AHF: EU Should Ditch Patents During Health Crises

AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) supports the European Commission’s proposal to allow the European Union to issue compulsory licenses on patented medical products during public health emergencies as part of a larger overhaul of intellectual property rights across the economic block.

“We applaud the EU for taking action before another health emergency strikes. Getting bogged down in patent disputes during a pandemic leads to lives lost—that’s completely unacceptable regardless of how much big pharma objects,” said AHF Europe Bureau Chief Zoya Shabarova. “However, EU actions should not be limited to compulsory licensing. IP rights waivers should become an integral part of a health crisis management toolbox embedded in pharmaceutical legislation, TRIPS revisions, and the upcoming Pandemic Accord.”

About AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.7 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.