Vatican official suggests: waive intellectual-property rights on medications for poor countries

June 10, 2015

A Vatican official has suggested waiving some provisions of intellectual-property treaties in order to give poor countries easier access to medicines.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the permanent representative of the Holy See at UN offices in Geneva, made the suggestion in a June 10 address. He observed that 10 million lives could be saved each year in less-developed countries if vaccines and other medications were readily available. Allowing local industries to manufacture those medicines, with a temporary reprieve from patent obligations, could reduce costs and increase the availability of needed medicines, he said. At the same time, the growth of local pharmaceutical industries could reduce the countries’ dependence on the Western world for medications.

 

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Further information:

• Holy See: Poor countries need better access to medicines (Vatican Radio)