Bulletin #2: The struggle for vaccines

People's Health Dispatch

17 Jun 2021 • 6 min read

This fortnight

On 14 June, we marked the birth anniversary of Ernesto Che Guevara, whose vision guided the development of the Cuban healthcare system. Today, healthcare in Cuba remains rooted in the ideals of social and revolutionary medicine fought for by Che. They are an inspiration in the current times of pandemic. Members of the Cuban international health brigades that went to support the pandemic response in 39 countries have already paid tribute to this vision. The upcoming Cuban vaccines will certainly do the same, as they have the potential to significantly boost vaccination drives in low and middle income countries. We bring an in-depth story on the vaccine research and development process in Cuba, as a tribute to the public health capacities that made it possible.

Meanwhile, rich countries continue to direct their efforts to safeguard the interests of big pharmaceutical companies. Yet, the TRIPS waiver proposal has inched towards text-based negotiations. Its opponents – in particular the European Union – have met growing resistance within their own ranks. Just over a week ago, the European Parliament voted in favour of a TRIPS waiver for Covid-19 vaccines, and various national parliaments have done as much. Although these votes do not bind the European Commission to change its tune, they illustrate a divergence between the EU’s bureaucratic institutions and it’s democratically elected bodies. We bring you an update on the negotiations and reflections on the differences of opinion inside the European bloc.

The hunt for profit continues to impact the pandemic response in other ways too. With around 2,000 daily new Covid-19 cases, the pandemic in Japan is far from over. Although the majority of Japanese are opposing it, the Olympic Games are likely to take place from the end of July. We bring you more on how the International Olympic Committee has chosen to disregard the warnings of public health experts to protect the big business that the Games have become.

Meanwhile, in Colombia, protests have been going on for seven weeks, triggered by the Duque government’s announcement of a health and tax reform that would favour the rich and make the health system less accessible to the working class. Hundreds of thousands of people have come on the streets and supported the call to drop the reforms - including health workers.

To conclude with another anniversary, we carry the first of a two-part video interview with Mark Heywood, a founder of the South African Treatment Action Campaign. Mark takes us back to the early days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic that started 40 years ago. He reflects on how the community and activists fought for access to medicines in a context of extreme stigma. The lessons from this experience have rarely been as important as they are today.

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Cuba’s COVID-19 vaccines: A journey of collaboration and revolutionary solidarity

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