WHO Technical Advisory Group on the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool
WHO has established a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to advise on scientific, technical and strategic matters related to the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP).

Overview

WHO has established a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to advise on scientific, technical and strategic matters related to the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP).

The group is composed of 10 renowned experts with a diverse range of knowledge and expertise as clinicians and researchers working on COVID-19 health products; experts in access to medicines, diagnostics, vaccines and other health products; specialists of public health-oriented intellectual property; technology transfer experts; business development experts; experts in pricing, procurement, needs estimation and/or regulation of medicines.

The C-TAP Secretariat published the call for experts in December 2020 soliciting proposals from experts to serve on its technical advisory group. C-TAP aims to facilitate timely, equitable and affordable access of COVID-19 health products by boosting their supply. WHO C-TAP implementing partners include the Medicines Patent Pool, Open COVID Pledge, UN Technology Bank and Unitaid. 

The technical advisory group will have its first meeting on 19 October 2021 to receive an update on COVID-19 Technology Access Pool progress to date, to review the terms of reference and the role of the Technical Advisory Group and reach agreement on how to deliver, to define priority areas/themes for the Technical Advisory Group, and to review operational procedures of WHO Technical Advisory Groups. 

 

Member biographies

The members appointed by WHO Assistant Director-General, Medicines & Health Products to the WHO Technical Advisory Group on the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) for the period 2021 to 2023 are as follows: 

Padmashree Gehl Sampath

TAG Chairperson, Senior Advisor Global Access in Action Program of the Berkman Klein Center, Harvard University

Frederick Abbott

Eminent Scholar Professor of Law Florida State University College of Law

Jonathan Berger

Advocate (barrister) High Court of South Africa

Jorge Bermudez

Senior Researcher and Head of the Medicines Policy Department National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation

Pascale Boulet

Intellectual Property and Access Leader Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative

Jan Hendriks

Independent Vaccinology Researcher and Consultant

Ruth Lopert

Senior Health Economist/Senior Health Policy Analyst Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Neelika Malavige

Professor and Head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Asmaa Osman

Associate Professor, Consultant Physician, Clinical Pathology Assiut School of Medicine