Clinical trials are a fundamental pillar of the research and development (R&D) process for any new drug or vaccine. South Africa’s involvement in several recent trials has been essential to international pharmaceutical companies’ global rollouts — but, argue Candice Sehoma and Lebohang Kobola, the government needs to stand firm and negotiate more shrewdly for access to these medicines.

On International Snakebite Awareness Day (September 19th), we heard from Dr Mark McNicol, recently returned from MSF assignment in Lankien, a remote rural area in Jonglei State, South Sudan, where being bitten by a snake can mean profound and long-term impacts for people.

The current multi-country monkeypox outbreak, which started in Europe in early May 2022 and spread to more than 90 countries by August, has garnered worldwide attention and concern. Monkeypox is endemic to Africa, and the widespread transmission to so many non-endemic countries in such a short period of time has been unprecedented.

The struggle for fair access to medicines has been struck a terrible blow following the adoption by the World Trade Organization (WTO) last week of an inadequate text rather than the originally proposed “TRIPS Waiver” on COVID monopolies, championed by MSF, civil society and over 100 countries.