Global Health Insights

WIPO and the Brazilian Association of the Health Technology Industry (ABIMED) have launched Brazil’s first IP Management Clinic to help MedTech and Digital Health innovators strengthen their IP strategies for commercialization and global growth.

Thanks to growing awareness and significant advancements in detection, progress against breast cancer continues to accelerate. Early detection saves lives, and ongoing innovation is expanding the possibilities for more effective screening around the world. However, access to these innovative solutions still varies widely. Intellectual property (IP) plays a crucial role in promoting innovation by ensuring inventors and creators are recognized and rewarded, enabling breakthroughs in technologies for early breast cancer detection to reach those who need them most.

Workplace risks claim a significant number of lives every year, yet innovation is rapidly changing how we predict, detect, and protect against hazards. WIPO’s latest Patent Landscape Report reveals how global technological advances are reshaping occupational health and safety and safeguarding workers worldwide.

A panel at the AI for Good Global Summit examined the pivotal role of intellectual property in enabling AI-driven healthcare innovation and access. The discussion highlighted the need for aligned legal, ethical, and policy frameworks to ensure AI serves the public good worldwide.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda have developed a tailored institutional intellectual property policy to manage, protect, and commercialize innovations. This collaboration builds local capacity for manufacturing and supports the translation of research into practical technologies.

Health innovations have once again stood out in this year’s WIPO Global Awards, with four winners from different sectors and regions contributing to global health solutions. This continued trend highlights the significance of the WIPO Global Awards as a launchpad for small businesses working to bring critical health innovations to market.

Counterfeit medicines are not only a violation of Intellectual Property (IP) rights but also pose a significant threat to health; IP plays an important role in combating this issue. Through IP enforcement, patients and IP rights holders can be protected from counterfeit medicines. This article looks at the impact of the global prevalence in counterfeit medicines, its impact, and examines some of the effective strategies to address this issue.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed how Africa depends heavily on external vaccine supplies, with less than 1% of the vaccines produced locally. In this interview, Mina Adel explains how investment, stronger coordination, and smart use of intellectual property (IP), can prepare the African continent to build a resilient and self-sufficient vaccine manufacturing future.

Cardiovascular disease remains the world’s leading cause of death. But what if we could see it coming? Keerthi Kodithawku, CEO of Jendo Innovations, a pioneering Sri Lankan med-tech startup, speaks with us about how their patented cardiovascular screening tool can spot the early warning signs of heart disease, offering a chance to save lives through timely intervention.

Despite major progress in the fight against malaria, the disease is making a rapid comeback in many parts of the world. With the number of cases rising and threatening to overwhelm health systems, experts are turning to innovative technologies, global partnerships, and policy interventions to prevent malaria from reversing decades of hard-won progress. How can IP help to reverse this worrying trend?

Developing the right drug may become much faster with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, one of the biggest areas where AI is making a difference is in clinical trials, which is the process of testing new drugs before they become available to patients.

Peter Opinde, a Kenyan engineer, is living and working in New Delhi, India to advance his work on maternal health by developing a new medical technology to monitor women’s health during childbirth and reduce the risk of complications during labor, birth, and post-delivery.

Global health challenges are growing increasingly complex, ranging from addressing neglected tropical diseases to accelerating vaccine development during global pandemics.

Social entrepreneurs are dedicated to developing and implementing solutions that address various challenges, including health, while generating sustainable revenue.