[Ip-health] MSF: IGWG 'leaves the greater part of the job undone'

[James ARKINSTALL]

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M=C3=A9decins Sans Fronti=C3=A8res statement at the close of UN health R&D =
summit=0D
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3rd May 2008, Geneva =E2=80=93 A UN health research and development (R&D) s=
ummit=0D
concluding in Geneva today has failed to take concrete action towards=0D
reforming a medical innovation system that largely disregards the health=0D
needs of millions of people in developing countries.=0D
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=E2=80=98What we wanted to see was governments prescribe some change to a b=
roken=0D
system, but they have not risen to the challenge,=E2=80=99 said Dr. Tido vo=
n=0D
Schoen-Angerer, Director of M=C3=A9decins Sans Fronti=C3=A8res (MSF)=E2=80=
=99s Access=0D
Campaign. =E2=80=98Concrete proposals to ensure urgently needed drugs and=
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diagnostics are developed for developing country diseases have not received=
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support.  Considering the colossal needs we see in MSF daily practice, this=
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is a lost opportunity.=E2=80=99=0D
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The Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and=0D
Intellectual Property (IGWG) was tasked with coming up with a blueprint to=
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address the shortcomings of medical R&D and ensure access to health=0D
products.=0D
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The negotiations however failed to capitalise on the historic opportunity.=
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Critically, there has been no agreement on the need to develop alternative=
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incentive mechanisms for R&D.=0D
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=E2=80=9CSticking to the status quo and putting all our faith on philanthro=
pic=0D
organisations alone is not going to solve the problem,=E2=80=9D said Dr. vo=
n=0D
Schoen-Angerer.  =E2=80=9CWhat we need to see is a wider, more ambitious fr=
amework=0D
for R&D and political leadership, in particular from WHO. The negotiations=
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have left the greater part of the job undone.=E2=80=9D=0D
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The IGWG negotiations also minimised barriers to access to medicines posed=
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by intellectual property rights, and it was difficult for developing=0D
countries even to keep long-established solutions to promote public health,=
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such as the use of TRIPS flexibilities, at the centre of the agenda.=0D
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A number of developing countries also fought hard to keep their proposals=
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for R&D reform on the table. It is now up to the World Health Assembly=0D
(WHA) in May to translate bold ideas into concrete action, since this=0D
meeting failed to do so.=0D
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The WHA will have to determine how progress can be made, for example, on=0D
new global rules to govern and steer R&D, on new incentive mechanisms such=
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as the prizes for tuberculosis diagnostics and other essential health=0D
products, and on ways to decrease the price of health products and increase=
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financing flows for R&D.=0D
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CONTACT:=0D
Clio Van Cauter, MSF +41 78 7472 900=0D
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Note:=0D
The Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and=0D
Intellectual Property (IGWG) was set up by member states of the World=0D
Health Organization (WHO) in May 2006. World Health Assembly Resolution=0D
WHA59.24 urged the IGWG =E2=80=98to draw up a global strategy and plan of a=
ction=0D
=E2=80=A6[that] aims at, inter alia, securing an enhanced and sustainable b=
asis for=0D
needs-driven, essential health research and development relevant to=0D
diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries.=E2=80=99=0D
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In May 2007, World Health Assembly Resolution 60.30 instructed the WHO=0D
Director-General =E2=80=98to encourage the development of proposals for=0D
health-needs driven research and development for discussion at the=0D
Intergovernmental Working Group that includes a range of incentive=0D
mechanisms including also addressing the linkage of the cost of research=0D
and development and the price of medicines, vaccines, diagnostic kits and=
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other health-care products=E2=80=99=0D