Vusi Mazibuko, chairperson of the Gauteng chapter of the People’s Health Movement – South Africa, writes:
We would like to express our unwavering support of both the Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies and Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in the fight against the commercialisation of public health – putting profits ahead of saving lives of the most vulnerable and marginalised members of our society.
We condemn the attempts by the Innovative Pharmaceutical Association of South Africa (IPASA) and its twin conspirator, the Public Affairs Engagement (PAE) that try to undermine the South African Constitution, Chapter 2 on the Bill of Rights: the right of access to healthcare – and by extension, the right to affordable medicine.
We urge South Africans to reject this, including IPASA representative, Val Beumont, who thinks they can hoodwink the people of this country into believing the draft Intellectual Property policy (IP) will destroy the economy of this country and chase away foreign investors.
It is a sheer red herring by IPASA to purport that reviewing the IP policy (“fix the patents laws”) is in contravention of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights.
As far back as 16 July, 2010 and 18 February, 2011, the World Health Organisation, World Intellectual Property Organisation, WTO, and recently on 5 July last year, met in these three symposia under the banner, Evolutionary Burst and they examined the use or abuse of IP. They identified the need to transform the use of IP and the need to adjust the system because of the unsustainably high cost of medicines.
We urge government to address as a matter of urgency the following issues:
n The use of Patent Ever-greening and its undesirable extension of the patent rights’ period (20years).
n The need for government to establish a patents examination office or ombudsman in order to rigorously scrutinise patent applications for novelty and innovation (Patents Act of 1978).
n To immediately put a stop on the Depository System which rubber-stamps patent applications.
n As a member of BRICS to emulate best practices from member countries like India and Brazil on management and administration of Pharmaceuticals Patents Rights.
n That both ministries including the Department of Communications embark on an aggressive communication strategy to lay bare the facts and educate our people on the ignominies and malicious intents of organisations like IPASA and PAE.
