Patients and Patents Blog
Patients speak out on global health and innovation - May 15, 2008
On May 15th (the eve of the 61st World Health Assembly), patient representatives from around the world gathered in Geneva to voice their concerns and provide recommendations on the WHO’s proposed strategy and draft plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property.
The following audio recordings from the patient meeting detail the key concerns [...]
Outcomes from the Second Session of the IGWG
The World Health Organization’s Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property (IGWG) met for the continuation of its second session in Geneva at the end of April. While they didn’t achieve consensus on all elements of their draft plan, there were many areas of agreement.
Some of the points of consensus include:
Intellectual property [...]
The relationship between intellectual property (IP) rights & drug efficacy and safety
Without any meaningful input from patients, intense efforts are underway at the WHO to weaken – or dismantle – the system of intellectual property (IP) rights that has produced nearly every life-saving medicine that is available today. On behalf of a variety of both public and private sector special interests, anti-IP NGOs are using the [...]
Patients Matter and So Does Our Voice
In a previous posting on the evils of Big Pharma, Robert Weissman suggests, “a successful conclusion to ongoing negotiations at the World Health Organization (WHO) — could yield dramatic public health benefits in the years and decades ahead.” This seems unlikely as the most important stakeholders – patients – have been left out of the [...]
Substandard malaria drugs in Africa
According to a recent study funded by Africa Fighting Malaria, many Africans are getting substandard or counterfeit malaria drugs. This is a serious problem as the WHO estimates that malaria kills 1.3 million people each year – mostly children under age 5.
A report from Reuters stated that:
Tests of 195 different packs of malaria drugs sold in [...]
Patients — the real stakeholders in global health
The response from Durhane Wong-Rieger of the Consumer Advocare Network to Robert Weissman’s article ’Big Pharma Digs In’ really hits home. If patients aren’t the key stakeholder in global health issues, then who is?
Comment by Durhane Wong Rieger:
Patients are the only stakeholders with a “life and death” stake in the WHO”s negotiations to meet needs of [...]
Accurate Information
I was quite surprised to see my name in an Essential Information release the other day. Until very recently I had never heard of them, and they have never contacted me for permission to print my name.
Yes, I am a proud member of the Board of Directors of the Asthma Society of Canada (ASC) nearing [...]
