A week after African ministers of health adopted a treaty for the establishment on the African Medicines Agency, an international conference held on the side of the World Health Assembly denounced the rampant and increasing issue of fake medicines in Africa, and the lack of adequate action and political will. The Benin president said Benin’s efforts to fight traffickers is so far unsupported, and called developed countries to commit to the fight. Other speakers insisted on the importance of local production of medicines, and the need for biting legislation to defeat fake medicines. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: Catherine Saez.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in his inaugural speech at the World Health Assembly this week, explained that partnerships are a key strategy for the WHO to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.  He added that the WHO is engaging with the private sector as a crucial partner in achieving health for all. Thomas Cueni, IFPMA’s Director General, in an interview with Health Policy Watch on the occasion of the IFPMA’s 50-year anniversary, explains how the research-based biopharmaceutical industry together with IFPMA have contributed to the huge strides in health progress over 50 years. He explains the major leaps forward, setbacks and mistakes, as well as how industry is part of the solution, as “do-ers” and partners in global health progress.  Cueni also talks about pricing and cost of R&D.  
Continue reading ->

Image Credits: IFPMA.

For the second year in a row, Taiwan has not been invited to participate as an observer at the World Health Assembly taking place this week. Political dissent with China borne out of a change of government in Taiwan now refusing to recognise the “One China” principle resulted in Taiwan being left out of the World Health Organization. At the opening of the Assembly, several countries supported Taiwan, including the United States.Continue reading ->

Image Credits: Catherine Saez.

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (“Dr Tedros”) in his first speech in his function at head of the World Health Assembly described three keys to reach the ambitious goals of the organisation. He envisioned a transformed WHO helped by a strong leadership team, called for political commitment for which he said most country leaders are ready, and advocated partnerships with a number of international health actors, including the private sector. Continue reading ->

Image Credits: Catherin Saez.

By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch

Using flexibilities in the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) has long been an issue of the developing world. But policymakers gathered at a meeting on access to health in Brussels today said there was an urgent need for European Union countries, too, to make more use of flexibilities. Continue reading ->

[Note: This story is part of the Supported Series on The Role of Civil Society In TRIPS Flexibilities Implementation, made possible by the Make Medicines Affordable organisation. IP-Watch retains editorial independence over the articles in this series.] 

AIDS activists, health activists and civil society organizations in Brazil and Argentina are pushing back against the negative effects of the planned free trade agreement between the Mercosur countries and the European Union. The EU-Mercosur negotiations might be the best chance as of now to advance an intellectual property agenda that is more favourable to access to health, says Pedro Villardi, coordinator on IP policy issues at the Associação Brasiliera Interdisciplinar de Aids Observatorio National de Politicas de Aids (ABIA). Continue reading ->