On the side-lines of the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, the Permanent Mission of France and the Medicines Patent Pool, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, hosted the parallel event Accelerating Vaccine and Therapeutic Production for Health Security in Africa.
In this session key elements were discussed regarding the sustainability of regional manufacturing capacity for therapeutics and vaccines in Africa including the example of WHO/MPP mRNA Technology Transfer Programme.
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France’s Ambassador for Global Health: Anne-Claire Amprou
Minister of Health of Tunisia, Dr Ali Mrabet
Chair of MPP Board, Dr Marie-Paule Kieny
Platform for Harmonized African Health Products Manufacturing (PHAHM)
Dr Abebe, PAVM Coordinator
GAVI’s strategy for access and support to regional production in Africa
Dr Sania Nishtar, Executive Director GAVI
Building a sustainable, realistic ecosystem
Mar Martinez, European Commission
Michael Lusiola, CEO Biovax
Tenu Avafia, Deputy Executive Director, Unitaid
Frederik Kristensen, RVMC Managing Director (CEPI)
Amy Dietterich, Director of the Global Challenges Division at WIPO
Dr Jeremy Farrar, Chief Scientist, WHO
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.