WHO must continue its work on access to medicines in developing countries

Where WHO needs to be much more active is the issue of drug research and development, which is currently run according to market incentives to meet the needs of the few, with total disregard to the immediate, unmet health needs of the vast majority. Doctors in the developing world urgently need new tools such as a new effective and affordable meningitis vaccine, new drugs to combat malarial drug resistance and replace the ineffective and toxic drugs for Chagas, and new medicines for tropical diseases like Dengue fever and Buruli ulcer that remain totally untreatable. WHO should be setting the research agenda according to unmet needs and clearly advocating for public sector involvement to ensure these needs are met. As an urgent first step, WHO should start formulating recommendations to ensure the research and development of drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines within existing trade relationships. A treaty on research and development such as is being elaborated for tobacco could be formulated to create a system of burden sharing.