As the world reflects on the COVID-19 pandemic, attention has turned to what can be done to prevent or prepare for the next global health emergency. This important work aims at better protecting the world’s population from tomorrow’s challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how the innovation ecosystem, supported by intellectual property (IP) protections, enabled global collaboration and partnerships. For pandemic preparedness policies to be effective, plans from global leaders must: 

• Protect the innovation ecosystem to support progress. As the COVID-19 pandemic exhibited, innovation – fueled by IP rights – is critical to overcoming obstacles and saving lives. Pandemic preparedness policies must continue to support innovators so they can deliver inventions that address our biggest challenges.

• Learn from the past. In 2022, leaders made the harmful decision to approve a waiver of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) for COVID-19 vaccines. The decision to waive IP protections was made even though it did nothing to address the real challenges impeding access, which included trade barriers, inadequate health care infrastructure and regulatory systems, and last-mile distribution and administration challenges. Appropriately, the TRIPS Council decided not to expand the waiver earlier this year, and instead called on WTO Members “to review and build on all the lessons learned and the challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic” and “to build effective solutions in case of future pandemics in an expeditious manner.” 

   

• Leverage pro-innovation tools and approaches that work. There are effective policies that facilitate the collaboration, access and innovation critical to advanced solutions that do not harm the innovation ecosystem. Strong IP frameworks facilitate partnerships between the public and private sectors and underpin voluntary licensing agreements that allow patent holders to grant licenses to scale up research and production, promoting knowledge sharing, technology transfer and investment.

   

We need innovation to solve the world’s greatest challenges. It is crucial we take steps to prepare for the next pandemic and find pathways that both promote access around the world and support inventors.