AFR/RC58/22 4 September 2008
REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR AFRICA Fifty-eighth session Yaounde, Republic of Cameroon, 1–5 September 2008
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
INTERGOVERNMENTAL WORKING GROUP ON PUBLIC HEALTH, INNOVATION AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IGWG-PHI) AND FOLLOW-UP OF RESOLUTION WHA 61.211 The Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health submitted its report to the Fifty-ninth World Health Assembly which, in Resolution WHA59.24, decided to establish an intergovernmental working group to draw up a global strategy and plan of action in order to provide a medium-term framework based on the recommendations of the Commission. The framework aims, inter alia, at securing an enhanced and sustainable basis for needs-driven, essential health research and development relevant to diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries. It proposes clear objectives and priorities for research and development, and estimates funding needs in this area. The Working Group was requested to report to the Sixtieth World Health Assembly through the Executive Board on the progress made, paying particular attention to needs-driven research and other potential areas for early implementation, and to submit the final global strategy and plan of action to the Sixty-first World Health Assembly through the Executive Board. Member States met in IGWG sessions in December 2006, November 2007 and April 2008. In addition, regional consultations were held in all regions from August to October 2007 to discuss the draft global strategy and plan of action. The Group’s working process was characterized by extensive consultations with and among Member States, both in sessional and intersessional work, and the involvement of experts, concerned entities and nongovernmental organizations which added much value to the process. Member States of the African Region played an important leadership role and contributed constructively towards the successful negotiations. The Sixty-first Health Assembly welcomed the progress made by the IGWG and adopted the global strategy and the agreed parts of the plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property (Resolution WHA61.21). Resolution WHA61.21, inter alia, urges Member States to implement the specific actions recommended in the global strategy and plan of action, to actively support wider implementation of the global strategy and plan of action and to consider providing adequate resources for that purpose.
Resolution WHA61.21 also requests the WHO Director-General to undertake a number of immediate and medium-term actions and report to the Sixty-second Health Assembly through the 1
Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property.
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Executive Board. In this regard, the Secretariat, in accordance with Resolution WHA61.21, is implementing the global strategy and agreed parts of the plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property. In particular, it is undertaking actions, including: (a) The finalization of the outstanding components of the plan of action, as well as the definition of time frames, progress indicators and estimated funding needs. The results of this work will be presented to the Sixty-second Health Assembly through the Executive Board in January 2009. A Quick Start Programme with adequate budget provisions is being prepared to implement those actions of the global strategy and plan of action that fall under the responsibility of WHO. A number of specific actions are being identified under this Quick Start Programme, which will be initiated in the fourth quarter of 2008. The Director-General will establish a results-oriented and time-limited expert working group in the fourth quarter of 2008. The first meeting of the group will be planned soon thereafter. This will be a group of experts in the areas of research and development (R&D) and financing, who will examine current financing and coordination of R&D as well as proposals for new and innovative sources of funding to stimulate R&D related to Types II and III diseases and the specific R&D needs of developing countries in relation to Type I diseases. In undertaking its work, the expert working group will be open to consideration of proposals of Member States. The members of the group will be regionally representative and will participate in their personal capacity, providing technical expertise and guidance. The global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property is also being reflected in the development of WHO’s research strategy.
(b)
(c)
(d)
Finally, the Secretariat is available to provide support to Member States, upon request, in implementing the global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property and in monitoring and evaluating its implementation.