Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A draft resolution, global strategy, and plan of action on intellectual property and public health were circulated Saturday at the 19-24 May World Health Assembly.
The drafts show areas of agreement in the weeklong assembly, and difficult areas that remained to be agreed on Saturday.
By William New Down to the final hours before the closing ceremonies of this year’s World Health Assembly, governments have nearly completed work on a global strategy to stimulate research into neglected diseases disproportionately affecting poor populations. But work skipped…
[Note: new 23 May draft text of strategy and plan of action posted to IP-Watch Subscriber section] By William New Negotiators of a global strategy to boost innovation in and access to treatments for under-researched diseases largely afflicting the poor…
By William New The 61st annual World Health Assembly on Monday opened auspiciously with speeches on the world’s biggest political issues, current disasters and looming global threats, but little room for intellectual property issues. IP issues did arise in a…
[Note: Monday midday update below] By William New Member governments of the World Health Organization will try this week to finalise a strategy and plan of action to stimulate innovation on diseases disproportionately affecting poor populations. The members also will…
Note: The latest version of the draft strategy (dated Saturday, 3 May, 14.00h) is now available on the WHO website [click here]. By Kaitlin Mara and William New The World Health Organization (WHO) negotiations on public health, intellectual property and…
By Kaitlin Mara and William New Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) gathered this week to address innovation and intellectual property issues in public health saw hope for agreement on a strategy paper focused on the needs of developing…
By Catherine Saez After an innovative partnership between a non-governmental group and a pharmaceutical company led to a new cheap non-patented drug against malaria being available in Africa in 2007, the model is being implemented again with another new non-patented…
By William New The World Health Organization Executive Board recently addressed several key issues pertaining to intellectual property rights and access to knowledge. This included extensive discussion of pandemic influenza policies, the management of IP and health, and an appeal…
By William New
Members of the World Health Organization worked for days recently under the steady gaze of the WHO director general in an attempt to develop a new framework for the global influenza-sharing system designed as a safeguard against a pandemic.