E-DRUG: HAI: CIPIH Report could change the lives of neglected patients
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CIPIH Report could change the lives of neglected patients
11 April 2006, Amsterdam, Nairobi, Lima
Health Action International welcomes the final report of the WHO's Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH). Having contributed to the work of the Commission, HAI is pleased to note that a number of its concerns have been addressed in the report.
Most important of these is the emphasis of the report on the moral imperative of governments, civil society and other stakeholders to act decisively to protect and advance public health. The report gives the responsibility, as it should, to governments, to set global health priorities and promote innovation to develop and deliver medicines and other products suitable to the needs of the sick and neglected in developing countries, and adapted to the conditions in which they live.
HAI is encouraged by the clear assertion in the report of the need for people oriented approaches to health policy, and that application of intellectual property rules should take account of the circumstances in which they were being used. Real people and not realpolitik should be the central emphasis stated Dr. Kumuriah Balasubramaniam, Regional Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Office.
In our region, the recognition in the CIPIH report of intellectual property rights as a means and not and end sends an important signal to governments negotiating the US- Andean Pact Free Trade Agreement. We call on these governments to recall their commitments under international treaty obligations and to use the CIPIH report as a starting point for the implementation of these obligations, added Roberto Lopes Linares, director of the HAI Latin America and Caribbean (AISLAC) office.
The recommendation of the report that a sustainable global framework for R&D be created, is one strongly supported by HAI. HAI Africa is particularly pleased that Kenya has introduced resolution EB117.R13 Global Framework on Essential Health R&D, in partnership with the government of Brazil. The CIPIH report lends support to the proposed resolution. We hope that these two will embolden member states to take concrete steps towards promoting and protecting public health and will continue to support efforts in this direction. asserted Patrick Mubangizi, coordinator of the HAI Africa region.
For more information, contact Colleen Daniels at: colleen@haiweb.org; Tel: +31 (0)20 683 3684
To view the CIPIH report (in 6 languages) online, please go to: http://www.who.int/intellectualproperty/documents/thereport