While European Union (EU) member states continue to oppose a waiver on intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, they may soon find themselves at odds with the European Parliament, which is expected to pass a resolution in support of the waiver on Wednesday. Negotiations on the controversial waiver proposal, co-sponsored by India and […] Continue reading ->
Debate Over WHO Investigation of SARS-CoV2 Virus Origins Heads For Showdown in World Health Assembly
The debate over the future direction of WHO’s investigation into the origins of SARS-CoV2 appeared to be heading for a showdown in the closing days of the World Health Assembly – following another sharp statement from the United States on the issue – this time directed squarely at WHO and WHA member states. The terse […] Continue reading ->
The US reaffirmed its support for COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property waivers Friday as World Health Assembly delegates and experts discussed how to promote local production of medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). An Ethiopia-led resolution to stimulate local production of medicines and health technologies has the support of WHO’s African Region, the European Union, […] Continue reading ->
Amidst fresh calls from US President Joe Biden ordering the science and intelligence community to come up with a more detailed account of how the SARS-CoV2 virus emerged – it’s unclear how much action the World Health Assembly will really see on the issue. Language in the the final-agreed draft of a WHA resolution, Strengthening […] Continue reading ->
Controlling a disease outbreak requires cooperation both behind borders and between countries, experts said at a Wednesday event co-organised by the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Global Health Centre. And one key, neglected area of international cooperation has been travel restrictions, where countries worldwide have created a cacophony of different measures to control COVID. “Travel measures are […] Continue reading ->
The G20 Global Health Summit on Friday elicited more promises from wealthy nations to share COVID-19 vaccines, an undertaking by drug companies to make over a billion doses available by year-end – and an indication by the European Union that it would propose an alternative to the TRIPS waiver at the next World Trade Organization […] Continue reading ->
Johnson & Johnson will supply COVAX 200 million of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the year, according to a statement on Friday by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, announcing the advance purchase agreement. The vaccine will be available to both COVAX members who buy their own vaccines and the COVAX AMC members. “Today’s […] Continue reading ->
Conquering the COVID-19 pandemic will inevitably be the main topic for discussion at the impending 74th session of the World Health Assembly, which begins Monday, 24 May. Global health experts weighed in this week at a series of briefings on what to expect from at the upcoming event. Geneva Solution’s Pokuaa Oduro Bonsrah reports: The […] Continue reading ->
Governments and pharmaceutical companies alike must work together in combating the ‘virus of intellectual property (IP) monopolies over COVID-19 vaccines – which further exacerbates inequality and lack of access to vaccines for vulnerable groups. That was the uptake of a group of experts speaking at a webinar Wednesday on “The Virus of IP Monopoly Capitalism”’ […] Continue reading ->
Researchers have quickly developed an outstanding arsenal of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics to counter COVID-19. But closer global coordination of diverse clinical trials testing the same or similar treatments, extending even to a global platform to pool anonymized patient data, could strengthen and accelerate research findings – especially as emerging variants threaten to unwind gains. […] Continue reading ->