Access to vaccines and strengthening public health systems
On 19 April 2021, The Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has launched its Comprehensive study on the impact of COVID-19 on the LDC category, prepared at the request of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The study, among others, has dealt with the contentious question of access to vaccines and strengthening public health systems. The study notes that failing to achieve universal access to vaccination would not only violate the "leaving no one behind" principle but also hamper efforts towards a global economic recovery. An effective mechanism for equitable access to vaccines needs to go beyond procuring vaccines by mobilising the global manufacturing capacity, including in LDCs, to a much larger extent. This underscores an important link between expanding access to COVID-19 vaccines and expanding productive capacities. Considering vaccines as a global public good, as called for by the Secretary-General, among many, requires massively scaling up production, which in turn may include removing obstacles created by intellectual property rights. For example, the WTO General Council is currently considering a proposal tabled by India and South Africa to suspend certain provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights while the pandemic is ongoing, which is a very welcome initiative.
The pandemic also demonstrated, the study notes, that pharmaceutical interventions, treatment technology and lockdowns are insufficient. Effective responses to COVID-19 and any possible future pandemic require robust public health infrastructure and enabling testing, tracing, and isolation as the backbone of pandemic control. However, public health remains severely underfunded in most LDCs, despite its relatively low costs. This highlights the need for the international community to support national efforts to build public health capacity.
The study suggests that additional attention and support should be given to the sharing among LDCs of their experience in designing and implementing national pandemic response policies, as many LDCs have used different strategies to control the spread of the disease effectively.
Compiled by Law Desk (SOURCE: UN.ORG)
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