For the World or For the West?

Larry Elliot thinks its imminent ruling on whether to waive patent rules for Covid19 vaccines, is 'make or break' for the World Trade Organization (WTO) (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jun/12/the-wto-faces-a-make-or-break-week-over-vaccines). Waiving patent rules would enable poorer countries to make their own lower cost vaccines. At present, only 18% of people in poorer countries have had a first vaccine jab. Controlling the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic requires effective vaccination in all areas of the globe. So, vaccinating people in poorer countries would benefit everyone. The big Pharmaceutical companies in the US and Europe will argue that vaccine development is costly and a patent waiver would discourage research and development. Having said that, substantial profits on Covid19 vaccines have already been made. Elliot believes that, if the status quo prevails, the WTO has no future as a multilateral organization. It will have revealed itself as an organization that protects the interests of the 'west' (USA, Canada and Europe) and ignores the needs of the rest of the world. The prognosis doesn't look good.