By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize says the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases identified in South Africa is 1 597 724.
This is an increase of 1129 new cases in the last 24 hours.
Mkhize said a further 90 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported: Eastern Cape 14, Free State 0, Gauteng 5, Kwa-Zulu Natal 0, Limpopo 0, Mpumalanga 6, North West 33, Northern Cape 13 and Western Cape 19 which brings the total to 54 825 deaths.
The number of tests conducted to date is 10 906 020. Of these 18 311 tests were conducted since the last report and the cumulative recoveries now stand at 1 517 350, representing a recovery rate of 95, added Mkhize.
Vaccination Rollout
The number of Health Care Workers Vaccinated under the Sisonke Protocol to date remains 395 230.
If the international community is truly committed to human rights and the values of equality and non-discrimination, vaccines should be viewed as a global public good, says President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The President made the remarks in this week’s newsletter in which he argued that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should consider South Africa and India’s proposal for a temporary waiver of certain aspects of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). This, he said, would facilitate wider access to technologies needed to produce vaccines and medicines.
“The idea is to rapidly scale up local production to ensure wider access to affordable and effective vaccines,” wrote the President.
The waiver proposal currently enjoys the support of more than 100 countries. Last week, the US government announced its support for the proposal, which will give the current negotiations added momentum.
Previously, the President highlights in the letter, South Africa scored a victory in a lawsuit that pitted public good against private profit in the height of the HIV/Aids pandemic.
Then, the country sought to enforce a law allowing South Africa to import and manufacture affordable generic antiretroviral medication to treat people with HIV and save lives.
In response, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry sued the government, arguing that such a move violated the TRIPS. This is a comprehensive multilateral agreement on intellectual property.
The case, dubbed ‘Big Pharma vs Mandela’, drew widespread international attention. The lawsuit was dropped in 2001 after massive opposition by government and civil society.
He said the enforcement of intellectual property rights is critical to research and development and innovation in the quest for human progress.
“But our position as South Africa is that such a waiver is necessary at this time. It is temporary and is in direct response to an emergency. This is an unprecedented situation. It requires that all intellectual property, knowledge, technology and data related to COVID-19 health technologies be put at the disposal of all, “Ramaphosa said.
They should be made available to all, not just to the highest bidders, he said.
A situation in which the populations of advanced, rich countries are safely inoculated while millions in poorer countries die in the queue would be tantamount to vaccine apartheid. It will set a devastating precedent in our quest to realise a more egalitarian world and our ability to handle future pandemics.
“Social responsibility for health is a recognised principle in the Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights adopted by the international community in 2005. It affirms that progress in science and technology must contribute to justice, equity and the interests of broader humanity. It notes that the benefits of scientific research should be shared with society as a whole and within the international community, in particular with developing countries that face resource constraints, “said Ramaphosa.