Global bodies launch platform to tackle COVID pandemic

Heads of the global health, intellectual property and trade bodies have announced a joint platform to help countries plug the gaps in accessing Covid-19 vaccines, treatments and technologies.World Health Organization’s Tedros Ghebreyesus, World Intellectual Property Organization’s Daren Tang and World Trade Organization’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said they want to map out further collaboration to tackle the pandemic. In a joint statement, they said they will implement a joint platform for tripartite technical assistance to countries relating to their needs for Covid-19 medical technologies. They further said countries would be able to access expertise in places where the three fields cross over in battling the pandemic. 
The platform will provide "a one-stop shop that will make available the full range of expertise on access, intellectual property and trade matters provided by our organisations, and other partners, in a coordinated way. The statement said, it would support countries in assessing and prioritising their unmet needs for Covid-19 vaccines, medicines and other related technologies. It would also help them make full use of all available options to access such tools, including through coordinating with other countries going through similar challenges, it added.