| |
| author |
Krystal Palmer
| | title |
Multistakeholder Influence on Intellectual Property: Vaccine Equity and Access in the COVID-19 Pandemic
| | abstract |
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2
outbreak as a global health pandemic. The most developed nations have been able to inoculate
significant portions of their populations, but developing countries have faced significant
challenges. The disproportion in vaccination efforts has raised questions around vaccine equity
and access that can only be addressed with multistakeholder cooperation. A multistakeholder
governance structure can be considered a mechanism to foster cooperation between these states,
intergovernmental organizations, corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and other civil
society actors. With such a diverse set of players involved in the pandemic, it is difficult for all
stakeholders to align their interests when their mandates and business activities are not
necessarily focused on the same goals. Whereas some stakeholders favor substantial intellectual
property rights to foster innovation, others see the benefits that flexible protections could have on
vaccine production and deployments efforts. However, to ensure that vaccine equity and
universal access remain at the forefront of combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, corporations
and their supporters should at least be open to discussions around implementing temporary,
flexible intellectual property protections as outlined in the World Trade Organization's TRIPS
Agreement. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated a need for more clearly defined
protocols to establish a course of action concerning global public health that does not
compromise a global commitment to social justice.
| | school |
The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University
| | degree |
B.A. (2022)
|
| advisor |
Jennifer Olmsted
Carlos Yordan
|
| full text | KPalmer.pdf |
| |
