Coronavirus: Disease Control

Department for International Trade written question – answered at on 18 January 2023.

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Photo of Preet Kaur Gill Preet Kaur Gill Shadow Secretary of State for International Development

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the WTO General Council decision to extend the deadline for the TRIPS Council to reach agreement on waiving patent protections for covid-19 tests and treatments by six months, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effect of that decision on (a) the rate of covid-19 infections, (b) the rate of covid-19 related deaths in the global south and (c) the Government's commitments to promote equitable access to vaccines and global health security.

Photo of Greg Hands Greg Hands The Minister of State, Department for International Trade

The June 2022 WTO TRIPS Decision streamlines existing compulsory licensing processes for COVID-19 vaccines. It does not waive patents. The WTO General Council in December agreed to extend the deadline to determine whether to include therapeutics and diagnostics in this Decision, but no timeline was set.

HM Government recognises that COVID-19 remains a serious challenge and that we need to promote equitable and effective distribution of COVID-19 products. We continue to work with international partners to support and accelerate distribution globally.

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