Dates: 21 May 2017 - 30 May 2017
1211 Geneva, Switzerland
Antimicrobial resistance, the global shortage of medicines and vaccines and the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property (GSPOA) were top themes debated during the 70th World Health Assembly this May. The MPP addressed delegates on each of these topics, welcoming expanded efforts to prevent and control drug resistance in HIV and tuberculosis and underscoring the importance of innovation, access and proper stewardship of new antibiotics. The foundation highlighted its commitment to patent status transparency, a key GSPOA recommendation. Representatives from the MPP also briefed Member States on its feasibility study exploring an expanded role for the organisation in improving access to patented essential medicines.
Read MPP’s interventions on antimicrobial resistance, on the evaluation and review of the global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property, and on addressing the global shortage of, and access to, medicines and vaccines.
Access more pictures
Press and Media
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
To date, MPP has signed agreements with 22 patent holders for 13 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, a post-partum haemorrhage medicine, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 16 COVID-19 technologies.
MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Canada, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Government of Flanders. MPP’s activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and SDC.