’Ivoire
Appui Solidaire Pour Le Renforcement De L Aide Au Developpement . Mali
Cancer Alliance South Africa
Child Way Uganda . Uganda
Consumer Protection Association . Lesotho
Contribution à l’éducation de Base Niger
Fondation Joseph The Worker/ Structure Lazarienne Benin
Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERON) Nigeria
Hope for Future Generations Ghana
Initiatives for Research and Training for Development (IRFD) Cameroon
Ivy Foundation Malawi
Kamukunji Paralegal Trust (KAPLET) Kenya
Les Anges du Ciel Congo
Love to Love Organization Uganda
Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) Malawi
Muleide Mozambique
Nelson Mandela TB HIV Community Information and Resource Center CBO Kenya
Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) Ghana
New Age Foundation Zimbabwe
ONG ID SAHEL AFRIQUE Mali
Organisation for Sustainable Socio-Economic development Initiative in Malawi Malawi
People’s Health Movement South Africa South Africa
Policy Analysis and Research Institute of Lesotho (PARIL) Lesotho
RADEM (Recherche et Action pour un Développement Multisectoriel) Congo
Reconciliation and Development Association (RADA) Cameroon
Refacof Cameroon
Section27 South Africa
Silver Lining for the Needy Initiative Nigeria
Society of Development and Care (SODECA) Kenya
Solidarité Agissante pour le Développement Familial (SADF) Congo
Southern & East African Trade Institute Uganda
Southern & East African Trade Institute – SEATINI South Africa South Africa
Tanzania Network of Women Living with HIV Tanzania
Triangle Project South Africa
UNOADD (Union des Organismes d’Appui au Développement Durable) Cameroon
Vaccine Network for Disease Control Nigeria
Youth Engage Zimbabwe

Middle East and North Africa 

Al Marsad Palestine
ATP+ Tunisia
DAMJ Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality Tunisia
Juzoor for health and social development Palestine
SIDC Lebanon

 

East Asia and Pacific

Access to Medicines Research Group China
Africa Japan Forum Japan
AIDS Access Foundation Thailand
Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) Malaysia
Commons Foundation South Korea
CSRD Vietnam
Drug System Monitoring & Development Center Thailand
Focus on the Global South Thailand
Health and Development Foundation Thailand
Indonesia AIDS Coalition Indonesia
Indonesia for Global Justice Indonesia
Knowledge Commune South Korea
Korean Federation Medical Activist Groups for Health Rights South Korea
Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society (KPDS) South Korea
Myanmar Positive Group Myanmar
People’s Health Institute South Korea
Positive Malaysian Treatment Access & Advocacy Group (MTAAG+) Malaysia
Social Action for Community and Development Cambodia
Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS Thailand
The Messenger Band Camboda Cambodia
Women’s Network for Unity Cambodia

South Asia 

All India Drug Action Network India
Bangladesh Krishok Federation Bangladesh
Be the Change Organization Afghanistan
Bridge Hope Health Organization (BHHO) Afghanistan
Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD) Bangladesh
Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences India
Initiative for Health & Equity in Society India
IT for Change India
Lawyers Collective India
Meera Foundation India
Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum Pakistan
Roshni Tariqiyati Tanzeem Pakistan
Rural Empowerment and Institutional Development (REPID) Pakistan
Sanayee Development Organization Afghanistan
Sukaar Welfare Organization Pakistan
Tinpuste Nepal
Unnayan Shahojogy Team (UST) Bangladesh
Voices for Interactive Choices and Empowerment Bangladesh
Youth Foundation of Bangladesh Bangladesh

Latin America

Acción Ciudadana contra el Sida ACCSI Venezuela
Acción Internacional para la Salud Perú
AID FOR AIDS_ COLOMBIA Colombia
Asociación Comunidad hepatitis C Uruguay Uruguay
Asociación Mexicana de Vacunologia AC México
Asociación Taller Abierto Colombia
Caribe Afirmativo Colombia
Centro de Información de Medicamentos de la Universidad Nacional de

Colombia

Colombia
Centro de Estudios para la Equidad y la Gobernanza en los Sistemas de Salud Guatemala
Centro de Pensamiento “Medicamentos, Información y Poder” de la

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

 

Colombia

Colectivo Amigos contra el Sida -CAS- Guatemala
Corporación Diversa del Magdalena Colombia
Corporacion RED ELITE Colombia
CORPORACION RED SOMOS Colombia
Corporación red para la protección de personas con VIh tejiendo vída Colombia
CUFAR Argentina
Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia Mexico
FEDESALUD Colombia
Fundacion Amigosnpor la Vida Colombia
Fundación Amigos Positivos Colombia
Fundación Colectivo Hombres Gay Colombia
Fundación Cristiana El SHADDAI Colombia
Fundacion IFARMA Colombia
Fundación Internet Bolivia Bolivia
Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiara, AC MEXFAM Mexico
FUNDACION PRODIHOGAR Colombia
Global Humanitarian Progress Corp. Colombia
Grupo de Investigación Derecho y Desarrollo: Prometeo. Facultad de

Derecho, Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Colombia
HEPATITIS VIRALES COLOMBIA Colombia
Huaira Foundation Ecuador
Iacojumo Colombia
Instituto para el Desarrollo Humano Bolivia
Jovenes En Diversidad Activa Colombia
Justicia, Salud, Desarrollo  -CODEDCO Bolivia Bolivia
Kimirina Ecuador
MoKexteya Asesoroa Tecnica Comunitaria en Salud México
Movimiento Trans Feminista Bolivia Bolivia
MSACVCO Colombia
ONG Políticas Farmacéuticas CHILE Chile
Plataforma de las Américas y el Caribe de Coalition Plus Ecuador
Reaccion Climatica Bolivia
Recolvih Colombia
Red social de Apoyo Colombia
Somos Eco Somos Colombia
Sula Batsu Coop Costa Rica
Vademécum Farmacoterapéutico del Ecuador Ecuador
Vigimets El Salvador