Original news and analysis on international IP policy
After several drafting sessions this week meant to finalise a framework to govern the engagement of the World Health Organization with the private sector, nongovernmental organisations, foundations and academics, country delegates admitted defeat today at the World Health Assembly.
Member states today unanimously adopted a resolution on hepatitis drafted by the Executive Board meeting in January 2014, with two small amendments decided upon in informal intersessional consultations since the Board meeting.
World Health Organization members this week will decide on approval of a work plan on poor quality medicines, and the WHO secretariat is hoping members will follow with financial support to carry out the plan.
Immunization coverage in many developing countries remains low and even shows a decrease in some cases, according to the report of a World Health Organization advisory group of experts, to be noted by this week’s World Health Assembly. A number of developing countries yesterday underlined the high cost of new vaccines and asked that the WHO help them campaign for lower prices.
The World Health Assembly on 21 May approved a resolution on global strategy and targets for tuberculosis prevention, care and control after 2015, which includes a new multisectoral strategic approach and bold targets to bring an end to the global epidemic by 2035.
Multiple stakeholders are pushing for a World Health Organization-led global action plan to curb antimicrobial resistance.
A new document on efforts to find innovative financing for neglected diseases has been made available today at the World Health Assembly.
A proposal to increase the engagement of “non-state actors” - industry, nongovernmental organisations, foundations and academics - in the activities of the World Health Organization is under intense debate at the annual World Health Assembly this week.
A side event to this week’s World Health Assembly highlighted progress being made in a public-private partnership on the elimination of sleeping sickness, a disease that occurs in some developing countries.
Melinda Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation addressed the World Health Assembly today, highlighting a new initiative on newborns. And at a press conference earlier in the day, a senior colleague signalled support for WHO Director General Margaret Chan’s strong concern yesterday about possible negative effects of free trade agreements on access to affordable medicines.