As the World Trade Organisation again meets to debate South Africa and India’s proposed Waiver on intellectual property for COVID-19 medical technologies this week, Fix the Patent Laws Campaign adds its voice in support of increased access to COVID-19 medical tools for the African continent.
The AIDS Law Project (ALP) and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) welcome this opportunity to make written submissions on the Patents Amendment Bill [B 17 – 2005] (“the Bill”). As two organisations that have consistently advocated for the development of our patent system into one that considers South Africa’s competitive advantage and takes into account the specific needs of its people, we support what the Bill aims to achieve and, in general terms, how it goes about accomplishing its stated objective.