Considering that:

1. Health is a fundamental human right and a necessary condition for human dignity and for the full exercise of citizenship.

2. The dominant model of medical innovation, reinforced by the implementation of the Trade-Related Aspects on Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement of the World Trade Organization, is based on patent incentives that create monopolies, high prices as return on investment and market perspectives in developed countries.

3. Data on the world pharmaceutical market1 show that developing countries represent less than 15% of the world medicines sales.

4. Diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries are not the targets of significant Research and Development (R&D) activities and innovations, despite the increase of patent protections in these countries.

5. A recent report of a World Health Organization commission called Commission on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH) showed that intellectual property is not an adequate instrument to ensure the development of the technology necessary to respond to the specific health problems of developing countries.

6. The incorporation into national legislation of the flexibilities foreseen in the WTO TRIPS Agreement, such as compulsory licenses, with the goal of protecting public health does not guarantee the effective implementation of these mechanisms and countries making use of these flexibilities are currently undergoing threats of retaliations from some developed countries.

We consider to be of utmost importance the current discussion in the Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property (IGWG) of the World Health Organization (WHO) and we request:

 A revision of the rules regulating Innovations and the Access to the fruits of Innovations so that the health needs of developing countries be included in the international agenda of innovation.

 That the IGWG find sustainable solutions so that existing and new medicines, vaccines and diagnostic tools be accessible to all those who need them in developing countries.

 That the IGWG emphasizes the importance of the WHO’s support in the effective implementation of the TRIPS flexibilities by countries that need them to guarantee access to medicines.

 That the IGWG seeks out new incentive mechanisms for innovation in health, taking into consideration the importance of guaranteeing access in the future. High prices as a solution to pay for the cost of innovation is not a solution.

 That the participation of civil society and patient organizations, especially those from the Global South, in negotiations held in the IGWG be maintained and expanded, taking into careful consideration the conflicts of interest that may exist within these organizations.

[1] Data estimates taken from the IMS website.

Signature of civil society organizations and patient groups

1 – Associação Brasileira Interdisciplinar de AIDS - ABIA (RJ - Brasil)

2 – Grupo de Incentivo à Vida - GIV (SP - Brasil)

3 – Grupo de Apoio aos Doentes de AIDS Solidário pela Vida (ES - Brasil)

4 – Grupo de Trabalho em Prevenção Posithiva - GTP+ (Brasil)

5 – Articulação AIDS em Pernambuco (Brasil)

6 – Gênero, mulher, Desenvolvimento e Ação para a Cidadania - GEMDAC (Piauí - Brasil)

7 – Centro Dialogo (Piauí - Brasil)

8 – Fórum de ONGs/AIDS do Piauí (Brasil)

9 – Fórum de ONGs/AIDS de Pernambuco (Brasil)

10 – Rede Nacional de Pessoas Vivendo com HIV/AIDS do Nordeste (RNP+/NE) (Brasil)

11 – GAPA/SP (Brasil)

12 – GAPA/RS (Brasil)

13 – Fórum Catarinense de ONGs/AIDS (Brasil)

14 – Fórum de ONGs/AIDS do Rio Grande do Norte (Brasil)

15 – Comissão de Articulação com Movimentos Sociais – Região Norte (CAMS) (Brasil)

16 – Fórum de ONGs/AIDS do Tocantins (Brasil)

17 – GAPA/DF (Brasil)

18 – Casa Servo de Deus (ES - Brasil)

19 – GESTOS/PE (Brasil)

20 – Fórum de ONGs/AIDS da Paraíba (Brasil)

21 – Grupo Solidariedade (MG) (Brasil)

22 – Fórum Mercosul

23 – Grupo Pela Vidda/RJ (Brasil)

24 – Organização Brasileira de Apoio Filantrópico (OBRAF-SP) (Brasil)

25 – Somos – Comunicação, Saúde e Sexualidade (Brasil)

26 – Centro de Promoção da Saúde (CEDAPS-RJ) (Brasil)

27 – Fórum de ONGs/AIDS do Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)

28 – Grupo de Apoio aos Soropositivos (GASP-MG) (Brasil)

29 – Fórum de ONGs/AIDS do Matogrosso (Brasil)

30 – RNP+ Núcleo Médio Paraíba (Brasil)

31 – Núcleo de Estudos da Prostituição (NESP-RS) (Brasil)

32 – Grupo Pela Vidda/SP (Brasil)

33 – Conectas Direitos Humanos (Brasil)

34 – Instituto de Defesa do Consumidor (IDEC-SP) (Brasil)

35 – Grupo Pela Vidda/Niterói (Brasil)

36 – Médicos sem Fronteiras – BRASIL

37 – AFADA (Araruama/RJ) (Brasil)

38 – Grupo Amigos Posithivos (Brasil)

39 – API-AIDS (Brasil)

40 – CAAIDS (RJ) (Brasil)

41 – CEDOICOM (Brasil)

42 – Centro Social Cultural Tatiane Lima (Brasil)

43 – Centro de Integração, Ação e Desenvolvimento Social (CIADS-RJ) (Brasil)

44 – Cidade Viva (Brasil)

45 – Cieds (Brasil)

46 – Conselho de Gestores Comunitários (Congesco-RJ) (Brasil)

47 – Centro de Referência para Saúde da Mulher (CRESAM-RJ) (Brasil)

48 – Federação de Bandeirantes do Brasil (Brasil)

49 – Grupo de Apoio ao Tratamento para AIDS do Hospital de Ipanema (GATAHI-RJ) (Brasil)

50 – Grupo Água Viva (RJ) (Brasil)

51 – Grupo Arco-Íris (RJ) (Brasil)

52 – Grupo Amigos Posithivos (RJ) (Brasil)

53 – Grupo Assistencial SOS Vida (RJ) (Brasil)

54 – Grupo de Mulheres Felipa de Souza (RJ) (Brasil)

55 – Grupo Diversidade de Niterói (RJ) (Brasil)

56 – Grupo Fio da Alma (RJ) (Brasil)

57 – Grupo Reagir Posithivo (RJ) (Brasil)

58 – Ibiss (RJ) (Brasil)

59 – Comunidade Internacional de Mulheres Vivendo com HIV/AIDS (ICW-BRASIL)

60 – Instituto Evangélico de Assistência Médica e Social (RJ) (Brasil)

61 – Milagre da Vida (RJ) (Brasil)

62 – Movimento Nacional Cidadãs Positivas (RJ) (Brasil)

63 – Movimento de Mulheres de São Gonçalo (RJ) (Brasil)

64 – Ser Mulher (RJ) (Brasil)

65 - Thai network of people living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+ - Tailândia)

66 - Thai Rural Doctors society (Tailândia)

67 - Rural Pharmacist Foundation (Tailândia)

68 - Thai NGOs Coalition on AIDS (Tailândia)

69 - Foundation for AIDS Rights (FAR - Tailândia)

70 - AIDS ACCESS Foundation (Tailândia)

71 - Foundation for consumers (Tailândia)

72 - Federação Nacional dos Farmacêuticos (Fenafar) (Brasil)

73 – Grupo de Resistência Asa Branca-GRAB (Brasil)

74 – Rede de Solidariedade Positiva-RSP+ (Brasil)

75 – Nacional de Pessoas Vivendo com HIV/Aids- núcleo Ceará (Brasil)

76 – Movimento de Reintegração das Pessoas Atingidas pela Hanseníase (MORHAN) - Fortaleza (Brasil)

77 – Associação dos Voluntários do hospital São José (Brasil)

78 – Núcleo de Integração pela Vida-NIV (Brasil)

79 – Misión Salud (Colombia)

80 – Acción Internacional por la Salud (Colombia)

81 – Fundación IFARMA (Colombia)

82 - Red Colombiana de Personas Con VIH o SIDA – RECOLVIH (Colombia)

83 – Oxfam International - Brasil

84- Action Aid International

85- Agua Buena Pro Defensa de DDHH (Costa Rica)

86- Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coallition - CVC (Caribbean)

87- Centro de Orientación e Investigación Integral – COIN (Republica Dominicana)

88- Amigos Siempre Amigos (Republica Dominicana)

89- Acción Ciudadana Contra el Sida (Venezuela)

90- Laccaso/ Consejo Latino Americano y del Caribe de Organizaciones con Servicios en VIH/Sida

91 - Centre for Trade and Development – Centad (India)

92 - Delhi Network of Positive People – DNP+ (India)

93 - Positive Malaysian Treatment Access & Advocacy Group - MTAAG+ (Malaysia)

94 - Positive Living/ PT Foundation (Malaysia)

95 - Network of Indian People with Alternative Sexuality Living with HIV/Aids – NIPASHA+ (India)

96 - Health GAP

97 - Korean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights – KFHR (Korea)

98 - Physicians` Association for Humanism (Korea)

99 - Aids Law Project – ALP (South Africa)

100 - Treatment Action Campaign – TAC (South Africa)

101 - AIRO + Rights Alliance for Southern Africa – ARASA (South Africa)