Healthcare System Resilience Summit at Expo 2020 Dubai: A Call for International Collaboration

A number of prominent global health and policy leaders participated in The Healthcare System Resilience Summit at the Expo 2020 Dubai this January to discuss some of the largest challenges facing health care systems globally, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

International Panel on the Role of Intellectual Property in Pandemic Preparedness 

The COVID-19 pandemic led researchers, government leaders and biopharmaceutical companies across the globe to collaborate at unprecedented levels to discover and deliver solutions for patients. Intellectual property has been the foundation for establishing hundreds of new partnerships since the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to innovative solutions that are helping millions of patients. 

Health Innovation Continues to Thrive in MENA

With almost 12.0 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses having been produced and delivered, and nearly 5 billion people worldwide having received at least one dose, the positive role IP protections play in advancing innovation is significant. In particular, the United Arab Emirates has demonstrated global leadership as one of the world’s most vaccinated country, with 95% of its population considered fully vaccinated.

Ongoing Innovation is Essential to the COVID-19 Response

Across the Middle East and North Africa, vaccination efforts continue to ramp up. As of July 2021, sixteen vaccines are authorized and being distributed around the world. The United Arab Emirates recently became the world’s most vaccinated country by percent of its population. Across the region, however, vaccination rates differ greatly between nations, with access often dependent on the country’s financial status or what agreements are in place with other countries or vaccine manufacturers.