The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the need for research and development into and access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines for the communicable and noncommunicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries. Target 3.b is to support research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and noncommunicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all. The aim of the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property (GSPA-PHI), adopted in 2008 (2), is to promote new thinking on innovation and access to medicines and to secure an enhanced and sustainable basis for needs-driven essential health research and development relevant to diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries.

This paper analyzes the 2008 Global Strategy on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property released by the World Health Organization. The Global Strategy was an effort by WHO to increase innovation for pharmaceutical technology in developing countries. This paper introduces the Global Strategy, traces early efforts to implement the policy, and makes suggested changes based on other evidence.

This study seeks to reinforce the understanding of the interplay between the distinct policy domains of health, trade and intellectual property, and of how they affect medical innovation and access to medical technologies. The second edition comprehensively reviews new developments in key areas since the initial launch of the study in 2013.