Category: WHO

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A Meeting Among the Friends of the Pandemic Treaty

Priti Patnaik

A meeting in Montreux: Friends of the Pandemic Treaty A photograph of a somewhat crumpled sheet of paper read “Retreat of the Group of Friends of the Pandemic Treaty”, Friday September 17, 2021. The image showed potential guiding questions that would discuss the need for a new legal instrument – discussions for which are underway in the Working Group on strengthening WHO preparedness and response to health emergencies. Last week when this information was shared with us, the questions on the agenda were revealing on the direction of these discussions. Early endorsers to the idea of a pandemic treaty are a group … Continue reading A Meeting Among the Friends of the Pandemic Treaty

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The politics of surplus production & vaccine scarcity

Priti Patnaik

A SNAPSHOT OF VACCINE INEQUITY: SURPLUS IN TIMES OF SCARCITY    When a source alerted us to a potential glut in vaccine production at the end of 2021, back in January this year, it was hard to believe it. At that time the glaring inequities in the access to medical products, was already making global headlines. That COVID-19 vaccines production could touch 12 billion doses in a few months is as hard to believe today, even though the numbers look increasingly convincing. For all the advances in predictive analyses, streamlined logistics, we will still not be able to get vaccine doses from countries that … Continue reading The politics of surplus production & vaccine scarcity

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“The idea of pathogen sharing is based on power dynamics”: Q&A with Senjuti Saha

Priti Patnaik

THE GENEVA HEALTH FILES INTERVIEW By Divya Venkatesh “The idea of pathogen sharing is based on power dynamics” During an outbreak, accessing pathogen samples and sequencing data easily are critical for designing effective public health responses and developing medical products. The norms that govern the sharing of pathogens in “peace” times, will have consequences on how samples and information are shared and compensated for, during outbreaks. Despite the growing chorus for sharing pathogens, this fundamental requirement that has not been discussed enough. We spoke with Senjuti Saha, a well-known Bangladeshi scientist who works at the intersection of Clinical Microbiology and Public … Continue reading “The idea of pathogen sharing is based on power dynamics”: Q&A with Senjuti Saha

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Threats of sanctions from Berlin ahead of talks in Geneva might alter support for pandemic treaty

Priti Patnaik

From a glittering ceremony in Berlin this week, that saw the launch of the new WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, WHO top boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, flanked by German Health Minister Jens Spahn, made unequivocal calls for sanctions for uncooperative states in the context of future health emergencies. Germany, WHO’s biggest funder, repeatedly asked China to cooperate on the investigations on the origins of SARS-CoV-2. These first shots for sanctions rang out just as the intergovernmental Working Group on Strengthening WHO preparedness for and Response to Health Emergencies (WGPR) resumed discussions in Geneva this week (September 1-3). We have noted earlier how the origins debate has … Continue reading Threats of sanctions from Berlin ahead of talks in Geneva might alter support for pandemic treaty

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The U.S. hopes to reshape post-pandemic governance with a “Global Health Threats Fund”

Priti Patnaik

The U.S. government is seeking to play a key role in the establishment of a Global Health Threats Fund, a new proposed structure envisaged to be under the aegis of the World Bank. This could potentially upend parallel discussions on a pandemic treaty and eventually impact WHO’s role to meaningfully address future pandemics, sources familiar with recent discussions say. The Global Health Threats Fund and a Board, were recommendations made by the G20 Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Financing. (Separately, the Independent Panel of Pandemic Preparedness and Response had suggested a Global Health Threats Council.) The U.S. government, reportedly is keen to … Continue reading The U.S. hopes to reshape post-pandemic governance with a “Global Health Threats Fund”

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Guest Essay: “Do We Really Need a Pandemic Treaty?”

Priti Patnaik

By Nithin Ramakrishnan and K M Gopakumar The Member-State  Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies (the working group) met during the 15th and 16th of July 2021 and adopted its method of work.  The 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) decision has mandated the Working Group to prioritize the assessment of the benefits of developing a WHO  convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response, and report to the Special Session of the WHA to be held from 29 November to 1st December 2021. The Working Group is expected to start its work on this prioritised … Continue reading Guest Essay: “Do We Really Need a Pandemic Treaty?”

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Where does India truly stand on the TRIPS Waiver: Q&A with Murali Neelakantan

Priti Patnaik

India has played a crucial role in supporting South Africa, as a lead co-sponsor in bringing the TRIPS Waiver proposal to the WTO in October 2020. In the months since, more than 60 other WTO members have formally supported the proposal – a bold initiative that seeks to temporarily suspend a range of intellectual property protections in order to decisively respond to the pandemic by seeking to unblock production shortages for critical COVID-19 medical products. As these discussions reach a critical juncture ahead of the WTO ministerial in November this year, concerns have been expressed on India’s commitment to the waiver proposal. … Continue reading Where does India truly stand on the TRIPS Waiver: Q&A with Murali Neelakantan

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The many promises of the mRNA tech transfer hub in Africa

Priti Patnaik

WHO: New consortium working to boost vaccine production in South Africa: MPP, WHO, AFRIGEN, BIOVAC, SAMRC, and Africa CDC sign a letter of intent towards establishing the tech transfer hub in South Africa “The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and the World Health Organization (WHO),  Afrigen Biologics (PTY) Limited, the Biologicals and Vaccines Institute of Southern Africa  (Biovac), the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have signed a letter of intent to address the global imbalance of manufacturing capacity for COVID-19 vaccines.” The letter of intent sets out the terms of the collaboration and responsibilities between … Continue reading The many promises of the mRNA tech transfer hub in Africa

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Guest Essay on Governing Health Emergencies: “The Exclusive Force of International Law Cannot be the Answer”

Priti Patnaik

“The IHRs (2005) were adopted on a scientific and political consensus which is still valid today” Axelle Ebode, a Paris-based Cameroonian expert who has examined the implementation of International Health Regulations from the perspective of geopolitics, writes for us this week. Ebode is wrapping up her PhD at the Institut Français de Géopolitique. With a specialization in health geography, her research analyzes the relationship between health and geopolitics throught the implementation of the IHRs (2005) in Cameroon, Kenya and Mexico.  Here are her thoughts on this timely matter: As the discussions for a pandemic treaty began on 15 July 2021, many voices are … Continue reading Guest Essay on Governing Health Emergencies: “The Exclusive Force of International Law Cannot be the Answer”

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The Mechanics of the Tech Transfer Narrative during COVID-19

Priti Patnaik

If 2020 resulted in extreme vaccine inequities, 2021 appears to stand witness to the ways in which technology transfer is being restrained by exclusivity fuelled by commercial and political considerations. This is not only widening the gulf between those who have COVID-19 vaccines now, but will also expand inequities in the access to medical products in the future, by restricting the way technology will be shared. We have reported on how massive political capital is being invested in continuing with industry-determined technology transfer arrangements even as the world faces acute scarcity in the access to medical products for COVID-19. In this story … Continue reading The Mechanics of the Tech Transfer Narrative during COVID-19