More than 140 world leaders, former leaders, experts and economists, have signed an open letter calling on all governments to unite behind a people's vaccine against COVID-19.  

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan were among more than 140 signatories of a letter saying any vaccine should not be patented while the science should be shared between nations. 

They have demanded all vaccines, treatments and tests be patent-free, mass produced, distributed fairly and made available to all people, in all countries, free of charge. 

The signatories called on the World Health Assembly (WHA), the policy-setting body of the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) to rally behind the cause. 

"Governments and international partners must unite around a global guarantee which ensures that, when a safe and effective vaccine is developed, it is produced rapidly at scale and made available for all people, in all countries, free of charge," the letter said. 

"The same applies for all treatments, diagnostics, and other technologies for COVID-19." 

The letter was also signed by Senegalese President Macky Sall and Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo. 

Former presidents and prime ministers among the signatories included Shaukat Aziz, Jan Peter Balkenende, Jose Manuel Barroso, Gordon Brown, Helen Clark, Felipe Gonzalez, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Aleksander Kwasniewski, Mary McAleese, Olusegun Obasanjo and Juan Manuel Santos. 

The letter ahead of the WHA said it was not the time to leave the task of resolving the pandemic to market forces or let the interests of wealthy companies and governments come before the need to save lives. 

African Union Chairperson Ramaphosa said: "As the countries of Africa, we are resolute that the COVID-19 vaccine must be patent-free, rapidly made and distributed, and free for all." 

"Nobody should be pushed to the back of the vaccine queue because of where they live or what they earn." 

(With input from AFP)