This video outlines the urgent need for reforming South Africa’s outdated patent laws to improve equitable access to essential medicines. Under the international TRIPS agreement, pharmaceutical companies are granted 20-year monopolies on patented medicines. However, during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, this monopoly delayed global vaccine access, contributing to preventable deaths. The video highlights legal mechanisms—such as compulsory licensing, parallel importation, and substantive patent examination—that allow governments to override intellectual property (IP) rights in the public interest. Despite adopting a national IP policy in 2018, South Africa has yet to enact meaningful reforms like the Patents Amendment Bill. Advocates argue that such reforms would reduce medicine stock-outs and lower the cost of life-saving treatments, such as cancer and HIV-related medications. The call to action urges civil society participation in shaping a just and transparent IP system that prioritizes public health over corporate profit.

PHM SA supports the campaign and is part of the Fix the Patents Laws’ Steering Committee. To find out more or support the campaign follow below link:

https://www.fixthepatentlaws.org/