WHO and Costa Rica preview technology pooling initiative to ensure access to COVID-19 health products for all

Presidents Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica and Sebastián Piñera of Chile joined WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to announce progress on a technology platform that aims to lift access barriers to effective vaccines, medicines and other health products against COVID-19.

The platform will pool data, knowledge and intellectual property for existing or new COVID-19 health products to deliver ‘global public goods’ for all people and all countries. Through the open sharing of science and data, numerous companies will be able to access the information they need to produce the technologies, thereby scaling up availability worldwide, lowering costs and increasing access. 

WHO and Costa Rica will officially launch the platform on 29 May. On that date, a Solidarity Call to Action will be published on WHO’s web site where governments, research and development funders, institutions and companies can express their support.

The solidarity of all of ...

COVID-19 technology access pool

Commitments to share knowledge, intellectual property and data

The single most important priority of the global community is to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, halt its rapid transmission and reverse the trend of consequential global distress. This goal is only achievable when everyone, everywhere can access the health technologies they need for COVID-19 detection, prevention, treatment and response.

The COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) will compile, in one place, pledges of commitment made under the Solidarity Call to Action to voluntarily share COVID-19 health technology related knowledge, intellectual property and data. Shared knowledge, intellectual property and data will leverage our collective efforts to advance scientific discovery, technology development and broad sharing of the benefits of scientific advancement and its applications based on the right to health.

Holders of COVID-19 health technology related knowledge, intellectual property and/or data are invited to "TAKE ACTION NOW"

Access to COVID-19 Tools (Act) Accelerator- A ...