WTO head hopes for deal by July on vaccine-sharing

The head of the World Trade Organization said on Monday she hoped that members could reach an agreement by July on improving access to COVID-19 vaccines after months of talks on waiving drug firms' intellectual property rights.

"It's going to be tough because there are still differences but we hope we can get to a pragmatic approach," Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told a virtual U.N. forum.

"I'm in a hurry and I want us to get some agreement by July because lives are important."