Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : In view of the global health crisis and the need to combat the Covid 19 pandemic, India and South Africa had proposed in WTO on October 2, 2020, a relaxation in the norms of the agreement on TRIPS ( Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) to ensure quick and affordable access to vaccine and medicine for developing countries. As a result of proactive outreach by India and other like-minded countries, the proposal has received the support of more than 120 countries.
During his recent phone call on April 26, 2021, with the US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Modi informed him about India’s initiative at the WTO which was aimed at the benefit of humanity, according to a PIB release.
We welcome the statement of the US government of May 5, 2021, announcing their support for this initiative. We are hopeful that with a consensus based approach, the waiver can be approved quickly at the WTO. The waiver is an important step for enabling rapid scaling up of manufacture and timely availability of affordable Covid 19 vaccine and essential medical products, said the Government of India.