2022 part1

115/ WTO issues inventory of COVID-19 information resources

30 MARCH 2022

The WTO has published a compilation of information resources, such as databases and reports, that provide information and data on a wide range of issues relating to COVID-19. The inventory provides a useful tool for government officials and other stakeholders wishing to access information about the latest developments regarding COVID-19.

The inventory currently contains 70 information resources managed by international organizations, non-governmental organizations, academics and the private sector. It covers a variety of topics, such as vaccination, production of vaccines, government procurement, cases, diagnostics, therapeutics and intellectual property-related issues.

The compilation will be updated as other information resources become available. The inventory does not constitute an exhaustive list, nor is it meant to endorse any of the listed data sources.

At the trilateral workshop organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the WTO on “Innovation in, and Access to, COVID-19 Technologies: Accessing and Using Information Resources for the Pandemic Response” held on 28 February 2022, participants acknowledged the importance of having comprehensive information at hand to support informed decision-making and to implement public health policies that help to tackle the current pandemic. This information is also important for being better prepared to respond to future pandemics.

The three organizations are committed to working closely together to help overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating human, social and economic impacts, as agreed by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WIPO Director General Daren Tang, and WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in their meeting on 15 June 2021 and reaffirmed on 1 February  2022.

Source: wto.org