At the start of the pandemic, Johnson
“Simply put, Big Pharma has bullied South Africa into getting those conditions,” HJI director Fatima Hassan told Al Jazeera. “In the midst of a fatal pandemic, when the few vaccines were for richer countries, companies exploited our desperation. “
“Simply put, the pharmaceutical company rescued us,” says an HJI press release.
South Africa owed invoices of at least $734 million, HJI said, adding advances of nearly $95 million, with no guarantee of timely delivery.
“I wouldn’t say we were bullied, but we were at an impasse to save the lives of South Africans against all odds,” Foster Mohale, a spokesman for South Africa’s Ministry of Fitness, told Al Jazeera. “The Department has entered into those agreements to unload doses of vaccine for the lives of South Africans against the deadly virus that has claimed the lives of over a hundred thousand people in South Africa. “
Hassan told Al Jazeera, “We hope more countries will publish their contracts with Big Pharma, so the world can see how the industry does business. “
The investigation of the documents also revealed unfair practices through the Serum Institute of India – which charged South Africa 2. 5 times more for a generic edition of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine than the UK – and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi), which aims for equitable access to vaccines.
Gavi has not made promises to South Africa about how many doses it will get or when it will deliver them, HJI said, but South Africa remains obligated to pay for everything it asks for, even after having to order more doses from pharmaceutical corporations when Gavi failed to deliver on its promises. deliver.
However, Kafi Mojapelo, spokesman for J.
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