Read this article in Hebrew here.

Israel is now serving a three-year term on the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Executive Board, a key decision-making body that guides the WHO’s work on global health. Alongside thirty-three other countries on the Executive Board, the Israeli delegation will attend the 144th session of the Executive Board in January 2019 to discuss topics ranging from polio eradication to the health implications of climate change.

But perhaps the most important topic on the Executive Board’s agenda is the WHO’s proposed Roadmap on Access to Medicines. This Roadmap sets priorities for the next five years of the WHO’s work on medicines around the world. As an Executive Board member, Israel will help shape the discussion about how the WHO should approach this issue.

Unfortunately, the WHO’s Roadmap, proposed by the WHO’s Secretariat, has serious problems that Member States need to fix. For example, the Roadmap envisions an expanded WHO role advising countries on intellectual property, such as the use of “compulsory licenses” (sometimes called “TRIPS flexibilities”) to allow the manufacture of patented medicines without the patent owners’ consent. This is unnecessary and would gravely harm global innovation – making it harder for patients to access today’s medicines and undermining investment in tomorrow’s new treatments and cures.

The WHO’s Roadmap reflects a tendency at the WHO to see patents as a barrier to access.  But this isn’t true: research has found no correlation between intellectual property and access to medicines.  Nearly all the drugs the WHO deems “essential” are already off-patent yet still out of reach for millions due to other factors, such as weak and underfunded health care systems.  Strengthening IP can actually facilitate access, both by stimulating new discoveries and making it easier for innovative medicines to reach patients that need them.  

The WHO is also ill-suited to make these recommendations: it lacks the expertise to advise countries on the complex technical, economic and trade implications of intellectual property (IP) protections. Many countries have already raised concerns that the WHO should not spend its limited resources working on such polarizing tasks that are unlikely to improve access to medicines. 

WHO Executive Board members need to step up—and speak out—about the vital role of IP in spurring new discoveries. In the past, Israel has promoted a global innovation ecosystem and encouraged world leaders to recognize the important role innovation plays in ensuring patients have access to the medicines they need. This support is not surprising, given the country’s demonstrated track record in driving innovation.

Take Israel’s patent figures, for example. In 2016, Israel filed 177 biotechnology patents under the Patent Cooperation Treaty—a nearly 16 percent increase over the prior decade. Moreover, according to the most recent figures, in a single year over $354 million was invested into pharmaceutical industry research and development (R&D) in Israel. These impressive figures have helped Israel rise six positions in the 2018 Global Innovation Index (GII) to reach 11th in the world. In fact, Israel earned the designation as the fastest moving country in the GII, rising six positions as it closes in on the top 10.

Israel understands the critical role innovation plays in improving access to medicines for patients. Its statements in recent international meetings show the country has made significant progress in promoting and protecting the knowledge, IP and entrepreneurship that drive global innovation.

• At the 2018 WHO Executive Board meeting, the Israeli delegation emphasized the importance of IP-driven innovation in the Organization’s public health efforts, stating, “The use of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of public health in the 21st century could also receive more attention [in the WHO’s 13th General Program of Work for 2019 to 2023].”
• At the 2018 World Health Assembly (WHA), the Israeli delegation underscored the tremendous contributions of their own innovation ecosystem, stating, “Israel itself is a regional and global leader in the fields of innovation in digital health, public health emergencies and NCD’s [non-communicable disease] prevention and treatment… As always, Israel is prepared to share its best practices and work together with willing partners in discovering new and innovative methods to meet current and future challenges.”

These statements show Israel’s deep commitment to furthering innovation so that patients around the world can access today’s treatments and tomorrow’s cures.

As the WHO Executive Board considers how to improve access to medicines, Israel has an opportunity to rebut the idea that weakening IP will do anything to improve access. As a global health leader and major funder of development assistance, Israel can help focus the WHO on tackling the real barriers to access, such as weak and under-funded health care systems, poor infrastructure and taxes/tariffs. In particular, Israel should speak out clearly at the Executive Board meeting to convey concerns about the Roadmap and ensure it does not lead to expanded WHO activities that would undermine IP globally.

Now’s the time to act. Patients around the world depend on Israel and the other Executive Board members to lead the charge on proactive and comprehensive solutions that address the real and complex obstacles to better global health.