61st World Health Assembly fails to achieve most anti-pharma activist goals

The 61st World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, has approved watered down versions of policies requested by opponents of the research-based pharmaceutical industry model. The much vaunted public health, innovation and intellectual property strategy, which was finally endorsed by the gathering of 2,704 delegates from 190 countries, has largely been restricted to a statement of encouragement to member nations to boost R&D into the neglected tropical diseases. The result was a compromise compared to the agenda formulated over two years by the Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property (IGWG; Marketletter April 7).

The World Health Organization's Director General, Margaret Chan, took a positive view, stating that "this is a major breakthrough for public health that will benefit many millions of people for many years to come." Dr Chan described the outcome as "a contribution to fairness in health and this is proactive public health at its very best."

Tido von Schoen-Angerer, director of the Medecins Sans Frontieres' Access to Essential Medicines Campaign, said: "countries have pledged to give health interests the pre-eminence they deserve when considering how to manage IP." Dr von Schoen-Angerer added: "we need more money for R&D, but money is not the only answer - we also need new models for incentivizing the R&D and ensuring access to new drugs and diagnostics."