R4D, Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health, and Harvard Global Health Institute hosted a public event at R4D on Monday to discuss the outcome of the Consultative Expert Working Group (CEWG) process and to delve deeper into current global policy debates on medicines R&D. 

In early April, the CEWG on financing and coordination of R&D, a WHO body, released its final report, “Research and Development to Meet Health Needs in Developing Countries: Strengthening global financing and coordination.”  The report provides recommendations to improve global financing for global health research and development (R&D) that will be further discussed at the 65th World Health Assembly (WHA) in May.

In light of the upcoming WHA, John-Arne Røttingen, CEWG Chair presented the CEWG findings and recommendations, followed by two panel discussions. Panelists included Robert Hecht (R4D, moderator), Nils Daulaire (Department of Health and Human Services), Judit Rius (MSF Access Campaign), Paul Wilson (R4D, Columbia University), Rachel Cohen (DNDi), Lawrence Gostin (O'Neill Institute at Georgetown University , moderator), Suerie Moon (Global Health Institute at Harvard University), Benn McGrady (O'Neill Institute at Georgetown University), and Jamie Love (KEI).

Read coverage of the issue, the event, and R4D’s recent work on patent pools in The Fiscal Times.

Read a guest post by R4D program officer Soma Ghoshal on the event, for Breakthroughs, the Global Health Technologies Coalition blog. (cross-posted on the Center blog)