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COVID-19 Update Global Technology Access Pool Launched to Collectively Combat CoronavirusOn May 29, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Costa Rica launched the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP). It was first proposed in March by President Carlos Alvarado of Costa Rica, who joined WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the official launch of the initiative. "The COVID-19 Technology Access Pool will ensure the latest and best science benefits all of humanity," said President Alvarado. "Vaccines, tests, diagnostics, treatments and other key tools in the coronavirus response must be made universally available as global public goods." "Global solidarity and collaboration are essential to overcoming COVID-19," said Dr. Tedros. "Based on strong science and open collaboration, this information-sharing platform will help provide equitable access to life-saving technologies around the world." A Solidarity Call to Action for countries to join C-TAP states in part: "The single most important priority of the global community is to stop the COVID-19 pandemic in its tracks; to halt its rapid transmission and reverse the trend of consequential global distress. We know that this goal is only achievable when everyone, everywhere can access the health technologies they need for COVID-19 detection, prevention, treatment and response. Now more than ever, international cooperation and solidarity are vital to restoring global health security, now and for the future. Toward this aim, we call to action key stakeholders and the global community to voluntarily pool knowledge, intellectual property and data necessary for COVID-19. Shared knowledge, intellectual property and data will leverage our collective efforts to advance scientific discovery, technology development and broad sharing of the benefits of scientific advancement and its applications based on the right to health. "The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fallibility of traditional ways of working when it comes to equitable access to essential health technologies. This initiative sets out an alternative, in line with WHO's efforts to promote global public health goods, based on equity, strong science, open collaboration and global solidarity." A WHO press release explains that participation in C-TAP "will be voluntary and based on social solidarity. It will provide a one-stop shop for scientific knowledge, data and intellectual property to be shared equitably by the global community. "The aim is to accelerate the discovery of vaccines, medicines and other technologies through open-science research, and to fast-track product development by mobilizing additional manufacturing capacity. This will help ensure faster and more equitable access to existing and new COVID-19 health products. "There are five key elements to the initiative: - Public disclosure of gene sequences and data. - Transparency around the publication of all clinical trial results. - Governments and other funders are encouraged to include clauses in funding agreements with pharmaceutical companies and other innovators about equitable distribution, affordability and the publication of trial data. - Licensing any potential treatment, diagnostic, vaccine or other health technology to the Medicines Patent Pool -- a United Nations-backed public health body that works to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. - Promotion of open innovation models and technology transfer that increase local manufacturing and supply capacity, including through joining the Open COVID Pledge and the Technology Access Partnership (TAP)." Thus far, 30 countries are participating in C-TAP. They are: Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Honduras, Indonesia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Mozambique, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, The Netherlands, Timor-Leste, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.
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