MEDIA ADVISORY: Countries Meet in Geneva on Innovation, Public Health and Intellectual Property

MEDIA ADVISORY: Countries Meet in Geneva on Innovation, Public Health and Intellectual Property

November 28, 2006

    GENEVA, Nov. 28 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- WHO Member
States and other stakeholders will meet in Geneva from 4-8
December to initiate talks aimed at increasing research and
development for medicines and other medical products
tailored to the needs of poor populations.  

    (Logo: 
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040610/CNTH001LOGO )

    The first session of the Intergovernmental Working
Group on Innovation, Public health and Intellectual
Property will discuss ways to stimulate research and
development for neglected and other diseases affecting
developing countries; improve delivery systems and access;
and examine sustainable financing mechanisms to ensure
long-term benefits. 

    Despite enormous progress in the prevention, diagnosis
and treatment of disease, developing countries still remain
largely excluded from the benefits of modern science. 
Caught in a cycle of poverty and disease, people in the
hardest-hit countries face shorter life expectancies and
economic decline.  

    The issue of better access to healthcare products for
poor populations has been the subject of many World Health
Assembly resolutions.  In May 2006, Member States asked WHO
to establish an Inter-Governmental Working Group on
Innovation, Public health and Intellectual property.

    The Working Group's mandate is to prepare a global
strategy and plan of action on essential health research to
address conditions affecting developing countries
disproportionately.  The resulting global plan of action
will be presented to the World Health Assembly in
mid-2008.

    Note to editors

    The meeting will be held at the International
Conference Centre Geneva (CICG), 15 rue de Varembe, 1211
Geneva 20, in Conference Room 1.  It will open at 10:00 on
Monday, 4 December 2006, and will close on Friday, 8
December 2006.  

    Media accreditation procedures

    Correspondents wishing to cover the Inter-Governmental
Working Group must apply to the Communication Department at
the World Health Organization. To do this, journalists
should send a fax [phone]) or email
([e-mail]) requesting accreditation, along
with a letter signed by their editor indicating the reason
for accreditation, the dates for which accreditation is
required and a photocopy of media credentials. 
Accreditation badges will be available to journalists at
the International Conference Centre Geneva on Monday 4
December from 08.00hrs.  Journalists who are already
accredited by the UN Palais des Nations do not require
additional media accreditation.

    Facilities for Media 

    During 4-8 December, journalists will have access to
the public gallery in the meeting room and to a media room
at the International Conference Centre Geneva.  News
material and other announcements will be made available in
this room throughout the meeting.

    Video for Broadcasters

    Cameras will not be allowed into the meeting room.  For
information on taping of interviews for broadcast TV and the
feed point to EBU Geneva through WHO TV Studios or UNTV
Geneva, please contact Jean-Marc Glinz, email:
[e-mail] Tel.: [phone] or mobile: [phone]
5515.

    For further information, please contact:

     Daniela Bagozzi, 
     WHO Communications Officer
     Tel:    [phone]
     Mobile: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]

    All WHO Press Releases, Fact Sheets and Features, as
well as other information on this subject, can be obtained
on Internet on the WHO home page: http://www.who.int .

SOURCE  World Health Organization