Responding to the Berlin Declaration ‘vision for equitable access in pandemics’, proposed today by the pharmaceutical industry, Anna Marriott, Oxfam Health Policy Manager & Policy Co-Lead for the People’s Vaccine Alliance, said:

“This declaration is yet another shameless blame-shifting exercise from an industry that has chosen to prioritise obscene profits over human life throughout the pandemic.

“Pharmaceutical monopoly control over vaccines, tests and treatments has been one of the most important causes of global inequality in access to these life-saving tools.

“The so-called Berlin declaration is a pandemic profiteer’s wish list; enshrining monopoly control and outsized reward for pharmaceutical companies while abdicating all responsibility and costs, regardless of how much public money they take. It has about as much credibility as a greenwashing proposal from a fossil fuel giant.

“Instead of buying into this ploy, the focus should be on increasing the ability of lower income countries to develop and produce their own vaccines, tests and treatments according to their needs so they are able to respond to future pandemics.”