Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling for no patents or profiteering on any tests, treatments, or vaccines used to fight COVID-19. MSF has seen first-hand the impact of scarce supplies and high prices of essential medical tools in our work caring for people with HIV, treating patients with tuberculosis, vaccinating children against pneumonia, and much more. Any patents on the medical tools needed to prevent and treat this new life-threatening disease will mean that only the wealthiest will have access to them. That means the coronavirus pandemic will take much longer to end, and many more people will get sick and die. Pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies must commit to not seek nor enforce patents. If they won’t do the right thing, then governments can take action. Let’s make sure that everyone, everywhere will have access to testing, treatment, and prevention of COVID-19.
