[Ip-health] Swine Flu Vaccine: Call for Patent Rights Exception

[Sophie Bloemen]

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http://ictsd.net/i/news/bridgesweekly/51843/

Swine Flu Vaccine:  Call for Patent Rights Exception

Turning their attention to health matters, the presidents of Argentina and =
Brazil urged that patent rights be waived for the H1N1 flu vaccine for deve=
loping countries, citing a provision in the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Relate=
d Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights that provides for flexibility in =
matters of public health.

Argentine president Cristina Fern=E1ndez de Kirchner stressed in a speech t=
hat both her country and Brazil have the capacity to produce the drug, and =
that exercising patent rights for economic benefit in this case "would cond=
emn millions of people to death."

Earlier this month in Buenos Aires, health ministers raised concerns that v=
accines expected to be available this autumn were pre-destined for the US, =
EU, Australia and other rich nations.

"The manufacture of these products should be facilitated to the greatest po=
ssible number of centres," the trading bloc's statement said, so that all g=
overnments - of both developed and developing nations - may meet the needs =
of their people.

Argentina has already recorded 165 swine flu deaths, second only to the US,=
 where 263 people have died of the illness when Bridges went to press.





Sophie Bloemen

European Projects Officer

Health Action International (HAI) Europe

Tel: +31 20 683 3684

Mob: +31643237874

Fax: +31 20685 5002