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Learning Lessons from COVID-19 Global Vaccine Inequity

Posted by: Christine Bale

Oxfam Ireland today published a report ‘Everyone for Themselves How Ireland Undermined Efforts to Fully Vaccinate the World against COVID-19' showing how Ireland undermined international efforts to make vaccines available to low-income countries. There is an opportunity now to make sure that future pandemics don’t repeat this disastrous outcome: Countries of the World Health Organisation have begun negotiations on a Pandemic Treaty.

‘Everyone for Themselves How Ireland Undermined Efforts to Fully Vaccinate the World against COVID-19'

The report, “Everyone for Themselves - How Ireland Undermined Efforts to Fully Vaccinate the World against COVID-19” was launched in the Oireachtas today. This report details Irish government opposition to a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. This runs contrary to the government’s claims that they were a very strong supporter of global vaccine equity.

Oxfam’s detailed analysis of Irish government actions during the pandemic is under three key main headings.

  1. The failure to support the TRIPS[ii] waiver, against advice from the WHO, over 100 countries, two Irish parliamentary committees and the Seanad. The government’s position instead aligned with the pharmaceutical industry’s interests and stance. The report contains an analysis of the lobbying records from the pharmaceutical industry.
  2. Their preferred option was vaccine donations, and this was problematic. For one, the hoarding of more vaccines than was needed limiting access to low-income countries. Oxfam’s analysis also found donations were 20% short with 12% of vaccines close to expiry[iii]. In addition, we did not supply the most effective vaccines for the recipient countries[iv].
  3. They failed to provide adequate funding to strengthen health care systems in poorer countries to aid distribution of vaccines.

Overall, the WHO, World Health Organization, calculated that Ireland provided just 6% of our “fair share” of funding to support the response to COVID-19 globally.

“Happily, the worst effects of COVID are behind us in Ireland but we have to remember that over 6,000 people are still dying every week from COVID 19 . In low-income countries, just 23% of people are fully vaccinated. The cost of COVID continues to be enormous. It is estimated that it pushed 163 million people into poverty and set global development back by at least a decade,” -Michael McCarthy Flynn Oxfam Ireland's Head of Policy and Advocacy.

“Our report shows Ireland actively contributed to a human rights violation and we’re calling today for the government to turn this appalling record around with a set of recommendations. The most immediate of which is that Ireland’s global response should be included in the upcoming State inquiry into COVID 19,” said Oxfam Ireland’s Head of Policy and Advocacy (and report co-author), Michael McCarthy Flynn.

“This is far from a matter of historical interest,” said Michael McCarthy Flynn. “Future pandemics are a certainty, and we have to learn from past mistakes and do better for all our sakes.”

Read the report

Pandemic Treaty – A Chance to Avoid a Repeat of the Deadly Inequalities of COVID 19

Oxfam Ireland’s report was launched a week after the Irish negotiators returned from Geneva, where the WHO countries met for the fourth round of meetings to negotiate a pandemic treaty.

WHO Member States have been negotiating a new legal instrument (often called a ‘pandemic treaty’) since late 2021 so that countries can effectively, and equitably address future pandemics.

Negotiations on the draft will continue over the next year with the aim of adopting the instrument by 2024. Ireland is engaging in negotiations as an EU member state and through officials in the Department of Health working with Ireland's Permanent Representation to the UN in Geneva. 

Oxfam, as a founding member of the People’s Vaccine Alliance has been putting forward proposals for a people-centred pandemic treaty with commitments and practical mechanisms for pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery based on human rights and equity principles.

Our proposals cover key issues that must be addressed in the treaty including: innovation and equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments; sharing data and technology; building resilient health systems; transparency; and financing pandemic preparedness and response.

On 1 February, The WHO’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) published a ‘zero-draft’ of the pandemic treaty. This formed the basis for negotiations on the final document. The zero-draft contains key principles for achieving a better and more equitable way of preventing, preparing for and responding to pandemics, addressing critical issues on access to technologies. However, the negotiations have so far failed to produce concrete commitments and enforceable measures for vaccine sharing in future pandemics. Accord language must require governments to take specific actions to ensure equity, otherwise it would be difficult to implement it in practice. It must include concrete commitments and practical mechanisms, obligations, requirements and enforceable measures, rather than being limited to promotions and encouragements. 

We need more than just words. The pandemic treaty must include commitments by Governments to sharing medical technology and knowhow. The intellectual property rules that upheld the devastating vaccine inequity of COVID-19 must be waived automatically when a health emergency is declared. Governments must place conditions to ensure that publicly funded innovations are available to manufacturers in the Global South. Oxfam’s report shows that vaccine donation doesn’t work. Manufacturers in the Global South must be able to make the necessary vaccines and medical countermeasures. This is critical to controlling pandemics, which will ultimately save lives everywhere and make sure that people in lower-income countries aren’t forced to wait at the back of the line for vaccines, tests, and treatments.

NOTES
[ii] TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) is a World Trade Organisation Agreement that protects intellectual property, including patents on medicines produced by pharmaceutical companies.
[iii] The above figures are correct as of Nov. 2022.
[iv] See footnote 13 in the Report.

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Ireland Undermined Efforts to Achieve Global Vaccine Equity

Posted by: Christine Bale

PRESS RELEASE – 08 March 2023

Oxfam Ireland today called for our global response to COVID-19 to be included in the upcoming State inquiry into COVID 19. This on foot of a report showing how Ireland undermined international efforts to make vaccines available to low-income countries.

This runs contrary to the government’s claims that they were a very strong supporter of global vaccine equity.

“This is far from a matter of historical interest,” said Oxfam Ireland’s Head of Policy and Advocacy (and report co-author), Michael McCarthy Flynn. “Future pandemics are a certainty, and we have to learn from past mistakes and do better for all our sakes.”

The report, “Everyone for Themselves - How Ireland Undermined Efforts to Fully Vaccinate the World against COVID-19” was launched in the Oireachtas today. The timing is a week after the Irish negotiators[i] return from Geneva, where the WHO pandemic treaty negotiations have so far failed to produce concrete commitments and enforceable measures for vaccine sharing in future.

Oxfam’s detailed analysis of Irish government actions during the pandemic is under three key main headings.

  1. The failure to support the TRIPS[ii]  waiver, against advice from the WHO, over 100 countries, two Irish parliamentary committees and the Seanad. The government’s position instead aligned with the pharmaceutical industry’s interests and stance. The report contains an analysis of the lobbying records from the pharmaceutical industry.
  2. Their preferred option was vaccine donations, and this was problematic. For one, the hoarding of more vaccines than was needed limiting access to low-income countries. Oxfam’s analysis also found donations were 20% short with 12% of vaccines close to expiry[iii]. In addition, we did not supply the most effective vaccines for the recipient countries[iv].
  3. They failed to provide adequate funding to strengthen health care systems in poorer countries to aid distribution of vaccines.

Overall, the WHO, World Health Organization, calculated that Ireland provided just 6% of our “fair share” of funding to support the response to COVID-19 globally.

“Happily, the worst effects of COVID are behind us in Ireland but we have to remember that over 6,000 people are still dying every week from COVID 19 . In low-income countries, just 23% of people are fully vaccinated. The cost of COVID continues to be enormous. It is estimated that it pushed 163 million people into poverty and set global development back by at least a decade,” said Michael McCarthy Flynn of Oxfam Ireland.

“Our report shows Ireland actively contributed to a human rights violation and we’re calling today for the government to turn this appalling record around with a set of recommendations. The most immediate of which is that Ireland’s global response should be included in the upcoming State inquiry into COVID 19,” said Michael McCarthy Flynn.

ENDS

Contact: Clare Cronin - External Communications Manager Email: clare.cronin@oxfam.org   Mobile +353 (0) 87 195 2551

Alice Dawson Lyons - Head of Communications and Campaigns - Oxfam Ireland Email: alice.dawsonlyons@oxfam.org Mobile: +353 (0) 83 198 1869

NOTES

  1. On 1 December 2021, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to set up a process for the WHO Member States to negotiate a new legal instrument (often called a ‘pandemic treaty’).
    The International Negotiating Body (INB) tasked with drafting the treaty, has achieved a zero draft. See People’s Vaccine Alliance comments on the zero draft here.
    During the fourth INB sessions, (27th February to 3rd March 2023) Member States planned to translate general themes into concrete commitments and practical mechanisms.
    Officials in the Department of Health working with Ireland's Permanent Representation to the UN in Geneva, are engaging with the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body.
  2. TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) is a World Trade Organisation Agreement that protects intellectual property, including patents on medicines produced by pharmaceutical companies.
  3. The above figures are correct as of Nov. 2022.
  4. See footnote 13 in the Report.

Oxfam is part of the People’s Vaccine Alliance, a movement advocating that COVID-19 vaccines are manufactured rapidly and at scale, as global common goods, free of intellectual property protections and made available to all people, in all countries, free of charge.

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Aid is dwindling in spite of continuing dire conditions one month after the earthquakes in Türkiye

Posted by: Christine Bale

PRESS RELEASE – 06 March 2023

One month on from the earthquakes that struck Türkiye that killed over 45,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of buildings and major infrastructure, aid and donations for survivors has sharply declined in spite of continuing urgent needs.

Hundreds of thousands of families are residing in informal settlements to stay close to homes that have been destroyed, where there is little to no access to water and basic sanitation, shelter, and food. Women and children are affected disproportionately, with many fearing for their safety. Oxfam spoke with one woman who delivered a baby in a tent and had not received any medical support 10 days after giving birth.

In an area with a population of 15.2 million, almost 2 million people have evacuated from earthquake affected areas with government support or through their own means, straining the local economy and available safe housing across the country. Those who remain have no recourse but to stay outside, fearing returning indoors due to continuing aftershocks that continue to damage homes and infrastructure. The areas affected by the earthqueks in Türkiye include a large Syrian refugee population, who have already endured displacement.

Oxfam KEDV in Türkiye is coordinating with a network of grassroots women’s organisations and cooperatives, volunteers, civil society actors, and public authorities to rapidly provide food, clean water, showers, hygiene products, and blankets, and to facilitate setting up shelters. With Oxfam KEDV, women’s cooperatives are operating community kitchens and providing food to people everyday. Oxfam KEDV is also initiating the repair of water reservoirs to ensure access to clean water and the setting up of toilets and showers.

In the coming months, Oxfam KEDV intends to support 1.4 million people living in the areas most affected by the earthquake by providing access to food, restoring water systems, and supporting people’s livelihoods through training and financial support.

CONTACT DETAILS

Clare Cronin, +353871952551

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Cox's Bazar camp fire: Oxfam responding with food and shelter

Posted by: Christine Bale

PRESS RELEASE – 06 March 2023

A fire that swept through Rohingya refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sunday has left 12000 people homeless and in urgent need of shelter, water, sanitation, and medical services. Oxfam is mounting a response to provide immediate food and shelter to impacted people.  

“In a matter of hours, thousands of bamboo and tarpaulin shelters were destroyed along with few primary health centres, local schools, and community spaces. Thousands of families were forced to spend the night under the open sky, many without any food or water,” said Ashish Damle, Oxfam Country Director in Bangladesh.

The fire started on Sunday afternoon around 2:45 pm local time in camp 11 and quickly spread to adjacent camps. While no casualties were reported, the full extent of the damage is being assessed.

“This is the second major fire that hit Rohingya camps since 2021. It took years of relief efforts to bring a semblance of normalcy to the lives of people after the first fire. To the Rohingya refugees this is a déjà vu of loss and suffering,” added Damle.   

Oxfam team is working closely with partners on the ground, assessing people’s needs; and preparing to provide most affected people with immediate food, shelter, water, and sanitation.  

Oxfam International is collaborating with community leaders, local authorities, and other partners on the ground to conduct long-term needs assessments for those affected.   

ENDS

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Oxfam Ireland call for the Irish Govt to implement climate accountability legislation as a ground-breaking litigation case proceeds in France against BNP Paribas

Posted by: Samantha Andrades

PRESS RELEASE – 23 February 2023

This is the world's first climate lawsuit against a commercial bank.

Three NGOs, including Oxfam, have this morning (Thursday 23rd Feb) filed a lawsuit at the Paris Judicial Court against BNP Paribas. The bank has a presence in the IFSC in Dublin. It is described as “France’s most polluting bank” based on the following:

BNP Paribas,

  • has a larger carbon footprint than all of France’s territorial emissions.
  • is the leading European financier and 5th worldwide of fossil fuel expansion, between 2016 and 2021.
  • is the world's leading financier of the 8 oil and gas majors, including Total Energies, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, ENI, Repsol and Equinor, between 2016 and 2021.
  • 1st financier of the British oil and gas giant BP worldwide.
  • 1st financier of the Dutch oil and gas giant Shell worldwide.
  • 1st financier of the Italian oil and gas giant ENI worldwide.

This landmark French legal case is based on “the duty of vigilance”, a new French law against the impunity of multinational corporations.

Oxfam Ireland’s CEO, Jim Clarken said, “We urgently need the legal basis to take the same sorts of action here in Ireland.” The first step in this process is the EU Corporate Sustainability Directive (CSDDD) which has the ability to massively reduce global carbon emissions and other abuses in global value chains. The BNP Paribas case shows what a pivotal role financial institutions can play for better or worse. Late last year, it was widely reported that Ireland sought a carve-out for financial investors at the EU Council under the draft EU law – something which would have been disastrous for the new EU law’s effectiveness in reducing global carbon emissions.

As a founding member of the Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights, Oxfam Ireland has led the call for strong Irish legislation on business and human rights, including climate obligations. We call on all Irish MEPs to see that this EU legislation is robust on all of our climate obligations. We believe financial institutions must play their part and be accountable.

The next step will be to pass binding and effective Irish along the French lines that would apply to companies operating in Ireland. We expect to see legislation tabled in the Oireachtas on this issue very soon which must be robust, wide-ranging and binding.

ENDS

Contact: Clare Cronin, +353871952551

External Communications Manager

Oxfam Ireland

NOTES TO EDITORS

The three NGOs involved are:

1. Oxfam France

2. Friends of the Earth (Les Amis de la Terre) France

3. Notre Affaire à Tous

Read more: https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/french-ngos-take-bnp-paribas-court-worlds-first-climate-lawsuit-against-commercial

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