World Health Assembly: Drafting Group Progressing On NCDs 22/05/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Members of the World Health Organization this week have made noncommunicable diseases a top priority, and work on a draft resolution and action plan is being carried out by a drafting group that will report back later in the week.
Infojustice: Trans-Pacific Partnership IP Chapter Stalled 20/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Infojustice.org reports from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations in Lima, Peru that the intellectual property chapter shows no sign of resolution and the end of the TPP talks in 2013 is now highly unlikely.
WHO Director Highlights Non-Communicable Diseases, Pandemics; Blasts Industry Counter-Efforts 20/05/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan today had strong messages for the opening day of the annual World Health Assembly: in these rocky times, public health work is a high ground that helps bring security and development, and if you are not doing all you can to advance global health for all, then you are part of the problem. She took a swipe at mega-industries – especially tobacco and junk food – that produce and market unhealthy products and spend heavily to work against effective public health policies.
Conference On Journalism And Health Looks At WHA Issues 20/05/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment On the eve of the 66th edition of the World Health Assembly, the World Health Editors Network (WHEN) and the Who’s There? Yes (WTY) convened for a conference on their new Journalism and Health Initiative. The conference, entitled, “Enter the stadium, democratise knowledge, bring it home,” focussed on increasing access and awareness of health policy and problems by the general public.
WIPO Programmes Seek To Bridge IP And Climate Change, Global Health 17/05/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization is involved in activities aimed at facilitating technology transfer for green technologies, and research and development for neglected diseases, malaria and tuberculosis. At the request of member states, WIPO’s Global Challenges Division gave a briefing this week on those activities.
World Health Assembly: R&D, NCDs, Pandemics Top Agenda 17/05/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments With just days before the UN World Health Assembly opens, member states once again face a packed agenda with key decisions to be taken on some highly-politicised public health and intellectual property matters, including how to move forward on the research and development draft resolution. The spotlight will also be on pandemic influenza preparedness, a resolution of size on noncommunicable diseases, the health-related Millennium Development Goals, and putting some reform decisions into practice.
WHO Stats Show Medicines Remain Out Of Reach Of Poorest Patients 15/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment While the World Health Organization’s latest health numbers show that great progress has been made in improving the health in low-income countries, significant inequalities remain between people living in the richest and poorest countries. Access to even the most basic medicines continues to be a major challenge due to high prices.
WIPO Committee On Development This Week: North-South Differences 13/05/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The committee evaluating the incorporation of a development dimension into the World Intellectual Property Organization activities meets this week with a heavy agenda and some loose ends inherited from the previous meeting. In particular, delegates will have to decide on future work on patent-related flexibilities, agree on measures to improve WIPO technical assistance, and agree on a review of the implementation of the WIPO Development Agenda Recommendations.
Cuba Files WTO Dispute Against Australia Over Tobacco Plain-Packaging 06/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Cuba has joined several other World Trade Organization members in filing a dispute settlement case against Australia over its new rules requiring tobacco products to be sold in plain packages. The measure was instituted this year as a means of reducing use of tobacco products.
Experts Offer Perspectives On R&D Policies In The Public Health Domain 01/05/2013 by Tiphaine Nunzia Caulier for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A panel of experts gathered at the Graduate Institute in Geneva last week discussed how to secure collective action to provide global public goods through research and development (R&D) for the particular public health needs of low and middle income countries.