Ramaphosa: Greater need for universal health care coverage
President Cyril Ramaphosa says as we prepare for future pandemics, there's a greater need for universal health care coverage.
He's been speaking during a roundtable with other world leaders on the work done by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
"We need to ensure that vaccines and other life-saving treatments are seen and considered as public goods by the world."
"For this reason either earlier this year the African Union resolved to support the call for a temporary TRIPS waiver at the World Trade Organisation for COVID-19."
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He says such a waiver will enable more countries to produce vaccines, diagnostics and treatments to make them more accessible and affordable for poorer countries.
The President has reiterated the need for equitable access to resources to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
"We cannot hope to overcome this pandemic for as long as richer countries have most of the world's supply of vaccines to the exclusion that also, importantly the detriment of poorer countries.
