[Ip-health] Statement made at WHA on R&D

[Colleen Daniels]

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Hi, can we get this put up on IP Health?
It is the statement that was done yesterday supporting the resolution on a
global framework for essential health R&D.
cheers,
Colleen


Thank you, Mr. Chairman





STATEMENT BY CONSUMERS INTERNATIONAL

EB117.R13/Conf.Paper A59/17, Agenda item 11.11

Global Framework for Essential Health R&D

Thursday May 25, 2006

Chairperson, honorable delegates,

My name is Colleen Daniels from Consumers International (CI) also
representing Medecins sans Frontieres access to essential medicines
campaign, Health Action International, Third World Network and CPTech.

We welcome the CIPIH report and encourage an intergovernmental process to
establish an action plan to implement the Commission's recommendations.



We strongly support this important resolution to establish a working group
of interested Member-States to consider proposals to establish a global
framework for supporting essential health R&D.


We recognize the importance of innovation in improving health care, but we
also know that innovations need to meet real health needs, and be
accessible. This resolution provides a new way of looking at innovation.  By
calling for the creation of a committee of interested
Member States, the resolution can create a space for concrete discussions on
the difficult questions of how to set priorities for essential health R&D
and how to share the costs.

At present, the world is struggling with a plethora of trade agreements and
negotiations that address intellectual property rules , as well as bilateral
agreements that concern drug pricing.  Except for discussions within the G8,
the agreements do not address public
sector support for R&D, or other areas where the global community needs to
address market failures in R&D, such as the development of treatments for
neglected diseases, or public goods such as the Human Genome Project.

The resolution correctly recognizes the important role of both public and
private sector R&D.  It acknowledges the importance of a balance between the
protection of intellectual property and the public domain.  Such a balance
is necessary to protect the public interest
and promote follow-on innovation.  The resolution also identifies the need
for mechanisms that encourage R&D in areas of priority, while allowing
governments to protect consumers from high prices and access barriers.

Recent examples, such as the response to the SARS outbreak, have shown that
political will can ensure swift and effective international cooperation on
R&D.  However, there is no system to ensure a sustained response to diseases
that predominantly affect
poor people in developing countries.


A new global framework for R&D would address issues of sharing the cost of
R&D for these and other diseases, regardless of whether they affect rich or
poor.

WHO as the global health agency is well placed to host and encourage the
discussion on a new global framework. We therefore strongly support this
resolution as a first important step and urge the national governments to
support it.





Thank you Mr. Chair