Politics, Philosophy and Economics of Health (360G-Wellcome-213124_Z_18_Z)

This project will examine benefits sharing for the provision of genetic information in the creation of medical treatments for infectious diseases. Networks to enable the international sharing of genetic material are a cornerstone of pandemic preparedness initiatives. Countries with the highest disease burdens share their isolated virus strains, that are utilised by pharmaceutical companies to create patented therapies, typically inaccessible to the citizens of the country from which they originated. The inequity of such a system is clear. In response to Indonesia’s 2006 protest, the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework (PIP) was developed to facilitate benefits sharing. Uniquely, this framework set a standard of practice for governments, academics, and the private sector, and enabled it to be enforced through the use of civil contractual legislation. However, recent scientific and technological advancements, such as gene sequencing data (GSD), may serve to diminish the framework’s capacity to promote global health justice. Through an evaluation of the effectiveness and equity of current policy, this research attempts to highlight areas of tensions that arise in light of recent innovation. If left unaddressed, these new gaps could impede the goal of fairness that these policies set out to achieve, directly impacting the health of individuals globally.