The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the establishment of the Health Technology Access Pool (HTAP) as the successor to the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP). This initiative aims to ensure equitable and affordable access to essential health products globally.
WHO leverages pandemic experience into expanding access to Health Tech
C-TAP, which was launched in May 2020 in collaboration with the Government of Costa Rica and other partners, focused on facilitating access to COVID-19 health products through the voluntary sharing of intellectual property, knowledge, and data among technology developers. Now, HTAP will build upon this foundation, incorporating structural and process changes to enhance its effectiveness in diversifying the manufacturing of prioritised technologies.
HTAP will maintain its focus on pandemic preparedness and response while also addressing other public health priorities. By targeting platform technologies and other health products relevant during and outside of health emergencies, HTAP aims to amplify its public health impact and attract greater market opportunities for licenced technologies.
Strategy built around partnerships all across the value chain
Key attributes of the HTAP model include engagement across the entire technology value chain, confirmation of the public health business case, development of partnerships, strategic planning, and adoption of a nuanced approach to licencing. These strategies are designed to ensure the successful implementation of HTAP and address access gaps in an ongoing manner.
WHO will provide further details on HTAP's operations and targeted technologies in the first quarter of 2024, with the official launch tentatively planned for the second quarter of the same year. In the interim, WHO will apply the principles outlined by HTAP to evaluate opportunities for securing health technologies and expanding production capacity.
HTAP will deliver a more proactive approach to an expanded scope
Compared to C-TAP, HTAP represents an expansion to future emergencies and other priority diseases, a more proactive approach, engagement across the value chain through partnerships, full integration within the access ecosystem, and alignment with WHO programmes. The differentiated approach towards licensing aims to ensure the sustained success of the initiative.
HTAP is expected to address access inequities beyond pandemics, enhance attractiveness to both technology holders and recipients, and leverage the strengths, expertise, and resources of WHO and its partners. By promoting continuity and alignment along the value chain, HTAP seeks to achieve sustainable success in improving global health outcomes.
Source: WHO
Image Credit: WHO
