Public Health
The ‘common good’ is key in dealing with the next pandemic
Unlocking the full potential of health technologies developed in response to COVID-19 requires equitable access, says WHO.
COVID-19 showed that we have the scientific and manufacturing capabilities to develop and mass-produce safe and effective vaccines quickly in the face of novel threats, said Mariana Mazzucato, Chair of WHO’s Council on the Economics of Health for All.
“But though this scientific breakthrough saved countless lives during the last pandemic, the benefits were not equitably shared. One year after the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, approximately 73 per cent of administered doses were concentrated in high- and upper-middle-income countries, whereas only 0.9 per cent had reached low-income countries.
“This disparity was even more pronounced for mRNA vaccines, which were primarily used in wealthy countries that initially hoarded supplies. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies maintained tight control over licensing and production, allowing them to reap eye-watering profits.”
Stricter governance over these pharmaceutical giants matters, she said.
Both the Oxford–AstraZeneca and Pfizer–BioNTech (mRNA) vaccines received considerable public funding – $445 million for BioNTech and $1.3 billion to Oxford–AstraZeneca – and both benefited from large advance-purchase commitments.
“While public funding for production of Oxford–AstraZeneca’s vaccine was conditioned on the company setting lower prices in the interest of accessibility, Pfizer–BioNTech was permitted to set higher prices, and then rebuffed calls for it to offer licensing agreements and technology transfers.
“Next time, governments must ensure that contract provisions reflect the common good and regulate excess profit-taking.”