Tedros Warms Up To Press In First Meeting, Sees Clear Mandate In “Landslide” Victory 24/05/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments In his first meeting with the United Nations press corps the morning after his historic election as the next director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus began to unfold his vision for the organisation and fended off questions about the United States budget by saying WHO has to diversify its funding base. He also signaled a variety of possible issues to come such as increased assessments on governments, and consideration of the recommendations of a recent UN report on access to medicines.
New Draft Decision Seeks To Deepen Analysis On WHO Pandemic Flu Framework 24/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new draft decision submitted this week at the World Health Assembly (WHA) by a group of countries would set out further actions to analyse the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework.
Partnership For Healthy Cities To Prevent Noncommunicable Diseases 24/05/2017 by Elise De Geyter for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Noncommunicable diseases, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, cause 80 percent of deaths worldwide. Cities play an important role in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases and injuries as around half of the world population lives in urban settings, according to Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Antimicrobial Resistance Needs New R&D Models, NGOs Say 24/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A group of non-governmental organisations organised a side event to the World Health Assembly to discuss the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance, the way to incentivise research and development for new antibiotics, and the imperative of affordability and accessibility of new products. The speakers mentioned alternative models, such as delinking the cost of research from the price of the medicines, underlined the high prices of vaccines, and the importance of systems of infection prevention and control.
NCD Alliance Event: Time For Action Against Noncommunicable Diseases 24/05/2017 by Elise De Geyter for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment It might be said it is a “golden moment” for fighting noncommunicable diseases. There have never been as many side events on noncommunicable diseases during the World Health Assembly as this year, according to speakers at an event of the NCD Alliance this week.
Ethiopian Becomes First African Head Of World Health Organization 23/05/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments In a novel election process for the first time involving the full organisation membership, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia this evening was elected as the next director general of the World Health Organization, becoming the first official from Africa to be chosen to head the United Nations health agency.
Speculation Rampant In Leadup To WHO Director General Election Today 23/05/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Speculation in the hallways of United Nations headquarters in Geneva was rampant in the days and hours leading up to this afternoon’s election of a new director general to lead the UN World Health Organization, but solid information about who will win was hard to come by. The outcome after a series votes is expected sometime tonight. Update! According to sources, the first round of voting is over. Results: Tedros 95, Nabarro 52, Nishtar 38. Second round update! Tedros 121, Nabarro 62. Third round underway.
US Supreme Court Puts New Limits On Patent Suits 23/05/2017 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Yesterday’s United States Supreme Court decision in TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Food Brands Group followed some familiar trends in Supreme Court jurisprudence. It overturned long-established Federal Circuit law, restricted the power of patent owners, and handed a stinging defeat to so-called “patent trolls” (companies that make money primarily by licensing their patents and suing those who refuse to purchase licenses). The Court did all this by limiting where patent infringement suits can be filed – and thus significantly changing patent litigation in the US.
Chan’s Last Speech To WHA Opening: Affordable Medicines, Innovation, Listen To Civil Society, Partner With Industry 22/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In her final opening speech to the annual World Health Assembly, Director General Margaret Chan today underlined progress made and left to make, and highlighted access to medicines as the most contentious issue of her decade of service. She stressed the importance of innovation, and investment in health, acknowledged the necessity of partners such as the private sector and civil society, and encouraged scientific evidence in decision making. And she focussed strongly on global security and health emergencies.
World Health Assembly 70: A Spectator’s Guide To Program/Budget, Election, Polio Transition 22/05/2017 by Mara Pillinger for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The 70th annual World Health Assembly (WHA), now underway in Geneva, is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in memory. With a record-setting nine-day, 76-item agenda, plus dozens of official and unofficial side events, delegates and WHO followers alike will be hard-pressed to keep up. But yesterday’s introductory briefing, hosted by the Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute, provided an overview of the proceedings and a few pointers on where to look first. Four items, in particular, stand out.