The COVID-19 Technology Access Pool or C-TAP which was mooted by President Carlos Alvarado of Costa Rica has been launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) during an event co-hosted by WHO and Costa Rica on May 29, 2020 at Geneva, Switzerland.
- This was launched after 35 countries and multiple international partners and institutions have signed for this pool to support it.
- The aim of this initiative is to provide access to all for making vaccines, tests, treatments and other health technologies to fight COVID-19.
- It will also accelerate the discovery of COVID-19 health products by way of vaccines, medicines and other technologies through open-science research.
How C-TAP will be helpful for participating nations?
The countries who have signed this pool will have collective ownership of COVID-19 treatment which means that it will avoid the patent laws that act as a barrier in sharing the crucial supplies amid the outbreak.
- This Pool will be voluntary and based on social solidarity by providing a one-stop shop for scientific knowledge, data and intellectual property to be shared equitably.
5 key elements of C-TAP
- 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.
- 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).
Key Points:
-C-TAP will serve as a sister initiative to the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and other initiatives to support efforts to fight COVID-19 worldwide.
-WHO, Costa Rica and all the co-sponsor countries have also issued a “Solidarity Call to Action” to join and support the initiative.
Countries that have supported C-TAP till May 29, 2020: 35
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, Zimbabwe.
About WHO:
Director-General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarter– Geneva, Switzerland
About Costa Rica:
President– Carlos Alvarado Quesada
Capital– San Jose
Currency– Costa Rican colon
