NGO Statement on WHO governance and the Management of Conflicts of Interest and the Future of Financing for WHO.
May 18, 2011
We write to express our concerns about governance of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other public health bodies, as regards the management of conflicts of interest.
On 17 May 2011, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) organized a Briefing on Patents and Health at WIPO’s 16h session of the Standing Committee on Patents (SCP). Continue Reading
During today’s discussion at the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) on patent quality KEI make four points in its intervention.
1. WIPO should consider gathering information on the costs of litigation to challenge the validity of patents.
2. WIPO should consider creating a database to share information on the cases where litigation has resulted findings that patent claims as invalid.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has convened the 16th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP). The SCP elected Albert Tramposch, Administrator for Policy and External Affairs, USPTO as Chair.
Knowledge Ecology International: Patents and HealthDATE: Tuesday, 17 May 2011
TIME: 13:30-15h00
VENUE: Room B at the WIPO Main Building
Dramatic increase in waiting lists for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, January 2010 to May 2011
AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) are state run programs that provide medicines to low-income HIV-positive patients who either have limited or no insurance coverage. ADAPs are essential in providing life-saving medicines to low-income patients, but these programs are threatened by the high costs of treatment.
Dr. Balasubramaniam
On April 19, 2011, Dr Kumariah Balasubramaniam died at his home in Sri Lanka. Dr. Balasubramaniam, known to many as Dr. Bala, was described by Professor Colvin Gooneratne as “one of the most knowledgeable, resolute, articulate, versatile, resilient and in many other ways exceptionally brilliant health activists [the world] has produced.” My tribute to Dr. Bala is in the Huffington Post. Prof. Continue Reading
IIPI side event at WIPO to present on a joint USPTO/IIPI project on “Missed Opportunities Patenting in Developing Countries”
The International Intellectual Property Institute (IIPI) is holding a side event at WIPO today on the margins of the WIPO Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) on “Missed Opportunities for Patenting in Developing Countries” and “Innovation Opportunities in the Philippines”.
The program flyer for the event notes that this initiative is a “joint project between the Intellectual Property Institute (IIPI) and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).”
Whither WHO reform? The future of the World Health Organization
On 11 March 2011, Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), convened an “informal advisory meeting” to review different approaches to “securing greater coherence in global health” and to further WHO’s core function of “the directing and coordinating authority on international health work”. A summary report of this informal advisory meeting and the WHO’s background paper on “Global Health Governance and the WHO” can be found here: /wp-content/uploads/WHOglobalhealthgovernancedraft.pdf
The USTR Special 301 Report, some initial reactions
The USTR Special 301 Report was issued today. The full report is here, the USTR web page on the report is here, and a link to the USTR press release about the report is here. Continue Reading