That temporary exemption ‘allows coordinating and accessing the information that is currently protected by the patents,’ the president said in a communiqué.

For the countries that currently lack the capacity to manufacture certain medical technologies, the exemption might pave the way for more supply options and prevent the countries from depending on one or two providers, the South African president added.

In light of the recent world consensus, we ask the pharmaceutical companies to share knowledge and technology to propitiate a rapid increase in the supply capacity in order to save lives,’ the president noted.

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