The East African
Friday March 12 2021
A man gets a Covid-19 jab in Kigali on March 6, 2021 as Rwanda rolls out the vaccination exercise. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA | THE EASTAFRICAN
Summary
Richer members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) blocked a push by some 80 developing countries - led by India and South Africa - to waive its Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) agreement rules on patents.
The move sent a message that African lives were less important than those of people in rich nations, Oxfam Africa director said.
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Charities in Africa on Thursday slammed rich nations for blocking efforts to waive patents for Covid-19 vaccines, saying this would prolong the pandemic for years in poorer nations and push millions across the continent deeper into poverty.