COVID-19 Vaccine, TRIPS, and Global Health Diplomacy: India's Role at the WTO Platform.

In light of the devastation caused by COVID-19, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and vaccine research and development (R&D) have been occupying a prominent position in the field of global health diplomacy (GHD). Most countries, international organizations, and charitable organizations have been engaged in the R&D of COVID-19 vaccines to ensure timely affordability and accessibility to all countries. Concomitantly, the World Trade Organization (WTO) provides some provisions and enforcements regarding copyrights, patents, trademarks, geographical indications, and industrial designs. Given these safeguards, it is considered that intellectual property rights (IPRs) have become major barriers to the affordability and accessibility of vaccines/medicines/technology, particularly to the developing/least developed countries. Realizing the gravity of the pandemic impact, as well as its huge population and size, India has elevated this issue in its global health diplomacy by submitting a joint proposal with South Africa to the World Trade Organization (WTO) for a temporary waiver of IPRs to ensure timely affordability and accessibility of COVID-19 medical products to all countries. However, the issue of the temporary waive off had become a geopolitical issue. Countries that used to claim per se as strong advocates of human rights, egalitarianism, and healthy democracy have opposed this proposal. In this contrasting milieu, this paper is aimed at examining how the TRIPS has become a barrier for developing countries' development and distribution of vaccines/technology; secondly, how India strategizes its role in the WTO in pursuant of its global health diplomacy? We conclude that the IPRs regime should not become a barrier to the accessibility/affordability of essential drugs and vaccines. To ensure access, India needs to get more engaged in GHD with all the involved global stakeholders to get strong support for their joint proposal. The developed countries that rejected/resisted the proposal can rethink their full support.

Global Disease Detection-Achievements in Applied Public Health Research, Capacity Building, and Public Health Diplomacy, 2001-2016.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established 10 Global Disease Detection (GDD) Program regional centers around the world that serve as centers of excellence for public health research on emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. The core activities of the GDD Program focus on applied public health research, surveillance, laboratory, public health informatics, and technical capacity building. During 2015-2016, program staff conducted 205 discrete projects on a range of topics, including acute respiratory illnesses, health systems strengthening, infectious diseases at the human-animal interface, and emerging infectious diseases. Projects incorporated multiple core activities, with technical capacity building being most prevalent. Collaborating with host countries to implement such projects promotes public health diplomacy. The GDD Program continues to work with countries to strengthen core capacities so that emerging diseases can be detected and stopped faster and closer to the source, thereby enhancing global health security.

La Sanidad Militar como instrumento de diplomacia médica: estudio retrospectivo de las evacuaciones de pacientes mauritanos al Hospital Central de la Defensa Gómez Ulla (2005-2015) / Military Health System as a Tool of Medical Diplomacy: Restrospective research of Mauritanian patients evacuated to Central Hospital of Defense Gómez Ulla (2005-2015)

INTRODUCCIÓN: La Sanidad Militar española juega un papel predominante en el acuerdo de cooperación entre Mauritania y España en 2003, que permite prestar apoyo médico a enfermos mauritanos en el Hospital Central de la Defensa. Este hecho constituye un ejemplo de cómo la medicina militar es empleada como elemento de diplomacia internacional en aras de la seguridad común. Material y MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal, retrospectivo entre 2005 y 2015 que incluye a pacientes evacuados desde Mauritania hasta España en virtud del acuerdo firmado entre ambos países en 2003. Las variables seleccionadas fueron de control y sociodemográficas, independientes (baja no de combate y baja de combate) y dependientes (enfermedad, accidente, intervención quirúrgica, y anestesia realizada). RESULTADOS: Durante el intervalo entre 2005 y 2015, 174 pacientes fueron seleccionados, y 89 cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Sesenta y nueve pacientes (77,5%) eran varones y 51 (57,3%) eran militares. El motivo de evacuación fue por enfermedad 85 pacientes (95,5%) y por accidente en 4 pacientes (4,5%). Los pacientes atendidos por tipo de especialidad fueron: traumatología 20, oftalmología 16, neurocirugía 9, otorrinolaringología 8, oncología 5, cardiología 5, urología 4, cirugía plástica 4, pediatría 3, cirugía general 3, neurología 2, neumología 2, digestivo 2, ginecología 2 y cirugía vascular 1. Uno de los pacientes (1,1%) falleció en el hospital. CONCLUSIÓN: La Sanidad Militar española juega un papel determinante como instrumento de Diplomacia Médica

INTRODUCTION: Spanish Medical Corp from 2003 plays a predominant role in the cooperation agreement between Mau-ritania and Spain, which allows medical support to Mauritanian patients in the Central Hospital of Defense «Gomez Ulla» (Madrid -Spain-). This is an example of how military medicine is used as an element of international diplomacy for the sake of common security. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional, retrospective study between 2005 and 2015 including patients evacuated from Mauritania to Spain under the agreement signed between both countries in 2003. The selected variables were sociodemographic control and independent (non-combat casualty and combat casualty) and dependent (illness, accident, surgery and anesthesia performed). RESULTS: During the interval between 2005 and 2015, 174 patients were screened, and 89 met the inclusion criteria. Sixty-nine patients (77.5%) were male and 51 (57.3%) were military. Evacuation cause was sick 85 patients (95.5%) and by accident in 4 patients (4.5%). Patients treated by type of specialty were: traumatology 20, ophthalmology 16, neurosurgery 9, otolaryngology 8, oncology 5, cardiology 5, urology 4, plastic surgery 4, pediatrics 3, general surgery 3, neurology 2, pulmonology 2, digestive 2, gynecology 2 and vascular surgery 1. One patient (1.1%) died in hospital. CONCLUSION: Spanish Medical Corps should play a key role as an instrument of Medical Diplomacy

Uma política externa engajada: a diplomacia do governo Lula / An engaged foreign policy: the diplomacy of the Lula government

Ensaio comparativo, contrastando as políticas externas das administrações Fernando Henrique Cardoso e Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, com base em suas características gerais e nas tomadas de posição em relação a um conjunto de temas da agenda internacional, nomeadamente: multilateralismo e Conselho de Segurança das Nações Unidas; OMC, negociações comerciais multilaterais e cooperação Sul-Sul; terrorismo; globalização e capitais voláteis; FMI e política de condicionalidades; Brasil como líder; América do Sul; Mercosul; Argentina; Europa; relação com os Estados Unidos e Alca, ademais dos instrumentos diplomáticos mobilizados por cada um dos governos. Os elementos de ruptura são mais evidentes no estilo do que na substância da diplomacia brasileira, que continua a ostentar fortes traços de continuidade.

Comparative essay, constrasting the foreign policies of Fernando Henrique Cardoso's and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administrations. Besides the general features of each diplomacy, external policies and practices of each government are compared for a set issues of the international agenda, namely: multilateralism and UN Security Council; WTO, multilateral trade negotiations and South-South cooperation; terrorism; globalization and financial flows; IMF and economic policy requirements; Brazil as a leader; South America; Mercosul; Argentina; Europe; relationship with the United States, and FTAA, with a final section on diplomatic tools preferred by each government. Break lines are much more evident in the style than in the substance of Brazilian diplomacy, which continues to show strong features of continuity.