Bolivia Holds Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Patent Liberalization

Bolivia's President Luis Arce Thursday warned that the COVID-19 pandemic might wipe out health systems worldwide if patents for vaccine production are not released. 

RELATED: 

Bolivia: Prosecutor Investigate Anez's Self-Declared Presidency

He made the remarks at the International Forum on Patent Freedom, which was organized by the Bolivian Foreign Ministry and the United Nations Development Progam (UNDP) in El Alto.

"Humanity has had the scientific and technological capacity to develop several vaccines and produce them in enormous quantities in this times of pandemic but not for everyone in the world because production is limited to companies' capacity and the protection of intellectual property and technology," Arce noted.

The Andean country has launched an international campaign to achieve more global COVID-19 vaccine supplies and immunization coverage by liberalizing vaccine patents. 

To date, 105 countries have joined the Bolivian initiative. Among them are Russia, the U.S., and the European Union bloc. 

"Bolivia is willing to pay a reasonable price for the vaccines. We signed contracts to have the ones we need; however, we do not have enough doses because the production is limited to certain States," Arce stated.

"From Bolivia, we call on the States to share the necessary technology and change what needs to be changed in the World Trade Organization's rules," he added.