Access Denied – Extractive Research & Development in the COVID-19 Pandemic
This report, part of the Access Denied series, explores the role that UK public entities have played in supporting the development of COVID-19 tools such as diagnostics, vaccines and treatments. It highlights how the lack of equitable access safeguards across the research and development (R&D) continuum results in the perpetuation of an extractive global health system that compounds existing health inequalities.
The report calls on the UK Government to implement the following recommendations to ensure affordable access to future pandemic health tools:
- Scale up investment in public-health-driven research and development
- Introduce equitable access conditions across the R&D continuum
- Develop and evolve equitable access strategies across UK R&D funders
- Ensure transparency along the R&D value chain
- Support global initiatives which safeguard equitable access
- Incorporate equity in international positions on R&D
