WHO Members Meet This Week To Address Global Gaps In Medical R&D

By Rachel Marusak Hermann for Intellectual Property Watch

World Health Organization member states will gather at the WHO headquarters this week for an open-ended meeting to analyse the feasibility of new models for financing research and development for diseases lacking sufficient market incentives and public policies.

As agreed during the 65th World Health Assembly last May, WHO member states will meet from 26-28 November in Geneva to further examine the report of the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination (CEWG). One of its key recommendations is the creation of a global framework for drug development through a binding convention.

The meeting documents, including the CEWG report, are available here.

Discussions also will include the results of related studies, national consultations, and regional committee meetings, which have been held since last May. Member states are expected to develop proposals on research coordination, financing, and monitoring of R&D expenditures to be submitted for the WHO Executive Board’s consideration in January.

The three-day gathering is an open-ended meeting, meaning that all WHO member states may attend the proceedings.[corrected] WHO observers were permitted to attend the first morning session.

The chair is scheduled to hold an open briefing session on the meeting outcomes on 29 November. More details will be available here.

Related IP-Watch articles here, here and here.