Petro Terblanche: A global advocate for local production
Terblanche’s position as the head of South Africa’s messenger RNA hub has elevated her to a role as a global advocate for improving and sustaining local production of pharmaceuticals and vaccines across the global south. Read more.
WTO finally agrees on a TRIPS deal. But not everyone is happy
After its four-day ministerial conference spilled over into a sixth day, the World Trade Organization finally arrived at an agreement on the controversial TRIPS waiver. After heavily contested negotiations, member states agreed on a deal that temporarily removes intellectual property barriers around patents for COVID-19 vaccines, and postpone the discussions on extending the waiver to […]
Can the WTO finally deliver a TRIPS deal?
After more than 20 months of debate, the World Trade Organization is only days away from a self-imposed deadline to reach consensus on an agreement to waive at least some intellectual property protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The real question is whether such a deal even exists. Read more.
G-7 ministers adopt pandemic pact
Health ministers from the G-7 group of nations adopted a pandemic pact during a two-day meeting in Berlin. The agreement aims to improve pandemic surveillance and identification systems globally and establish a mechanism for a swift, coordinated response. Read more.
The state of the TRIPS waiver
For Devex, I hosted a 30-minute discussion on the status of the TRIPS waiver and the impact its proposal could have on the future of intellectual property discussions within the World Trade Organization. Watch here. And read the coverage of the discussion here: Can a ‘watered-down’ TRIPS waiver still matter?
‘Critical’ meeting of G-7 development and health ministers kick off
Key G-7 meetings of development and health ministers kicked off this week in Berlin with the launch of an alliance for global food security — a G-7 and World Bank initiative — to coordinate global food security measures. Read more.
TRIPS waiver compromise tabled at WTO finds few takers
Discussions began last week within the World Trade Organization over a proposal to temporarily waive patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines. Even as WTO officials press for a resolution ahead of a long-delayed ministerial conference in June, the halting reactions of members to the document signal that reaching consensus in a month — or at all […]
‘Just break the glass’ — Inside CEPI’s 100 day plan for a new vaccine
The timeline for the development of the COVID-19 vaccine was unprecedented: just 326 days from the sequencing of the coronavirus until the first jabs received emergency use authorization. Now experts at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations believe they can slash that window by more than two-thirds. Read more.
Global Fund called to account for stock shortages in Kenya, Mozambique
Recent audits of grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Kenya and Mozambique have identified gaps in the procurement and supply chain processes in both countries, contributing to essential drugs and commodities going out of stock. Dismayed by the results, civil society groups are demanding accountability from the Global Fund. […]
TRIPS waiver compromise draws mixed response
A potential waiver of some intellectual property restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines negotiated by South Africa, India, the United States, and the European Union leaked this week to mixed reactions. Read more.