The inventor of the polio vaccine, Jonas Salk, famously vowed never to limit access to his findings. “There is no patent,” he said. “Can you patent the sun?”
As the world grasps for access to new vaccines, treatments and testing for COVID-19, the questions that Salk posed are as relevant as ever. Can science be used in a way that prioritizes the health of some over others? Can profit be put before mutual trust and solidarity?
In regions like the Americas that have been particularly hurt by the pandemic, it is vital that everyone is able to benefit from the scientific advances that pharmaceutical companies are making. As we commemorate Universal Health Coverage Day today, the region’s governments must apply the lessons learned from previous pandemics and take steps to avoid past mistakes.
