COVID-19 Technology Access Pool launched by WHO and Costa Rica
30 nations and multiple global companions and institutions have joined to support the C-TAP – COVID-19 Technology Access Pool – an initiative targeting at developing vaccines, tests, therapies, and other health technologies to combat COVID-19 accessible to everyone around the world.
President Carlos Alvarado, Costa Rica initially proposed C-TAP in the month of March, who joined WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the official launch of the C-TAP on 29 May 2020.
President Alvarado, Costa Rica said, “The C-TAP will ensure the latest and ideal scientific research advantages all of humankind“. “COVID-19 treatments, vaccines, tests, diagnostics, and other vital tools must be made available around the world as global public goods”.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO said, “Global solidarity and cooperation are vital to overcome COVID-19”. “This information-sharing system based upon strong science as well as open collaboration will certainly aid in providing equitable access to life-saving innovations around the globe”.
C-TAP will be based on social uniformity and voluntary. C-TAP will be a place for all scientific knowledge, information, and intellectual property to be shared impartially by the community worldwide.
The objective is to speed up the
discovery of vaccines, medicines, and other innovations through an open-science research study, and mobilizing additional manufacturing capacity to fast-track product development. This will certainly aid to ensure faster and more fair access to existing and also new COVID-19 health products.Five key elements of this initiative are:
- Disclosure of gene sequences and data to the Public
- Transparency around the publication of all clinical trial outcomes
- Governments, as well as various other funders, are encouraged to include provisions in financing arrangements with pharmaceutical firms and other innovators about fair circulation, price and the publication of trial data
- Accrediting any type of prospective treatment, diagnostic, vaccine, or other health technology to the Medicines Patent Pool – a United Nations-backed public health body that works to boost access to, and also facilitate the advancement of, life-saving medications for reduced- and middle-income nations.
- Promotion of open development models and technology transfer that boost regional manufacturing and supply capacity, consisting of the Technology Access Partnership and signing up with the Open COVID Pledge.
To combat COVID-19 around the world, C-TAP will act as a sibling campaign to the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and various other initiatives to support efforts with supportive countries around the world.
WHO, Costa Rica and all the co-sponsor nations have also issued a “Solidarity Call To Action” asking appropriate stakeholders to sign up and support the effort, with advised actions for key groups, such as governments, industry, civil society, R&D funders, and scientists.
The event was co-launched by WHO and Costa Rica on 29 May 2020 and started with a high-level session addressed by Alvarado – the WHO-Director-General, and President with PM Mia Mottley, Barbados, and Aksel Jacobsen – Norway’s State Secretary. Video statements were also presented by President Lenín Moreno of Ecuador, Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, President Thomas Esang Remengesau Jr. of Palau, Minister for Foreign Affairs for Indonesia, Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Retno Marsudi. The moderated conference was attended by the leaders from across the UN, academic community, industry, and civil society.
As of now, C-TAP is now supported by the following countries – Argentina, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Belgium, Ecuador, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, El Salvador, Honduras, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mexico, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Mozambique, Palau, Panama, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Peru, Portugal, Timor-Leste, Uruguay, Zimbabwe, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, and The Netherlands.
Various other worldwide organizations, partners, and specialists have likewise revealed support to the initiative, and using the website others can join them.
Author: Sruthi S
