Will you email the health secretary to urge the UK government to stand with people not big pharma by committing to the new global mechanism

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Hi John,
Tomorrow the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on governments to join a global initiative which could help make Covid-19 treatments and vaccines more affordable and accessible everywhere.

The global initiative asks pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily donate their patents, know-how and research to a ‘pool’ which would allow countries and companies to develop much-needed treatments and vaccines cheaper and faster around the world. As death rates climb, we need global solutions like this to defeat a global pandemic.

But because it’s voluntary, there’s always a chance that big pharma will push back and won’t collaborate. And governments with strong pharma lobbies may not fight for public health over corporate profits. That’s why the UK government must commit to supporting the global pooling initiative and be ready to mandate pharma companies to cooperate.

Tomorrow is a chance for us to send a message to the UK government about standing with people not big pharma.

Will you email the health secretary and push the government to support the initiative to share knowledge and patents and ensure pharmaceutical companies take part?
Email the health secretary ([link removed])
British pharma giant AstraZeneca is developing a vaccine with Oxford University and has made claims that it will offer “fair and equitable access” everywhere. The pharmaceutical industry are making all the right sounds in the media. But without stating they’ll forgo their monopolies for patent-free vaccines and treatments they could still prevent universal access and profiteer in the long-term.

And it’s vital that the government steps in now when £544 million of UK public money has so far been pumped into researching a new vaccine. Unless the government attaches conditions to that public funding to demand pharmaceutical companies produce vaccines patent-free and donate their know-how to the global pool, people could be priced out around the world.

The WHO’s global initiative is a rallying call for world leaders to ensure that big pharma patents don't come before global public health needs. The UK government must commit to it and make sure pharmaceutical companies donate their knowledge and patents so no one is left without the vaccines they need.

Will you email the health secretary to send a message that the government must stand with people not big pharma at tomorrow's WHO meeting?
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Thank you,

Radhika Patel
Campaigner at Global Justice Now
** Help ensure that any Covid-19 vaccine is affordable for everyone, everywhere
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We are campaigning for the government to attach conditions on all UK funding for a Covid-19 vaccine so that big pharmaceuticals don’t charge extortionate prices, and leave millions of people around the world unable to access it.

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