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Global Health and IP

Scientific and technological innovation has contributed to significant advances in public health. The challenge for policymakers is to establish an environment that stimulates health innovation while ensuring widespread access to new, more effective products to address unmet global health needs.

WIPO’s Global Challenges program seeks to raise awareness and understanding of the complex linkages between global health and access to medical technologies, innovation, technology transfer and trade. The goal is to leverage intellectual property (IP) as a tool that contributes to meeting the world’s most pressing health needs.

Mr. Patrick Tippoo

What is femtech and how is it revolutionizing healthcare for women? What role can it play in the prevention and detection of breast cancer? The fifteenth episode of WIPO's Mission Imagination series features two women entrepreneurs, Kemisola Bolarinwa, inventor of the “Smart Bra” capable of detecting early-stage breast cancer, and Josefa Cortés, founder of Palpa, a company working to spread awareness among women on how to spot and feel anomalies through a breast-shaped shower sponge.

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Mr. Patrick Tippoo

Less than 1% of vaccines used in Africa are manufactured locally, but the need for immunization continues to grow. In this episode of WIPO’s Mission Imagination series, Mr. Patrick Tippoo, Chief Science and Innovation Officer at South Africa-based Biovac, and Executive Director and founding member of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative (AVMI), shares insights on what it takes to build sustainable vaccine manufacturing ecosystems.

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mi-richard-hatchett-845

Dr. Richard Hatchett – CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) talks about CEPI’s multistakeholder approach to develop vaccines for deadly diseases as well as for diseases that may not even exist yet in this episode of WIPO’s Mission Imagination series.

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mi-hotez-845

Dr. Peter Hotez led the development of Corbevax, an affordable and accessible “patent-free” COVID-19 vaccine. Watch the interview in the inaugural episode of WIPO’s Mission Imagination series.

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Global Health Check-Up – News and developments at the interface of global health, innovation, and intellectual property. Bi-monthly

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Reports & articles


Trilateral cooperation

The World Health Organization (WHO), WIPO and the World Trade Organization (WTO) cooperate on issues around global health, IP and trade.

Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer for COVID-19 Vaccines: Assessment of the Record

by Frederick M. Abbott

Download the report

Video: WIPO Re:Search bids farewell

World Intellectual Property Day 2024

Explore how intellectual property can amplify the impact of innovative and creative solutions for building our common future and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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