US move on vaccine IP 'monumental moment' in Covid-19 fight: WHO chief

The head of the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday that US President Joe Biden's plan to back a proposed waiver on intellectual property rights to boost global vaccine production was a "monumental moment in the fight against Covid-19."

Biden earlier on Wednesday threw his support behind a proposed World Trade Organisation waiver of intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines, bowing to mounting pressure from US Democratic lawmakers and more than 100 other countries.

The WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has repeatedly urged countries to support the proposal brought by India and South Africa at the WTO, said in a tweet: "This is a monumental moment in the fight against #COVID19. The commitment by @POTUS Joe Biden & @USTradeRep @AmbassadorTai to support the waiver of IP protections on vaccines is a powerful example of United States leadership to address global health challenges."

- Reuters