Stories & News

The uneven progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unequal access to vaccines and treatments calls for locally tailored approaches.

Isabelle Defourny, Director of Operations for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), discusses the 'one-size-fits-all' approach to COVID-19 vaccination advocated for by the UN, and the urgent need for vaccines in low income countries.

The World Health Organization’s declaration of Omicron as a “variant of concern” shows how critical it is to lift global COVID-19 vaccination rates. With the COVID-19 pandemic showing no signs of abating, prioritising access to COVID-19 medical tools for everyone, everywhere is essential.

Low vaccination rates increase the likelihood of new variants, such as Omicron, appearing. If we vaccinate the world more quickly, the chance of mutations drops.

One year ago—and seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic—India and South Africa put forward the TRIPS Waiver proposal: a groundbreaking solution to lift intellectual property barriers on and ensure greater equity in access to any vaccines, tests, treatments or other medical tools needed to tackle COVID-19.  

Despite this waiver offering the chance to save millions of lives, a number of wealthy countries continue to block it.

Imagine the difference it could make if African countries that are facing waves of COVID-19 infections didn't have to rely on imports of vaccines. How many more people in developing countries could be vaccinated if countries could produce them themselves?

Dr Salih M. Auwal is a Médecins Sans Frontières doctor and COVID-19 focal clinician working at Shinkafi clinic in Zamfara state, northwest Nigeria, where we provide care for malaria, sexual violence and other health needs.

Here, Dr Awaul explains why he and other health professionals in Nigeria urgently need global support to protect people from COVID-19, as they face the country’s third wave of infections.

Ahead of the G7 summit this week, Médecins Sans Frontières Australia is calling on the Australian government to immediately donate surplus vaccines that have been manufactured in Australia to COVAX. 

The Australian government needs to support formal negotiations on the landmark intellectual property waiver being discussed today at the World Trade Organization meeting, says the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls for no patents or profiteering on drugs, tests, or vaccines used for the COVID-19 pandemic, and for governments to prepare to suspend and override patents and take other measures, such as price controls, to ensure availability, reduce prices and save more lives.