An overview of Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination and Objectives of the Meeting Dr Monir Islam Special Adviser to the Regional Director and Director Department of Health Systems Development 1 National Regional Consultation for for WHA65.22 developing Report a strategic on Consultative work plan Expert as a follow-up Working Group of the Consultative Ministry Expert of Working Health, Nirman Group on Bhawan, Research New and Delhi, Development: 25 July 2012 Financing and Dr Manisha Shridhar 1
Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination (CEWG) The events leading to the CEWG relate to the independent Commission on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH), set up by World Health Assembly (WHA56.27). The CIPIH report made important observations on the status of innovation, IPR and the pharmaceutical industry, including promoting access to new and existing medicines, developing new diagnostics and vaccines to treat diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries. WHA61.21, the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property, (GSPA), identified 108 specific actions across eight elements on public health, innovation and IPR to promote innovation, transfer of technology and access to medicines for public health. In 2010 WHA63.28 established a 21 Member CEWG under element seven: promoting sustainable financing mechanisms where three experts from India, Indonesia and Thailand represented the region. 2 2
Global Strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property GSPA-PHI In 2008, WHA61.2 outlined a Global Strategy and plan of action (GSPA) on public health, innovation and intellectual property with 108 specific actions across 25 sub elements and 8 main elements. These main elements are: 1. prioritizing research and development needs; 2. promoting research and development; 3. building and improving innovative capacity; 4. transfer of technology; 5. application and management of intellectual property to contribute to innovation and promote public health; 6. improving delivery and access; 7. promoting sustainable financing mechanisms (Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination (CEWG) ); and 8. establishing and monitoring reporting systems. 3 National Regional Consultation for for WHA65.22 developing Report a strategic on Consultative work plan Expert as a follow-up Working Group of the Consultative Ministry Expert of Working Health, Nirman Group on Bhawan, Research New and Delhi, Development: 25 July 2012 Financing and Dr Manisha Shridhar 3
Scope of GSPA-PHI and CEWG Type I, Type II and Type III Diseases Proposals for new and innovative sources of funding to stimulate research and development related to Type II and Type III diseases and the specific research and development needs of developing countries in relation to Type I diseases Type I diseases -incident in both rich and poor countries, examples of communicable diseases include measles, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae Type b, and examples of noncommunicable diseases (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and tobacco-related illnesses). Type II diseases -incident in both rich and poor countries, but with substantial proportion of the cases in poor countries. HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis are examples: both diseases are present in both rich and poor countries, but more than 90 % of cases are in poor countries. Type III diseases -overwhelmingly or exclusively incident in the developing countries, such as African sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) and African river blindness (onchocerciasis); receive extremely little R&D, and essentially no commercially-based R&D in the rich countriestype II diseases are often termed neglected diseases and Type III diseases very neglected diseases (CIPIH p. 13). 4 4
Previous Regional Consultations for GSPA- PHI and CEWG SEA Regional Consultation GSPA-PHI, 5-6 April 2011 SEA Regional Consultation, CEWG, 7 October 2011 Various proposals assessed by CEWG on the criteria of Public health impact Technical feasibility Financial feasibility Implementation feasibility Regional Technical Consultation in Bangkok, Thailand, from 15 to 17 August 2012 for WHA65.22 prior to discussion of the CEWG report in the six 2012 WHO regional committee meetings 5 5
CEWG : SEA Region Activities 2012 Member States held national consultations on the CEWG report with relevant stakeholders: various ministries, associations, civil society and pharmaceutical industry. At the request of Member States, SEA Regional Office organized a Regional Technical Consultation in Bangkok, Thailand, from 15 to 17 August 2012 The Regional Committee (RC 65) meeting of SEA Region Member States held in Yogjakarta, Indonesia during 5 7 September 2012, adopted SEA/RC65/R3 on the CEWG report. 6 6
SEA/RC65/R3 Recommendations for CEWG Recommendations and action points for Member States and WHO. promote and strengthen R&D capacities, promote of R&D, establish or strengthen health R&D observatories, promote partnerships and explore funding for health R&D. The Member States requested the Regional Director (RD) SEARO to convey to the Director-General the wish of the Member States for consideration that the Chair of the Openended Meeting of Member States is from the South-East Asia Region. RD wrote to DG WHO on 17 September 2012 and this facilitated Thailand to chair the Open-ended meeting from 26-28 November 2012 at Geneva. 7 7
WHA66.22 in May 2013 Strategic Work Plan: Actions by Member states strengthen health R&D capacities and increase investments in health R&D establish or strengthen national health R&D observatories promote of health R&D identify projects to develop and deliver health products continue consultations at national as well as regional and global levels, for, priority setting and financing of health R&D contribute to coordinated and sustainable financing mechanisms for health R&D through voluntary contributions for activities at country, regional and global levels 8 8
WHA66.22 in May 2013 Strategic Work Plan: Actions by: WHO-1 develop norms and standards for classification of health R&D support Member States to establish or strengthen health R&D capacities and monitor relevant information establish a Global Health R&D Observatory within WHO s Secretariat to monitor and analyse relevant information on health R&D, building on national and regional observatories define priorities for health R&D in consultation with Member States facilitate through regional consultations and broad engagement of relevant stakeholders the implementation of a few health R&D demonstration projects review existing mechanisms to assess their suitability to perform the function of health R&D 9 9
WHA66.22 in May 2013 Strategic Work Plan: Actions by: WHO-2 Convene meeting in December 2013 for identifying/ finalizing demonstration projects Convene another Open-ended meeting of Member States prior to the 69th WHA in May 2016, to assess progress. report on the review and the evaluation of existing mechanisms for contributions to health R&D to the sixty-seventh WHA, May 2014. implementation of health R&D demonstration projects to the sixty-eight WHA, May 2015. and transmit the report of the open-ended Member States meeting to the sixty-ninth WHA, May 2016. 10 10
SEA Regional Meeting perspective SEA Regional Committee was the first and the only WHO regional committee that came up with a clear mandate on the CEWG report through resolution SEA/RC65/R3. SEA Regional Committee preceded the RC meetings of the other WHO regions and as a result the SEA Resolution was discussed in all other WHO regional committee meetings. At the open ended meeting of Member States it was deliberated that since SEARO had achieved a consensus resolution, it should be possible for the open ended meeting to arrive at a consensus resolution. 11 11
Objectives of SEA Regional Meeting To take up next steps for Action on SEA/RC65/R3 Action on WHA66.22 for developing the strategic work plan and identifying demonstration projects to be taken up for consideration in 3-5 December 2013 To consider the aspects of SEA Regional resolution and WHA resolutions together as SEAR resolution is reflected in the WHA66.22 and develop strategic work plan accordingly To enable Member states to actively participate and take a lead to develop the strategic work plan at national, regional and global levels in WHO as they have done so far in the CEWG consultative process 12 12
Thank you 13 13