What We Are Watching: 75th World Health Assembly
This week, the 75th World Health Assembly will convene key leaders from 194 member states to discuss some of the most pressing global public health challenges. As the World Health Organization’s decision-making body, the WHA will determine WHO policies, programs and budgets.
Intellectual Property Accelerates Research and Innovation in Southeast Asia
Intellectual property has enabled unprecedented collaborations to innovate and speed up progress on hundreds of potential COVID-19 treatments, diagnostics and vaccines for the world. As we celebrate World Innovation Day on April 21 and World IP Day on April 26, we are reminded how valuable strong intellectual property laws are to addressing global challenges through innovation.
COVID-19 Shows the Essential Role of Ongoing Health Care Innovation
Great progress had been made in the fight against COVID-19. To date, 32.9% of the world’s population is at least partially vaccinated. Still, the global community has a long way to go before everyone is protected. Continuing to prioritize and support innovation to identify effective treatments, vaccines or boosters, and furthering our understanding of variants, remains critical to the global response.
Policy Solutions Can Help Innovative Cancer Treatments Reach SEA Patients
Breakthrough treatments and increased access to health care are helping people across Southeast Asia live longer than ever before. While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought new attention and respect for innovative treatments and medicines, more needs to be done to deploy novel therapeutics to combat longstanding challenges. For example, in 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – including cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions and cardiovascular diseases – the leading cause of death in Southeast Asia.