Tunisia-Othmen Jerandi calls for patents on COVID-19 vaccines to be lifted

At the request of the President of the Republic, Kais Saied, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Othman Jerandi took part yesterday in the 38th session of the Committee of Heads of State and Government of NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) which took place by videoconference under the chairmanship of Paul Kagame.

This working session was dedicated to the recommendation of a nominee for the post of executive director of the NEPAD agency.

Othmen Jerandi emphasised during his speech the necessity to unify African and international efforts to confront the current health crisis.

He further highlighted the significance of the role of the African Medicines Agency to combat the pandemic while evoking that Tunisia had already approved an agreement on the creation of this institution. In the same context, he declared the start of internal legislative procedures to secure its approval.

The minister further called for the lifting of patents on vaccines to enable developing countries (particularly those in Africa) with the required skills to manufacture the vaccines.