WHO Experts To Analyse R&D Financing, Focus On Poor Country Diseases

The World Health Organization expert working group tasked with studying proposals on financing and coordinating research and development for diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries will meet next week. The working group’s path is not easy as it follows a predecessor group that sustained allegations of conflict of interest and lack of transparency.

The WHO is showing a resolve to demonstrate that a new era of transparency will now be the norm in the discussions with an unusual move to open part of the consultations to stakeholders, who may bring new proposals for discussion. Nevertheless, stakeholders may have a difficult finding existing proposals under discussion in the group on the WHO website, as they are not clearly posted and apparently some may have changed since last year....

...The CEWG is part of a larger WHO initiative, the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property (GSPOA). The Global Strategy is a medium term strategic plan (2008-2015), formulated in 2009, which aims to “foster innovation and improve access for people in developing countries.”