News

This is where you can browse all the latest updates from HJI and its partners, comprising research, advocacy, policy development, and litigation across all themes of our work.

April 6, 2020

A redeeming moment for the SA government: A case for compulsory licensing in the age of Covid-19

Speeches and Lectures

HJI in the News

Opinion Pieces and Academic Articles

7 November 2024 – How South Africa can help secure immediate, global access to HIV prevention drug lenacapavir. Daily Maverick
Authors: Tian Johnson, Fatima Hassan, Asia Russell and Sangeeta Shashikant
8 November 2024 – Gilead under fire over HIV drug licensing. The Lancet
Author: Ed Holt
22 October 2024 – NHI Act offers no answer to high medicine prices. news24
Author: Fatima Hassan
11 October 2024 – NHI Act offers no answer to high medicines prices. Spotlight
Author: Fatima Hassan
2 April 2024 – The global health community must call for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian aid in Gaza. BMJ
Authors: Shuaib Manjra, Fatima Hassan, Leslie London
1 March 2024 – Israel’s war on Gaza is a health justice issue, too. Al Jazeera
Author: Fatima Hassan
14 February – Israel’s unrelenting war on Gaza healthcare requires urgent action. Al Jazeera
Authors: Fatima Hassan, Shuaib Manjra, Leslie London

25 July 2023 – It is our right to see the Covid-19 vaccine procurement contracts. News24
Authors: Fatima Hassan and Archbishop Thabo Makgoba
13 June 2023 – We are unlikely to be equitably able to access lifesaving, affordable medicines under NHI. Daily Maverick
Author: Fatima Hassan
5 June 2023 – Opportunities and challenges of leveraging COVID-19 vaccine innovation and technologies for developing sustainable vaccine manufacturing capabilities in Africa. The Lancet
Authors: Bavesh D Kana, Patrick Arbuthnot, Benjamin K Botwe, Yahya E Choonara, Fatima Hassan, Hechmi Louzir, et al.
25 March 2023 – It is time for ambitious, transformational change to the epidemic countermeasures ecosystem. The Lancet
Authors: Els Torreele, Christine McNab, Olusoji Adeyi, Roxana Bonnell, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Fatima Hassan et al.
6 March 2023 – Open Letter – Collective Voices against Health Xenophobia’s appeal to the health minister. Daily Maverick
Author: Marlise Richter
27 January 2023 – Changing the law on sex work will save lives, we must see it through Author(s): Marlise Richter and Pamela Chakuvinga. Access the document here.

13 December 2021 – Unequal global vaccine coverage is at the heart of the current covid-19 crisis. Authors: Fatima Hassan, Leslie London and Greg Gonsalves
3 December 2021 – Time to tackle Covid vaccine inequality in global south. Authors: Fatima Hassan and Nick Dearden
28 November 2021 – Omicron: Vaccine nationalism will only perpetuate the pandemic. Author: Fatima Hassan
28 November 2021 – Omicron: Vaccine nationalism will only perpetuate the pandemic | Coronavirus pandemic. Author: Fatima Hassan
22 October 2021 – ANALYSIS | The pandemic didn’t miss Africa — and the numbers back this up. Authors: Tian Johnson, Tom Moultrie, Gregg Gonsalves, and Fatima Hassan.
21 October 2021 – A confusing COVID caseload: Why Africa’s missing numbers show a different side to the pandemic. Authors: Tian Johnson, Tom Moultrie, Gregg Gonsalves and Fatima Hassan
21 October 2021 – Share Vaccine Know How. Authors: Priti Krishtel and Fatima Hassan
21 October 2021 – African lives matter: Covid-19 didn’t miss the continent, as some would conveniently have it — and the numbers back this up. Authors: Tian Johnson, Tom Moultrie, Gregg Gonsalves and Fatima Hassan
12 October 2021 – An inconvenient truth: The real reason why Africa is not getting vaccinated. Authors: Tian Johnson, Tom Moultrie, Gregg Gonsalves and Fatima Hassan
5 October 2021 – Sex Worker Pride is a way of sex workers showing that they, too, take pride in their work. Author: Marlise Richter
27 August 2021 – OP-ED: Leave No One Behind: We must urgently address vaccination of undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. Authors: Jo Vearey, Sally Gandar, Rebecca Walker, Thea de Gruchy, Fatima Hassan, Tlaleng Mofokeng, Pinky Mahlangu, Nicholas Maple, Francois Venter and Sharon Ekambaram
16 August 2021 – Profiteering from vaccine inequity: a crime against humanity? Authors: Fatima Hassan, Gavin Yamey, Kamran Abbasi
21 July 2021 – Leave No One Behind: We must urgently address vaccination of undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. Authors: Jo Vearey, Sally Gandar, Rebecca Walker, Thea de Gruchy, Fatima Hassan, Tlaleng Mofokeng, Pinky Mahlangu, Nicholas Maple, Francois Venter and Sharon Ekambaram
28 June 2021 – The great vaccine heist: The procurement contracts veil of secrecy violates transparency and public interest. Author: Fatima Hassan
18 May 2021 –Finding an HIV vaccine: Five lessons from the search for a COVID jab. Authors: Mitchell Warren and Fatima Hassan
12 May 2021 – The TRIPS fandango: Don’t water down the waiver – lives depend on it. Authors: Fatima Hassan, Rafia Akram and Gregg Gonsalves
11 May 2021 – Private-public politics: State control crucial for vaccine equity and to stop queue-jumping by the rich. Authors: Fatima Hassan and Marlise Richter
23 February 2021 – Don’t Let Drug Companies create a system of Vaccine Apartheid. Author: Fatima Hassan
24 January 2021 – The great Covid-19 Vaccine Heist (Part Two): Moderna – when solidarity is only a word. Author: Fatima Hassan
21 January 2021 – Op-Ed in Le Monde: Against Covid-19, we must ensure access to vaccines in Africa. Authors: Stéphane Besançon, Pauline Londeix & Jérôme Martin, Alioune Tine, Fatima Hassan, Els Torreele, Thomas Piketty, Cynthia Fleury, Emmanuel Bonnet & Valéry Ridde, Nathalie Ernoult, Andrew Hill

Podcast Interviews

13 July 2022 – Shady COVID Deal: WTO’s Midnight Scandal. Speaker/s: Rethinking Trade with Lori Wallach, Fatima Hassan
1 May 2022 – Episode 10: Vaccine Inequity in the Global South. ISID, Fatima Hassan
29 April 2022 – Drugs, COVID, the WTO and a Leaked Text. Rethinking Trade with Lori Wallach, Fatima Hassan
19 April 2022 – TRIPs & South Africa. GC Public Health – Guilford College, Fatima Hassan
12 April 2022 – Championing health equity in South Africa– Episode 12. Global Health Matters (GHM) podcast, Fatima Hassan

8 December 2021 – Vaccine Apartheid with Fatima Hassan. Yale University – Tech Empire with Michael Kwet and Tshi Malatji, Fatima Hassan
30 November 2021 – #Omicron – Vaccine nationalism will only perpetuate the pandemic. Radio Islam International, Fatima Hassan
29 November 2021 – Britain Prepares For Omicron. TyskySour, Fatima Hassan
29 November 2021 – A Masterclass on Omicron: All You Need To Know. The Owen Jones Podcast, Fatima Hassan
28 November 2021 – As new COVID-19 variant spreads, human rights lawyer points to ‘vaccine apartheid. NPR, Fatima Hassan
11 November 2021 – Vaccine Equity and Lessons of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic. Vital Strategies – Public Health Power Hour, Fatima Hassan
10 June 2021 – The People’s Vaccine with Fatima Hassan, Katie Gallogly-Swan and Josephine Varghese. New Zealand Alternative: Te Kuaka, Fatima Hassan
26 May 2021 – The Campaign for HIV-AIDS medicines: Achal Prabhala, Anand Grover, David Legge, Ellen t’Hoen, Fatima Hassan, James Love, and Leigh Haynes. The Nagrik Podcast, Fatima Hassan
26 March 2021 – COVID and the Right to Health. The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law, Marlise Richter
24 March 2021, is “A short history of…” – UNAIDS Podcast Project, Fatima Hassan
24 May 2021 – S1E77: Vaccination Verification: Ticket to Ride or Social Divide? Epidemic – Dr Celine Gounder, Fatima Hassan
5 March 2021 – S4 Episode 7: Vaccine apartheid | Solidarity | Harari. Radio New Frame – hosted by: Tebadi Mmotla, Fatima Hassan
3 March 2021, Covid and the right to health The Promise Institute, UCLA, Marlise Richter
20 February 2021 – South Africa’s Covid response: Fatima Hassan. RZN – Saturday Morning, Fatima Hassan
4 January 2021 – Can SA ‘ignore’ Covid-19 vaccine patents to save lives? Cape Talk – Refilwe Moloto, Fatima Hassan
4 January 2021 – To Vaccinate the World We Need Tech Transfer, Not Charity (DAWN Podcast Episode 5) DAWN and TWN , KM Gopakumar and Marlise Richter
17 October 2022, TheConversation – “A bargain basement strategy to keep ‘cheap women’ safe from gender-based violence and murder” Daily Maverick, M Richter & N.Remba
25 March 2021, “Why South Africa’s HIV prevention programmes should include sex worker clients”. M. Huysamen & Richter