In the final hours of the pandemic agreement negotiations, the proposal by the European Union and some of its member states to qualify every mention of “technology transfer” in the agreement with the phrase “mutually agreed” is slowing progress on the talks, according to Health Policy Watch sources.

However, member states and observers still believe it is possible to reach agreement.

“Technology transfer” refers to those with the knowledge, skills and technical expertise to make pandemic-related health products sharing these, particularly with developing countries.

The ultimate aim of tech transfer is to enable developing countries to produce their own medicines, vaccines and other products during a pandemic.

This was a sore point during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the World Health Organization (WHO) set up an mRNA hub in South Africa to assist developing countries to make mRNA vaccines – but not a single pharmaceutical company would share their vaccine know-how with the hub. 

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) has repeatedly insisted that tech transfer be both “voluntary” and on “mutually agreed” terms.

By 9am on Saturday morning when delegates finally broke after almost 24 hours of talks, only Article 11 lacked substantial agreement in the draft text. Below is an extract of the few outstanding clauses in Article 11, the last part of the agreement still to be “greened” (agreed).

The negotiations are ongoing and Health Policy Watch will update this developing story.

Image Credits: WHO.