ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the contribution of the World Health Organization (WHO) to access to health products in relation to the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement or intellectual property rights. It captures the actions and inactions of the WHO so as to delineate its contributions to change in the access to medicines discourse since the coming into force of the TRIPS agreement. The chapter also outlines recent developments and highlights WHO action and contribution, with some examples of specific activities undertaken by the WHO to promote access to medicines in response to its various resolutions. One of the objectives of the WHO medicines strategy is the improvement of access to essential medicines. The WHO provides useful guidance on how to use TRIPS flexibilities to promote access to medicines by enunciating and assessing the Doha declaration. Additionally, the WHO facilitates informed country approaches to health and trade by providing independent data and technical assistance to countries.
