[Ip-health] Coverage of the EWG debates at WHO EB in Swiss paper Le Courrier

[James ARKINSTALL]

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Hello all=0D
=0D
Please find below an article from Le Courrier's Tuesday 26th Jan edition=0D
on the debates at the WHO Exec Board on the Expert Working Group on R&D=0D
financing.  The original in French is at the foot of the message, first=0D
comes a rough English version courtesy of an online translation=0D
software...=0D
=0D
Link to the French:=0D
http://www.lecourrier.ch/index.php?name=3DNews&file=3Darticle&sid=3D444800=
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=0D
=0D
IN ENGLISH:=0D
=0D
DRUGS - Grumbles from poor countries prevented the quiet burial of the=0D
Dreifuss group's inheritance.=0D
=0D
Must the public sector seek to overcome the disinterest of pharmas for=0D
diseases of the poor? The Executive Committee of the World Health=0D
Organization (WHO) last week in Geneva, has given rise to a new=0D
confrontation between South and North, which has almost turned into open=0D
rebellion. The origins of the conflict, the report of the=0D
Intergovernmental Working Group. Based on the work of the Commission on=0D
Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH - the=0D
"Dreifuss Commission"), this group would find a way to encourage the=0D
development of drugs and vaccines for specific needs poor countries and=0D
improve access to medicines, while maintaining the protection conferred by=
=0D
the patent system. In short, square the circle.=0D
=0D
In November 2008, a group of experts had been asked to "consider proposals=
=0D
for new and innovative funding." Its report was due on the Executive=0D
Committee this week. The grumbling started when it was announced that the=
=0D
text was not ready. Instead, the Committee received the summary version.=0D
But the real controversy was made when the President of the Committee=0D
proposed still to vote on report on this basis. However, according to=0D
Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the document "seems to endorse the role of=
=0D
intellectual property as an incentive for research. This would, says the=0D
NGO, "go against the CIPIH report, which concluded without doubt that IP=0D
is a failure as regards the incitsation research and development (R & D)=0D
for diseases that afflict millions of people in the developing and rather=
=0D
acts as a barrier to access to medicines that could save lives. " Another=
=0D
key, according to MSF: the need to separate R & D from drug prices. This=0D
would be a return to the role of the State acting in the interest of the=0D
community, the idea that the executive summary puts aside in favor of R &=
=0D
D dictated by the needs of the commercial sector remuneration. During=0D
Tuesday's session, Japan, the European Union and the United States=0D
supported the president's proposal to the World Assembly of Health in May=
=0D
to adopt the recommendations as international health policy.=0D
=0D
The counter-attack came from Brazil, India, Thailand and Bolivia,=0D
requiring a mandatory consultation of all member countries before the=0D
report goes before the Assembly. The Thai delegation did not mince his=0D
words: "The working group should have benefited from better management,=0D
and we do not have confidence in his work." Worse, he denounced the lack=0D
of transparency and is surprised that pharmaceutical companies have had=0D
access to the first draft of the report while the member states of WHO=0D
have still not seen but are expected to approve it. What the President's=0D
Working Group did not deny.=0D
=0D
Bolivia noted that according to its constitution, access to care should=0D
not be limited by market considerations or patents. And to repeat the call=
=0D
for a consultation. Chile, Paraguay and Bangladesh have followed it. Dr.=0D
Margaret Chan, Director General of WHO, attempts to calm things down by=0D
promising a thorough investigation to find the source of the leak to the=0D
commercial sector. But she said nothing about a possible consultation,=0D
which could well lead to a rejection of the conclusions it supports. After=
=0D
heated debate, it was finally decided to take the report in consultation=0D
just before the opening of the Assembly in May attended by representatives=
=0D
of all Member States. To be continued.=0D
=0D
ROBERT JAMES PARSONS=0D
=0D
----=0D
=0D
=0D
ORIGINAL FRENCH VERSION=0D
=0D
M=C3=89DICAMENTS - La grogne des pays pauvres a bloqu=C3=A9 l'enterrement e=
n douce=0D
de l'h=C3=A9ritage du groupe Dreifuss.=0D
La puissance publique doit-elle pallier le d=C3=A9sint=C3=A9r=C3=AAt des ph=
armas pour les=0D
maladies de pauvres? Le Comit=C3=A9 ex=C3=A9cutif de l'Organisation mondial=
e de la=0D
sant=C3=A9 (OMS), la semaine derni=C3=A8re =C3=A0 Gen=C3=A8ve, a donn=C3=A9=
 lieu =C3=A0 un nouvel=0D
affrontement entre pays du Sud et du Nord, qui a failli se transformer en=
=0D
r=C3=A9bellion ouverte. A l'origine du conflit, le rapport d'un groupe de=
=0D
travail intergouvernemental. Se fondant sur le travail de la Commission=0D
sur les droits de propri=C3=A9t=C3=A9 intellectuelle, l'innovation et la sa=
nt=C3=A9=0D
publique (CIPIH =E2=80=93 dite Commission Dreifuss), ce groupe devait trouv=
er un=0D
moyen d'encourager le d=C3=A9veloppement de m=C3=A9dicaments et de vaccins =
r=C3=A9pondant=0D
aux besoins sp=C3=A9cifiques des pays pauvres et d'am=C3=A9liorer l'acc=C3=
=A8s aux=0D
m=C3=A9dicaments, tout en maintenant la protection conf=C3=A9r=C3=A9e par l=
e syst=C3=A8me des=0D
brevets. Bref, la quadrature du cercle.=0D
=0D
En novembre 2008, un groupe d'experts avait =C3=A9t=C3=A9 charg=C3=A9 d'=C3=
=A9tudier =C2=ABdes=0D
propositions de sources de financement nouvelles et innovantes=C2=BB. Son=
=0D
rapport est attendu pour le Comit=C3=A9 ex=C3=A9cutif de cette semaine. La =
grogne a=0D
commenc=C3=A9 lorsqu'on a annonc=C3=A9 que le texte n'=C3=A9tait pas pr=C3=
=AAt. En lieu et=0D
place, le Comit=C3=A9 en a re=C3=A7u le sommaire en version anglaise. Mais =
le vrai=0D
lever de boucliers s'est fait quand le pr=C3=A9sident du Comit=C3=A9 a prop=
os=C3=A9 tout=0D
de m=C3=AAme de voter le rapport sur cette base. Or, au dire de M=C3=A9deci=
ns sans=0D
fronti=C3=A8res (MSF), ce document =C2=ABsemble approuver le r=C3=B4le de l=
a propri=C3=A9t=C3=A9=0D
intellectuelle comme incitation =C3=A0 la recherche=C2=BB. Ce qui irait, po=
ursuit=0D
l'ONG, =C2=AB=C3=A0 l'encontre du rapport CIPIH, qui a conclu incontestable=
ment que=0D
la propri=C3=A9t=C3=A9 intellectuelle est un =C3=A9chec s'agissant de l'inc=
itsation =C3=A0 la=0D
recherche-d=C3=A9veloppement (R.-D.) pour les maladies dont souffrent des=
=0D
millions de personnes dans les pays en voie de d=C3=A9veloppement et agit=
=0D
plut=C3=B4t comme barri=C3=A8re =C3=A0 l'acc=C3=A8s aux m=C3=A9dicaments qu=
i pourraient sauver des=0D
vies=C2=BB. Autre point primordial, selon MSF: la n=C3=A9cessit=C3=A9 de di=
ssocier la=0D
R.-D. du prix des m=C3=A9dicaments. Ce serait donc un retour au r=C3=B4le d=
e l'Etat=0D
agissant dans l'int=C3=A9r=C3=AAt de la collectivit=C3=A9, id=C3=A9e que le=
 sommaire =C3=A9carte en=0D
faveur d'une R.-D. dict=C3=A9e par les besoins de r=C3=A9mun=C3=A9ration du=
 secteur=0D
commercial. Durant la s=C3=A9ance de mardi, le Japon, l'Union europ=C3=A9en=
ne et les=0D
Etats-Unis ont appuy=C3=A9 la proposition du pr=C3=A9sident, afin que l'Ass=
embl=C3=A9e=0D
mondiale de la sant=C3=A9 de mai prochain puisse en adopter les recommandat=
ions=0D
comme politique de sant=C3=A9 internationale.=0D
=0D
La contre-attaque est venue du Br=C3=A9sil, d'Inde, de Tha=C3=AFlande et de=
 Bolivie,=0D
exigeant une consultation imp=C3=A9rative de tous les pays membres avant qu=
e le=0D
rapport passe devant l'Assembl=C3=A9e. Le d=C3=A9l=C3=A9gu=C3=A9 tha=C3=AFl=
andais n'a pas m=C3=A2ch=C3=A9 ses=0D
mots: =C2=ABLe groupe de travail aurait d=C3=BB b=C3=A9n=C3=A9ficier d'une =
meilleure gestion,=0D
et nous ne faisons aucunement confiance =C3=A0 son travail.=C2=BB Pis, il d=
=C3=A9nonce le=0D
manque de transparence et s'=C3=A9tonne que des soci=C3=A9t=C3=A9s pharmace=
utiques aient=0D
eu acc=C3=A8s =C3=A0 la premi=C3=A8re mouture du rapport tandis que les Eta=
ts-membres de=0D
l'OMS ne l'ont toujours pas vu mais sont appel=C3=A9s =C3=A0 l'approuver. C=
e que le=0D
pr=C3=A9sident du groupe de travail n'a pas ni=C3=A9.=0D
=0D
La Bolivie a rappel=C3=A9 que, selon sa constitution, l'acc=C3=A8s aux soin=
s ne doit=0D
pas =C3=AAtre limit=C3=A9 par des consid=C3=A9rations du march=C3=A9 ou des=
 brevets. Et de=0D
r=C3=A9p=C3=A9ter l'appel =C3=A0 une consultation. Le Chili, le Paraguay et=
 le Bangladesh=0D
lui ont embo=C3=AEt=C3=A9 le pas. La docteure Margaret Chan, directrice g=
=C3=A9n=C3=A9rale de=0D
l'OMS, essaie de calmer le jeu en promettant une enqu=C3=AAte en profondeur=
=0D
pour trouver la source de la fuite vers le secteur commercial. Mais elle=0D
ne dit mot sur une =C3=A9ventuelle consultation, qui risquerait fort d'abou=
tir=0D
=C3=A0 un rejet total de conclusions qu'elle appuie. Apr=C3=A8s un d=C3=A9b=
at houleux, il=0D
a =C3=A9t=C3=A9 finalement d=C3=A9cid=C3=A9 de reprendre le rapport en cons=
ultation juste=0D
avant l'ouverture de l'Assembl=C3=A9e en mai en pr=C3=A9sence des repr=C3=
=A9sentants tous=0D
les Etats-membres. Affaire =C3=A0 suivre.=0D
=0D
ROBERT JAMES PARSONS=0D
=0D
=0D
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -=0D
James ARKINSTALL=0D
=0D
Managing Editor=0D
M=C3=A9decins Sans Fronti=C3=A8res - Campaign for Access to Essential Medic=
ines=0D
www.msfaccess.org=0D
=0D
+33 1 40 21 2837 (office)=0D
+33 6 13 99 7751 (mobile)=0D
=0D
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