Pfizer’s business strategy has set a negative precedent by offering a voluntary license that excludes nearly half of the world’s population during a global pandemic. According to the agreement signed by the two companies and MPP, access to these drugs will be available to low- and middle-income countries. But the MPP website distinguishes middle-income countries into lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income countries. When countries are excluded from voluntary licenses on lifesaving medicines or vaccines, their options for securing affordable access are compromised. Will the poor living in upper middle-income countries have the same easy access as people in lower middle-income countries?

Source: The Hindu November 20, 2021 16:42 UTC