Download the publication on Global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual propertyOn 4–5 June 2014, WHO organized a training workshop on public health and intellectual property in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population of Egypt.
The workshop included participants from the pharmaceutical sector of the Ministry of Health and Population, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and officials from the Egypt patent office. The training was conducted by the WHO secretariat from heaquarters and regional and country offices with the participation of experts from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
In addition to training on intellectual property issues in relation to public health problems, discussion centred around Egypt’s situation and the challenges being faced, particularly in access to new and expensive medicines, and possible ways of addressing these challenges.
It was suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs take the lead in initiating a process to finalize the national medicine strategy and hold an inter-ministerial debate on issues relating to pricing, local production, health and intellectual property.