Must Work With WHO And World Trade Organisation For Easy Access Of COVID-19 Vaccines: France President

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday (June 11) emphasised that countries must work with World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ensure that intellectual property should not become an obstacle to accessing COVID vaccines. The President also informed that Paris is working with India and South Africa on a proposal regarding this matter and the country is expecting an agreement at the G7 summit. “We must work with World Health Organisation and World Trade Organization to ensure intellectual property will never be an obstacle to accessing vaccines… It’s an initial proposal from India and South Africa that we are working on… I hope there will be an agreement at the G7 summit,” Mr Macron tweeted today.

Also Read: ‘Jaan Hai To Jahaan Hai’, A Nationwide Campaign To Counter Rumours On Anti-COVID Vaccination Drive: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

The Group of Seven (G7) leaders are expected to announce that they will provide at least one billion coronavirus vaccine doses to the world through dose sharing and financing, as per the announcement of United Kingdom. The UK, which is hosting the G7 summit in southwest England, added it would donate at least 100 million surplus doses within the next year, including five million beginning in the coming weeks. This comes amid growing calls for richer countries to step up their efforts to share Covid-19 shots with less developed nations.

India and South Africa have proposed at the World Trade Organization to temporarily waive certain intellectual property rules under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement), a measure that would expand access to lifesaving vaccines and other health products. Human Rights Watch is among the hundreds of civil society organizations around the world urging support for the TRIPS waiver.

Also Read: Women Falling Behind In India’s COVID-19 Vaccination Drive

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.