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The Face of Humanity?

May 07, 2021 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

As the COVID-19 virus unleashes its virulence at the world, not more so than in India right now, the big Pharma in developed countries are hiding behind the greed of intellectual property rights and patents.
Perhaps the biggest shock for many is the revelations of Bill Gates justification for not sharing the much needed COVID-19 vaccine with third world countries such as India. You’d ask why would he, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the name and face synonymous with humanity and claims to operate on the ethos of “We are a nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world” would possess objections to such a dire humanitarian need? The answer, as with most self-professed “humanitarian NGOs/Foundations” lies under the thinly-veiled god-like greed complexes of these individuals.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $300 million to fight COVID-19 and developed a vaccine. According to reports, the foundation’s $40 million-worth stake in CureVac alone has delivered profits in tens of millions of dollars. I guess the elites have changed the meaning of non-profit and/or think most ethical and morale vices simply don’t apply to them.
The actions of big Pharma and the elites must be examined especially at this time. Pharmaceutical companies get the majority of their materials from third world nations, also known as provider countries. They go to these countries, interact with the local and indigenous peoples, gaining knowledge of traditional medicines which largely includes plants. They then leave with this knowledge, synthesis the active ingredients of such plants in order to file patents. The provider countries along with its local and indigenous peoples are often left with their native knowledge stripped from them without any benefits.
In an attempt to combat this, the failing or failed organisation known as the United Nations has designed a framework called the Nagoya Protocol on Access and benefit-sharing or ABS. This framework which Guyana is a party to aims to provide access to individuals and companies (big Pharma) to our plants and knowledge (genetic resources) with an agreement in that in an event the genetic materials becomes commercialised, (vaccines, medications) benefits are obtained and shared equitably. Sounds good right? Except written into the protocol itself in Article 8 – Special Considerations which parties, like Guyana shall: Pay due regard to cases of present or imminent emergencies that threaten or damage human, animal or plant health, as determined nationally or internationally. The reality of this clause is that third world or provider countries are compelled to take into consideration health emergencies and to waive access requirements for such individuals and companies.
Hopefully you are able to recognise the lopsided nature of this framework developed by the UN. Is the UN compelling big Pharma to share vaccines in a pandemic? Where is the WHO in all of this, my guess is busy protecting the status of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). All hail the wolf in the face of humanity.

Sincerely
Vidyanand Mohabir

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