Several countries such as Thailand and Vietnam in the ASEAN zone continue to face multiple challenges related to Covid 19 vaccine production. Access to finance, technology and raw materials are some of the key problems.

“In this regard, there is a need to strengthen political will in ASEAN countries to help them withstand pressures from the Big Pharma and certain developed countries,” a statement issued by the Research and Information System For Developing Countries (RIS) said.

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Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow & Research Lead (Trade & Economics), Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, pointed out that the slow and uneven rate of vaccination in the region is a cause for concern.

Speaking at a webinar on ‘TRIPS Waiver: Issues and Challenges for South East Asia’ jointly organised by RIS and South Centre, Palit said that the ASEAN countries are finding it difficult to negotiate a reasonable deal with vaccine manufacturers.

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“Therefore, it is important to build and sustain a multilateral vaccine pool as well as address the logistics challenges faced by developing countries,” he said, adding that these initiatives can be taken forward with the help of 14-15 economies belonging to OECD and G20 blocks that are dominant players in Covid-19 vaccine production.

Philips J. Vermonte, Executive Director, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta, said TRIPS waiver should not be seen as a charity as it is an important part of the solution in the current context to help increase the availability of vaccines in the developing world. He expressed concern over the lack of adequate support for COVAX global platform for ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.