The novel coronavirus has and continues to cripple nations across the world.

Unfortunately, a global pandemic such as COVID-19 allows developed nations to have an upper hand in comparison to developing nations, especially when it comes to the distribution of medical supplies and personal protective equipment. And when the South African government needed to get their ducks in a row when the virus hit shore, developed countries strongly resisted South Africa’s plea for the global sharing of Covid-19 drug patents and designs during a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in a bid to help combat the deadly-virus.

In July, the WTO convened a meeting of the forum that deals with the world body’s agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS). At the time, South was hopeful that the meeting would take steps to ease the dispersal of medicine, appliances and equipment to where they are needed most. Unfortunately, SA’s urgent plea fell on the deaf ears of developed nations.

For more on this, we are joined by Woodrajh Aroun. He is the former education and parliamentary officer of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa