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Declaración del derecho a la salud contra la violencia racial
Declaración del derecho a la salud contra la violencia racial
OUR ONLY WAY OUT: Biden Administration must fulfill their campaign promise to share vaccine patents globally and increase the number of vaccine manufacturers.
Lloramos y nos solidarizamos con la familia y amigos de George Floyd, Breonna Taylor y otras víctimas de la violencia patrocinada por el estado, así como con los valientes manifestantes en esta lucha contra los asesinatos en masa cargados racialmente. Sus muertes trágicas son el resultado de una pandemia, una de violencia sistémica, brutal, contra BIPOC (negros e indígenas de color), sancionada por las leyes, políticas y prácticas de nuestro país.
Vemos la injusticia de los presupuestos policiales hinchados y militarizados y la falta simultánea de inversión en una respuesta equitativa de COVID-19. Vivimos en un país en el que todos nuestros sistemas, desde la vigilancia policial hasta el encarcelamiento, la atención médica y más, se esfuerzan no solo por devaluar a las personas negras, sino también por matarlas. Estas atrocidades son responsables de miles de muertes que afectan desproporcionadamente a las comunidades BIPOC.
Como organización comprometida con el derecho a la salud, reconocemos el racismo como una pandemia y una crisis de salud pública. Prometemos comprometernos con la responsabilidad actual de desmantelar el racismo: la enfermedad estructural y genocida diseñada intencionalmente para secuestrar la riqueza, el poder y la salud de los blancos, a expensas brutales del BIPOC. Prometemos aprender, comprender y aprovechar los diversos privilegios y posiciones que tenemos para la justicia y la equidad. Trabajaremos continuamente para ser antirracistas. Prometemos confrontar y trabajar para erradicar la realidad de que el racismo y la lucha contra la negrura viven dentro de nosotros y construir todos los sistemas que están separados. Continuaremos luchando por un mundo libre de violencia patrocinada por el estado y políticas irresponsables de salud global y doméstica que roben la vida de las mismas personas de quienes se tomó, y continúa siendo, la riqueza de los poderosos.
"Rich countries have a moral responsibility when there is a global outbreak like this to provide for countries who don't have the resources to vaccinate their populations. ... [We should supplement] their own productive capability to manufacture vaccines, with cooperation from the pharmaceutical companies for relaxation of their patents."
Releasing the patents alone isn’t enough. Manufacturers also require specialized resources to make the vaccines. In 2020, the WHO created the COVID-19 Technology and Access Pool (C-TAP) to share patents, knowledge, and other intellectual property to expand manufacturing capacity for vaccines. C-TAP is modeled after the Medicines Patent Pool, a public health organization that has successfully demonstrated how the private sector can share technology with low-income countries to help ensure medicines are available and affordable.
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The Biden administration must commit both public and private intellectual property to C-TAP and bring all vaccine manufacturers to the table. The U.S. must also fully support low and middle-income countries to quickly scale up production of vaccines.
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As long as the pandemic continues to rage unabated, we will remain vulnerable to new COVID-19 variants and their adverse impacts on vaccine efficacy. Mutations have already emerged in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil. On February 7th, South African health officials abruptly halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after it was found to be ineffective against COVID-19 variants.
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We risk COVID-19 circulating out of control for years to come, which will result in millions of excess deaths and leave the global economy in tatters.
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Increased production and access to vaccine technology is the only path forward. US taxpayers have already paid $12 billion toward vaccine development. According to low-end estimates, the global economy loses $417 billion every month that COVID-19 persists. Without swift action to ensure everyone has access to vaccines, these investments will be for naught.
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In Tulika's words, “I am afraid for the health of my 89-year old grandfather, who continues to be at high-risk of COVID-19. Without action, he will not get the vaccine till 2024. None of our family members are safe until everyone has the vaccine. We have the choice to control this pandemic and save millions of lives. "
World leaders have the power to ensure people like Tulika do not senselessly lose more family members to the pandemic. Do they have the political will to act?
90,000 Right to Health Action supporters, 450+ organizational endorsers, and 141 Members of Congress are calling on President Joe Biden to make the moral choice: break the monopolies, share vaccine technology worldwide, and prevent millions of future deaths.
About Right to Health Action:
Right to Health Action is a grassroots movement of tens of thousands of activists, health workers, scholars, and families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 across all 50 states. Sparked by the coronavirus pandemic, our goal is to take political action to repeal and replace deadly policies that cause cycles of pandemics, disproportionately impacting the already poor and sick. Our movement is fighting to stop COVID, build back better, and stop the pandemics of the future.
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PRESS CONTACT:
Alicia Stromberg
alicia.stromberg@r2haction.org
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