Open letter to all WHO Member States
The single most important priority of the global community is to stop the COVID-19 pandemic in its tracks, to halt its rapid transmission and reverse the trend of consequential global distress. We know that this goal is only achievable when everyone, everywhere can access the health technologies they need for COVID-19 detection, prevention, treatment and response. This pandemic is far from over, socio-economic inequalities have dramatically increased and lives continue to be lost. Now more than ever, international cooperation and solidarity are vital to restoring global security, today and for the future.
The world has committed to ensuring universal and equitable access to safe, efficacious and affordable vaccines, medicines and diagnostics. We are witness to great strides in scientific progress yet a failure to mass produce and share these critical tools will prolong the pandemic, laying the ground for dangerous new variants to emerge and undermine progress made. During such an unprecedented time, we must deploy and use every tool at our disposal to fight this pandemic and save lives. One year ago, Costa Rica and the World Health Organization (WHO), with support from 41 Member States, launched the Solidarity Call to Action and the WHO COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) to improve equitable global access to COVID-19 health technologies through voluntarily pooling knowledge, intellectual property and data to support technology transfer and rapidly expand manufacturing throughout the world in need.
The Solidarity Call to Action calls on key stakeholders and the global community to commit to undertaking specific actions to advance the pooling of knowledge, intellectual property and data for key technologies for the detection, prevention and treatment of COVID-19. We called on funders, researchers, governments, and holders of IP and knowledge to support the WHO COVID-19 Technology Access Pool initiative and its relevant implementing partner organizations, in particular through the sharing of intellectual property in a transparent and non-exclusive manner and facilitating technology transfer to multiple quality assured manufacturers. CTAP generates worldwide interest as a highly promising initiative; it works inside the patent system and provides a win-win solution for all, beneficiaries and owners of knowledge. Yet, it remains an underutilized tool.
As a global community we must leverage C-TAP’s potential to accommodate different stakeholders and provide timely, sustainable, and effective solutions to promote access and accelerate local production. That is why we call once again on all Member States to renew and expand our collective commitment in the Solidarity Call to Action and to pro-actively engage with key stakeholders in their territories and encourage IP sharing and technology transfer through C-TAP. It is our responsibility to ensure a safer world for all, for this generation and for those to come.