MPP statement at the 144th session of the WHO Executive Board on 29 January 2019, item 5.7.1: Speaker: Elena Villanueva The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) welcomes the WHO Roadmap and the inclusion of public health-oriented licensing agreements as a way to foster access to health products. The MPP, established by Unitaid, has become the main driver of public health-oriented licensing agreements for access to medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It has already enabled over 100 countries to get faster access to new HIV and hepatitis C treatments at affordable prices and in suitable formulations. We note the Roadmap proposes as a deliverable support for the expansion of the MPP to other patented essential medicines through identification of potential products for licensing.  As part of this process, earlier this week, within the framework of the WHO Technical Consultation on the Essential Medicines Lists (EMLs), the MPP consulted with a number of Member States on which essential medici...

Geneva, 15 January 2019 - The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) Governance Board has appointed Mohammed (Mo) Barry, as its newest and, at just 27-years-old, its youngest member. Mo is a global health champion and advocate from The Gambia. He brings to this position experience of a wide-range of governance roles in the field of infectious diseases. He is a United Nations Young Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals; Chairperson of the HIV Young Leaders Fund; Co-Chair of UNAIDS PACT, a global youth consortium on HIV; and a One Young World Ambassador. Prior to this, he worked for UNAIDS in Myanmar; supported policy research at the West Africa Civil Society Institute in Ghana; served on the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition World Community Advisory Board; Co-Chaired the Youth and Community Programme of the 20th International AIDS Conference in Australia and served on the board of the West Africa Treatment Action Group, monitoring access to HIV and tuberculosis treatment in 15 West African c...