Former President Michel joins call to world leaders to pledge ‘Never again’ |14 March 2023
Former President Michel
The signatories to the call to world leaders to pledge “never again” to the experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the world’s response to what they describe as the Peoples’ Vaccine are members of the Club de Madrid (a grouping of former heads of states and governments of which former President James Michel is a member).
It comes on the third anniversary of the first recognition by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of Covid-19 as a pandemic. In that time, we have seen extraordinary feats of scientific innovation and an enormous mobilisation of public resources to develop effective vaccines, tests, and treatments. But we have also seen a global response held back by profiteering and nationalism, says the former world leaders.
They are asking current heads of states to plan for an equitable response to the next global health crisis; including by supporting low- and middle-income countries to host research and development hubs and to manufacture vaccines, tests, and treatments. Commitment from world leaders now can prevent a repetition of the pain and horror of the Covid-19 and HIV and Aids pandemics.
They are calling on world leaders to take four urgent steps:
- Support a Pandemic Accord at the WHO that embeds equity and human rights in pandemic preparedness and response;
- Invest in scientific innovation and manufacturing capacity in the Global South through projects like the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub established by WHO and partners;
- Invest in global common goods;
- Remove the intellectual property barriers that prevent knowledge and technology sharing.
“Never again will the lives of people in wealthy countries be prioritised over the lives of people in the Global South. Never again will publicly funded science be locked behind private monopolies. Never again will a company’s desire to make extraordinary profits come before the needs of humanity,” states the grouping.
Press release from the James Michel Foundation