Right to life should prevail over rights of patent holders: NHRC chairperson on Covid vaccines

NHRC chairperson Justice (Retd) Arun Mishra said that the world is facing a colossal loss caused by Covid-19.

Right to life should prevail over rights of patent holders to meet the shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, said NHRC chairperson Arun Kumar Mishra. Justice (Retd) AK Mishra took over as the chief of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on June 2, nine months after retiring from the Supreme Court. Addressing an online summit of the Human Rights Council (HRC) on Tuesday, Justice (Retd) Arun Mishra said that the right to life should prevail over the rights of patent holders to ensure that the scarcity of life-saving drugs and vaccines is overcome. These should be made available to the poor at affordable prices, he added.