Intellectual Property Watch: India, Ecuador, Peru Bring TRIPS Flexibilities Into WHO Universal Health Coverage Discussions
“…As the 144th session World Health Organization Executive Board [meets Thursday] until 1 February, delegates are discussing draft resolutions to be adopted by the Board. One of those topics is universal health coverage (UHC), in the context of the preparation for the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on universal health coverage, later this year. … In a 22 January leaked draft resolution, India, as well as Ecuador and Peru, suggested to ‘promote increased access to affordable, safe, effective, and quality medicines and diagnostics and other technologies, including by making use, to the fullest extent, of the TRIPS [World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights] flexibilities for the protection of public health and to achieve health for all’…” (Saez, 1/24).