Rich nations are hoarding vaccines, leaving the poor without. (Photo: AFP)

Geneva, March 6 (RHC)- In Geneva, Switzerland, members of Doctors Without Borders held a protest outside the headquarters of the World Trade Organization demanding a waiver on patent rights for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines.  South Africa and India are leading an effort that would temporarily allow for the production of generic versions of the life-saving products. 

Stephen Cornish, director-general of Doctors Without Borders-Switzerland, joined Thursday’s protest.  He told reporters: “If we had the waiver, we’d be able, in a number of countries, to scale up production right now, which would allow for the diagnostics, the medicines and the vaccines to get where they’re needed most. Right now we’re seeing just a trickle of vaccines making it to the Global South. And this is just not acceptable in today’s world.”