Global Health Forum II

Intellectual Property Rights and Global Health: Challenges for Access and R&D
December 7-9, 2000
Hinxton Hall Conference Centre, The Wellcome Trust Genome Campus
Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Co-sponsored by:

• Commission on Macroeconomics and Health
• The Wellcome Trust
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Rockefeller Foundation
• World Health Organization

In many countries, the mortality rate of children under 5 years is over 20 percent, while the richest countries have a child mortality rate of 0.6 percent. Health crises such as the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa reduce average life expectancy by 10 years and more in some countries. Multi-drug resistance is also increasing in many parts of the developing world - threatening to undermine the effectiveness of drugs used to combat tuberculosis and malaria. As rich countries benefit from rapidly advancing technologies in health, poor countries are falling behind.

In December 2000, IGH and its co-sponsors convened a Global Health Forum to better understand the linkages between intellectual property rights and public health. Participants focused on whether current systems of patent protection-both domestic and international-are striking the correct balance between creating incentives for drug discovery and development, and ensuring access to existing and patentable products. For more information, please read the Consensus Statement.