[Ip-health] WHA working group- article

[Michelle Childs]

http://www.globalforumhealth.org/realhealthnews/inbrief/oct06_analysis%20gl=
obal%20framework.php

RealHealthNews

IN BRIEF

Governments to develop global research strategy by 2008

WHO members are now required to seek new incentives for R&D for the
poorest, with results in two years

SUMMARY: At the last World Health Assembly, Kenya and Brazil pressed for
member to agree a "framework" for global health research for resource-poor
countries and communities. The word frightened some states, but they
agreed to look for new incentives in addition to intellectual property.

>by Robert Walgate

Well it=92s only an agreement to talk towards a global research strategy an=
d
new incentives =96 but in diplomacy that can be a long step forward. With
low-income countries on one side, and rich countries stoutly defending the
rights of their pharmaceutical industry to intellectual property and high
prices on the other, it didn=92t seem likely that even that agreement would
be reached, but it was.

This conclusion and several others were reached by combining two previous
draft resolutions: one based on a recommendation at the January Executive
Board by Brazil and Kenya that there be a global framework on essential
health research and development; and another based on the recommendations
in a report from the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights,
Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH).

All sides warmly commended Gaudenz Silberschmidt of the Swiss Federal
Office of Public Health, who chaired the negotiations, on his success.
Speaking to RealHealthNews after the decision, he said the discussions had
been difficult =93but there was a surprisingly positive mood=94.

There was agreement that the new working group would =93look for the
low-hanging fruit, to be harvested within a year=94, including a special
focus on essential health research; and to conclude that work within two
years, he said. Furthermore there was agreement =93not to decide now what
was in or out, but to give the mandate to look at the whole range of
recommendations from the Commission=94 [the CIPIH].

Silberschmidt=92s negotiating trick appeared to have been to agree at the
outset that the WHA would not be creating a =93framework=94 =96 as requeste=
d by
Brazil and Kenya - but rather a global strategy and plan of action. This
meant =93a moral commitment that provides a framework=94.

Asked what the difference was, Silberschmidt told RealHealthNews that
=93with the memory of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, those no=
t
wanting a binding commitment didn=92t want this to be the first step=94.

=93So who is battling with whom here?=94 RealHealthNews asked. =93I must pa=
y
tribute to the Commission, which showed that it=92s not a simple good-guy
bad-guy issue; it=92s not a simple quick-fix issue; but that it=92s a real
challenge from discovery, through development to delivery; to get
improvements to the chain of the innovation cycle. And that is beginning
to be understood =96 that we shouldn=92t be fighting on a single issue, be =
it
research, or intellectual property (IP), or access, or whatever.=94

It=92s now a question not whether IP is needed or not, but what other
incentives are needed in addition to IP, to get new treatments to people
where paying markets are poor, Silberschmidt believes. =93We shouldn=92t
listen to the fringes of whether IP is good or bad =96 I don=92t want to go
back to that deadlock=85 the more time we lose discussing that the less tim=
e
we have to discuss real implementation of what=92s needed=94 he said.

=93I hope for a Global Strategy and Plan of Action with real, concrete step=
s
forward=94 said Silberschmidt. But that progress will come in small steps
and details, not in headlines, he believes.


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--
Michelle Childs -Head of European Affairs
Consumer Project on Technology in London
24, Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RX,UK.
Tel:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252.
Mob:+44(0)790 386 4642. Fax: +44(0)207 354 0607
http://www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC
1621 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20009 USA .Tel.:
+1.202.332.2670,Fax: +1.202.332.2673

Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva
1 Route des  Morillons, CP 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 6727






--
Michelle Childs -Head of European Affairs
Consumer Project on Technology in London
24, Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RX,UK.
Tel:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252.
Mob:+44(0)790 386 4642. Fax: +44(0)207 354 0607
http://www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC
1621 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20009 USA .Tel.:
+1.202.332.2670,Fax: +1.202.332.2673

Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva
1 Route des  Morillons, CP 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 6727