Inventing treatments and vaccines is only part of the battle in an epidemic and pandemic, according to Priti Krishtel, the co-founder of the Initiative for Medicines, Access, and Knowledge (I-MAK). Once invented, we must find a way to get those products to everyone.
“Thirty years after the HIV epidemic, why is there still a time lag of years to get medical products to different regions in the world?” Krishtel said Wednesday at STAT’s Breakthrough Summit in San Francisco.
One of Krishtel’s other takeaways from the pandemic is that we shouldn’t rely so heavily on governments. It took two years of debate among governments before the World Trade Organization relaxed intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines. And in the end, the waiver did not lead to globally equitable access to vaccines.
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — plus daily intelligence on Capitol Hill and the life sciences industry — by subscribing to STAT+.
Already have an account? Log in
Already have an account? Log in
About the Author Reprints
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.
STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect