Category WHO

WHO Director Tedros Gives Thoughts On Access To Medicines, Gene Editing, Ebola

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Dr Tedros) met with United Nations journalists today, in what he said would become a regular end-of-the-year meeting with the press. He gave an update on the ongoing Ebola outbreak and his views on the recent human gene editing by a Chinese researcher, and on the use of gene drive organisms to fight malaria. He also provided his views on access to affordable and safe medicines.

Global Biotech Industry Revisits Geneva, Seeks To Build Relationships To Help Shape Policies

A global association representing biotechnology industries last week made a second annual visit to Geneva's institutions to raise awareness of how the industry works, its needs, and how the association could participate better in policymaking. Dismissing fears of industry unduly influencing public policies, two representatives of the association sat down with Intellectual Property Watch's Catherine Saez to explain the importance of biotechnology in solving the problems of the world, and the need to raise awareness of the perspective of the biotechnology sector.

Key Hepatitis C Drug Licensed To Medicines Patent Pool, Access Expanded For LMICs

A key drug to treat hepatitis C has been licensed to the Medicines Patent Pool, enabling generic production and expanding affordable access to the drug in low and middle-income countries, excluding the very largest. The agreement between the Pool and AbbVie had been over a year in the making, MPP Executive Director Charles Gore told Intellectual Property Watch.

Investing In New Antibiotic Research: Difficult Equation Discussed At World Investment Forum

The diminishing arsenal of efficient antibiotics to fight bacteria is a threat denounced by many, but investment in research and development of new antibiotics is seen as lagging. As the danger of getting back to a pre-antibiotic age is increasing, alternative ways of financing new antibiotics are being discussed. At the World Investment Forum this week, a panel looked into innovative means of investment, and ways to attract private investors to this field.

Near-Monopolies On HCV Diagnostics Curb Competition, Keep Prices High, Research Finds

Monopoly prices of diagnostic tools and lack of competition in the market constitute a barrier to treatment for people with hepatitis C virus (HCV), but the increased use of “open” diagnostic platforms could reduce prices, a health advocacy research study has found.

WHO Members Consider Possible Changes To Pandemic Influenza Framework

A hundred years ago, the influenza pandemic known as the “Spanish flu” infected one-third of the world population, and resulted in an estimated 50 million deaths. Last week, the World Health Organization held a consultation on possible changes to its 2011 agreement to prepare for the next pandemic influenza. Two major questions were on the table: whether to extend its agreement to seasonal influenza, and how to deal with pandemic influenza genetic information, which is increasingly used instead of biological samples of viruses.

Antimicrobial Resistance At The World Investment Forum: UNCTAD, WHO Join Forces

The World Investment Forum 2018, a biennial event organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), will hold a session on health this year jointly with the World Health Organization. The session will address the need for investment in the development of new antibiotics, hoping to raise interest among investors.

World Health Summit Berlin: New Global Action Plan; Gates And Merkel To Open Global Challenges

BERLIN -- Ten years after establishing the Berlin World Health Summit, the M8 alliance of medical institutes around the globe sees some noticeable progress in political commitment to the health agenda. “Gifts” presented at the opening ceremony yesterday in the German capital include the announcement of German Health Minister Jens Spahn to establish a Hub for Global Health and step up its financial contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO) to 115 million euros over the next four years. The three-day summit also will receive a global action plan to catch up with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on health and well-being for all.

“The People’s Prescription”: New Report Calls For Value Creation Instead Of Value Extraction In Pharmaceutical R&D

A new report, “The People's Prescription: Re-imagining health innovation to deliver public value,” calls for restructuring research and development innovation systems to create, rather than extract, value. It also calls for long-term “mission-oriented” public investment, and a public return on this investment.

WHO Head Highlights Tobacco Plain Packaging Victory At WTO; Vaping Lobbyists Hit Geneva

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Dr Tedros) today hailed a dispute settlement decision at the neighbouring World Trade Organization upholding laws requiring tobacco products to be packaged without logos or designs as a way to reduce interest in smoking. Meanwhile, lobbyists for popular alternative "electronic" tobacco products such as vaping are out in force in Geneva this week.