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Global Challenges In Focus

Innovation is crucial to tackle major challenges in global health, climate change and food security. WIPO’s Global Challenges In Focus series includes briefs introducing key issues as well as more detailed reports.

(Photo: Getty Images/PhotoTalk)
WIPO/PUB/GC/20/1/EN

Innovative Technology in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector

Author(s): Lise Favre, Peter Oksen; Publication year: 2020

Access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) embodies a fun- damental human right recognized by the United Nations General Assembly. Technology often plays an important role by providing resource-efficient solutions to some of the challenges associated with WASH. This edition of the Global Challenges in Focus series explores the water supply aspect of WASH and highlights the role of technological innovation in relation to managing limited freshwater resources in situations of scarcity and/or threats to the quality of the water supply.

WIPO/PUB/GC/20/2/EN

Innovative Technologies Tackling Food Loss

Author(s): Charis M. Galanakis, Peter Oksen; Publication year: 2020

This edition of the Global Challenges in Focus series explores cutting-edge technologies to reduce food loss in the supply chain. Though identifying “critical loss points”, the brief proposes innovative technologies with the highest estimated impact on mitigating food loss. To continue the topic of the food management process, a forthcoming paper will address the technologies tackling food waste.

WIPO/PUB/GC/20/EN

WHO, WIPO, WTO Joint Technical Symposium on Cutting-Edge Health Technologies: Opportunities and Challenges
Summary of the Key Issues

Author(s): WHO, WIPO, WTO; Publication year: 2020

The eighth joint technical symposium discussed opportunities and challenges linked to cutting-edge health technologies.

Find out more: WHO, WIPO, WTO Trilateral Cooperation on Public Health, IP and Trade

WIPO/PUB/GC/18/EN

WIPO Re:Search: Advancing science for neglected tropical diseases, malaria and tuberculosis

Author(s): Meghana Sharafudeen; Publication year: 2019

This edition of the Global Challenges In Focus series takes an in-depth look at some of WIPO Re:Search’s most promising scientific collaborations and their potential impacts – as described by the researchers and organizations involved.

WIPO/PUB/GC/19/EN

Urgent Innovation – Policies and Practices for Effective Response to Public Health Crises

Author(s): Meghana Sharafudeen; Publication year: 2019

Public health crises require urgent innovation, not only in research and development (R&D) but also in the delivery of therapies and diagnostics. What constitutes “urgency” and “innovation” in these contexts? How are priorities and targets determined? Who is best placed to deliver results? This edition of the Global Challenges in Focus series explores themes discussed at a recent Global Challenges Seminar on the policies and practices that facilitate effective responses to global health crises.

WIPO/PUB/GC/17/EN

WHO-WIPO-WTO Technical Symposium on Sustainable Development Goals: Innovative technologies to promote healthy lives and well-being
Summary of the Key Issues

Author(s): WHO, WIPO, WTO; Publication year: 2018

The seventh technical symposium organized by WHO, WIPO, WTO discussed challenges and opportunities for the international community to ensure that innovative technologies are developed and reach patients in order to realize the right to health and the health-related SDGs.

Find out more: WHO, WIPO, WTO Trilateral Cooperation on Public Health, IP and Trade

WIPO/PUB/GC/13/EN

WHO, WIPO, WTO Joint Technical Symposium on Antimicrobial Resistance: How to Foster Innovation, Access and Appropriate Use of Antibiotics?
Summary of the Key Issues

Author(s): WHO, WIPO, WTO; Publication year: 2017

The World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Technical Symposia provide a platform for participants to exchange information and experiences and to discuss current issues. The sixth Joint Technical Symposium, held in Geneva on October 25, 2016, reviewed issues related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Find out more: About the 2016 Trilateral Symposium | Antimicrobial resistance – a global epidemic

WIPO/PUB/GC/15/EN

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Multidrug Resistance (MDR): Overview of current approaches, consortia and intellectual property issues
Global Challenges Report

Author(s): Andrew Jenner, Niresh Bhagwandin, Stanley Kowalski; Publication year: 2017

Based on a review of recent literature, this WIPO Global Challenges Report includes a broad overview of current approaches and consortia designed to meet the challenge of research and development (R&D) investment for new treatments. It also examines patent applications by both the public and the private sectors as an indicator of innovative activity.

WIPO/PUB/GC/16/EN

Vaccines: Accelerating Innovation and Access
Global Challenges Report

Author(s): Hilde Stevens, Isabelle Huys, Koenraad Debackere, Michel Goldman, Philip Stevens, Richard T. Mahoney; Publication year: 2017

This Global Challenges Report describes the innovation process for vaccines. It explains how the restricted availability of vaccines is due to impediments at every stage of the process. Most of these obstacles are manageable, and intellectual property (IP) rights are associated with only some of them. The analysis aims to put into perspective debates around health innovation and the availability of health technologies in developing countries, especially with respect to the role of IP. In particular, it provides an overview of how IP has been used to meet global health challenges in the vaccines field, and considers whether lessons can be drawn to inform other important health technologies.

WIPO/PUB/GC/11/EN

Sharing Innovation and Building Capacity to Fight Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Selection of WIPO Re:Search Fellowship Stories
Global Challenges Report

Author(s): Ania Jedrusik; Publication year: 2016

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

WIPO/PUB/GC/7/EN

Innovation and Diffusion of Green Technologies: The Role of Intellectual Property and Other Enabling Factors
Global Challenges Report

Publication year: 2015

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

WIPO/PUB/GC/8/EN

WIPO Re:Search: Sharing Innovation in the Fight Against Neglected Tropical Diseases
Global Challenges Brief

Author(s): Thomas Bombelles, et al.; Publication year: 2015

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

WIPO/PUB/GC/10/EN

Promoting Medical Innovation and Access, Together
Global Challenges Brief

Author(s): Anatole Krattiger, Anthony Taubman - WTO, Hans Georg Bartels, Jayashree Watal - WTO, Roger Kampf - WTO, Thomas Bombelles, Zafer Mirza - WHO; Publication year: 2015

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

WIPO/PUB/GC/12/EN

Strategic Review of WIPO Re:Search
Global Challenges Report

Author(s): Richard T. Mahoney; Publication year: 2015

WIPO Re:Search was established in 2011 and has enjoyed more than three years of progress and success. The current report explores ways to secure the longer-term success and sustainability of WIPO Re:Search through the expansion of its programs and additional support. The Consortium, an initiative of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which hosts the WIPO Re:Search secretariat is managed jointly with BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) (Seattle, USA) which operates the WIPO Re:Search Partnership Hub.

WIPO/PUB/GC/14/EN

Public Health, Intellectual Property, and TRIPS at 20: Innovation and Access to Medicines; Learning from the Past, Illuminating the Future
Summary

Author(s): WHO, WIPO, WTO; Publication year: 2015

The World Trade Organization (WTO) and its Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2015. To mark the event, the World Health Organization (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the WTO held the fifth in the series of trilateral symposia to discuss practical ways in which the twin challenges of innovation and access have been addressed.

Find out more: About the 2015 Trilateral Symposium

WIPO/PUB/GC/1/EN

The Acceleration of Climate Change and Mitigation Technologies: Intellectual Property Trends in the Renewable Energy Landscape
Global Challenges Brief

Author(s): Sarah Helm, Quentin Tannock, Ilian Iliev; Publication year: 2014

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

WIPO/PUB/GC/3/EN

Renewable Energy Technology: Evolution and Policy Implications - Evidence from Patent Literature
Global Challenges Report

Publication year: 2014

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

WIPO/PUB/GC/5/EN

The Changing Landscape of Medical Innovation: How Have Business Models Responded?
Global Challenges Brief

Author(s): Traci Wai, Philip Stevens; Publication year: 2014

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

WIPO/PUB/GC/6/EN

Incentivizing the Adoption of Green Technology on a Global Scale
Global Challenges Brief

Author(s): Sebastian Lohse; Publication year: 2014

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

WIPO/PUB/GC/2/EN

Patent Information, Freedom to Operate and "Global Access": A Case Study of Dengue Vaccines Under Development
Global Challenges Report

Author(s): Anatole Krattiger, Richard T. Mahoney, Amrita Chiluwal, Stanley P. Kowalski; Publication year: 2012

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

WIPO/PUB/GC/4/EN

Intellectual Property & the Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies
Global Challenges Report

Publication year: 2011

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

WIPO/PUB/GC/9/EN

When policy meets evidence: What's next in the discussion on intellectual property, technology transfer & the environment?
Global Challenges Brief

Publication year: 2011

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.