For Asia to effectively prevent and fight pandemics, Muhyiddin says, it needs to shift from a purely nationalistic approach to health services to investing in health as a global public good. (Photo by Bloomberg)
KUALA LUMPUR (May 20): Asia should lead the way in opening up patent protection to produce cheaper generic versions of life-saving medicines for critical diseases, from Covid-19 to HIV/AIDS, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Welcoming US President Joe Biden’s administration’s stated intention to support the temporary waiver of intellectual property (IP) protection for Covid-19 vaccines, he said this should give way to a total transformation of the pharmaceutical patent system.
“Pausing the gears is not enough. Our obligation is to dismantle it entirely,” he said in a video address to Nikkei’s Future of Asia conference in Tokyo today.
Muhyiddin said based on the United Nations (UN) Article 25(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is high time for these innovations, including drugs, vaccines and medical devices, to be brought out of the purview of individual patent rights and for global property rights to be created instead.
For Asia to effectively prevent and fight pandemics, he said, it needs to shift from a purely nationalistic approach to health services to investing in health as a global public good.
More to come
