<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">From: <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:dlegge@phmovement.org">dlegge@phmovement.org</a>></span><br></div><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"></span><div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-GB"><div class="m_-8004217822896556897WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #e1e1e1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Prasanna S Saligram <<a href="mailto:prasanna@phmovement.org" target="_blank">prasanna@phmovement.org</a>>  <br></span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Please find below the petition to South African government demanding equitable access to Covid-19 medicines. Please sign and endorse and thereby add your voice to this petition. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#4472c4" lang="EN-IN">Prasanna S Saligram<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#4472c4">Equitable Access to Essential Health Technologies in the context of COVID 19 (EACT)</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.4pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#4472c4">India<br><br></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-ZA"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-ZA"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #e1e1e1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> Umunyana Rugege <</span><a href="mailto:rugege@section27.org.za" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US">rugege@section27.org.za</span></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US">> <br></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Candice.Sehoma@joburg.msf.org" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US"></span></a><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt" lang="EN-US">Please sign the petition and share widely with your networks</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt" lang="EN-US">!</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></p></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black">It’s critical that there is equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available. Having seen how<span class="m_-8004217822896556897apple-converted-space"> </span><b>patents</b><span class="m_-8004217822896556897apple-converted-space"> </span>can act as barriers to access to medicines in the past, we need to make sure everyone everywhere can access effective COVID-19 medicines – and that requires intellectual property reform.<span class="m_-8004217822896556897apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fixthepatentlaws.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cb.baker%40northeastern.edu%7Cf9f24aaab7664a46ce7208d87cc1a04d%7Ca8eec281aaa34daeac9b9a398b9215e7%7C0%7C0%7C637396518357011518%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=bcHRv1LV%2FuCJ0KCc9toArBrlRHcrXD34hAwjwVCytFs%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank"><span style="color:#954f72">Fix The Patent Laws Coalition</span></a><span style="color:black">, a collective of over 40 organisations, has launched a </span><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fawethu.amandla.mobi%2Fp%2FFixThePatentLawsC19&data=04%7C01%7Cb.baker%40northeastern.edu%7Cf9f24aaab7664a46ce7208d87cc1a04d%7Ca8eec281aaa34daeac9b9a398b9215e7%7C0%7C0%7C637396518357011518%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=v7BhtdRHEtvunUk65wkDZdpmjgKsHwMeV95ui0ccx7w%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank"><b><span style="color:#954f72">petition</span></b></a><b><span style="color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black">calling on the South African government to take the following steps to help fight COVID-19:</span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><ul style="margin-top:0cm;font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black">Put a temporary moratorium on granting patents on COVID-19 related products as they are proven effective.<span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black">Automatic compulsory licensing of COVID-19 related health products with existing or pending patents.<span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black">Fix the Patent Laws urgently to ensure the use of all legal flexibilities to improve access to health products.<span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black">We are also calling on countries to support the progressive proposal made by the South African and Indian governments for a temporary patent waiver on COVID-19 medical products. Already developed countries are aiming to<span class="m_-8004217822896556897apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%2Findia%2Fus-eu-block-indias-fight-for-ipr-waiver-for-covid-drugs%2Farticleshow%2F78727920.cms%3FUTM_Source%3DGoogle_Newsstand%26UTM_Campaign%3DRSS_Feed%26UTM_Medium%3DReferral&data=04%7C01%7Cb.baker%40northeastern.edu%7Cf9f24aaab7664a46ce7208d87cc1a04d%7Ca8eec281aaa34daeac9b9a398b9215e7%7C0%7C0%7C637396518357021513%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=28IowCSmi%2B0V2e%2Fe2juzz5tC%2B0mgSbLkBTbZpy32Mk8%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank"><span style="color:#954f72">block</span></a><span class="m_-8004217822896556897apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><span style="color:black">the call to suspend the World Trade Organisation rules that prop up big pharma monopolies.<span class="m_-8004217822896556897apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black">We cannot allow profits and nationalism to triumph over the needs of people in South Africa, and across the globe. <b>Over one hundred people have signed the petition</b>, but it is vital that we stand united and continue our demand for a #PeoplesVaccine and equitable access to medicines. And for this to happen, we need to #FixThePatentLaws.<span class="m_-8004217822896556897apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;font-variant-caps:normal;word-spacing:0px" align="center"><b><span style="color:black">Sign the petition here:</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;font-variant-caps:normal;word-spacing:0px" align="center"><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fawethu.amandla.mobi%2Fp%2FFixThePatentLawsC19&data=04%7C01%7Cb.baker%40northeastern.edu%7Cf9f24aaab7664a46ce7208d87cc1a04d%7Ca8eec281aaa34daeac9b9a398b9215e7%7C0%7C0%7C637396518357021513%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=2RL%2BPMhr09f5zUYDfJwPlgxghMN8kM8BsUSBKQmz6ok%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank"><span style="color:#954f72">https://awethu.amandla.mobi/p/FixThePatentLawsC19</span></a><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black">You can read the FTPL’s <b>statement</b> in support of the temporary waiver of all patents on products needed to test, treat or vaccinate against COVID-19 </span><a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fixthepatentlaws.org%2Ffix-the-patent-laws-coalition-supports-south-africa-and-indias-proposal-to-facilitate-access-to-covid-19-vaccines%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cb.baker%40northeastern.edu%7Cf9f24aaab7664a46ce7208d87cc1a04d%7Ca8eec281aaa34daeac9b9a398b9215e7%7C0%7C0%7C637396518357031509%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=XrdPZA4zpIS4Sy9ztMd1MehBA4i2HFkUdcmL1LFwF4g%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank"><span style="color:#954f72">here</span></a><span style="color:black">. </span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-variant-caps:normal;text-align:start;word-spacing:0px"><span style="color:black">Please share this with your networks.</span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt" lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-ZA"><u></u> <u></u></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-ZA"></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-ZA"><br></span></p></div></div></div></div>