Twenty months—that is how long it took the World Trade Organization to waive some of its intellectual property (IP) restrictions so that more manufacturers could produce life-saving COVID-19 vaccines and boost vaccine access in low- and middle-income countries. In the twenty months, the WHO, scientists, and activists rallied for a TRIPS waiver, likening the circumstances then to the early years of the AIDS response when, yet again, IP hindered timely access to drugs for millions in developing countries.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing limited access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics was yet another stark reminder of Africa’s inadequate investment in research and innovation and the missed opportunities to leverage IP for health and economic development. The UNESCO Global Investments in R&D report estimates that sub-Saharan African countries spend just about 0.4% of their GDP on research and development (R&D) against a global average of 1.7%, significantly below the 1% target by the African Union (AU). This partly explains Africa’s marginal contribution to the global innovation landscape, where, for instance, the continent accounts for only 0.5% of the world’s patent applications – this compares dismally to Asia at 66.6%. Moreover, the over-reliance on international cooperation for R&D, limited awareness and use of IP, complexities in the process, and prohibitive costs in patent registration have reinforced the status quo.
Universities and research institutions are significant sources of knowledge and innovations. However, too often, most of these intellectual assets are not taken further down the pipeline to production, therefore missing out on opportunities for commercialization that could benefit economies. The challenges facing technology transfer – the process of converting scientific findings into products or services that are useful to society – and commercialization are multifaceted. Beyond the fragmented regional IP frameworks and weak or lacking national IP law policies, the African researcher also has to contend with challenges at the institutional and individual levels.
Within institutions, inadequate funding for research and innovation, lack of IP policies for safeguarding, unresourced technology transfer offices, and low IP awareness at the individual level are glaring challenges. Prof. Bosede Afolabi of the University of Lagos, a renowned sickle cell pregnancy researcher resonates with this.
“At the beginning of my career, I struggled to secure grants for my research on sickle cell disease, let alone thinking about patenting and IP. It took me about 15 more years to learn this because there was little awareness of leveraging high-quality research for knowledge and innovation. This experience differs from that of universities in the USA or UK, where direction and resources are provided for academics earlier on,” the professor said on the matter.
In a continent in need of breakthroughs in the surveillance, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of several life-threatening diseases, investing in the research-to-innovation pipeline and strengthening IP governance frameworks to protect our rich biodiversity and traditional knowledge is critical to tap into the knowledge economy. Cognizant of this, the Lagos State Ministry of Health in Nigeria has taken a pioneering step to conduct an analysis of the IP and technology transfer landscape in Nigeria, develop a roadmap for establishing an IP desk, and develop an IP policy through the support of the Catalyze Impact Initiative. Reflecting on the significance of the undertaking, Prof. Akin Abayomi, the Honorable Commissioner for Health at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, observes that,
“Africa has the largest diversity of biological genomic material and this makes us vulnerable to biopiracy in research. Therefore, we at the Ministry must understand how to protect our indigenous knowledge systems, trade secrets and biological data.”
The UNESCO Global Investments in R&D report estimates that sub-Saharan African countries spend just about 0.4% of their GDP on research and development (R&D) against a global average of 1.7%
Africa is at a critical crossroads, with the pressing need to leverage its intellectual property rights for health and economic prosperity. Our continued dependence on the global North for access to vaccines and drugs during disease outbreaks reminds us of the urgency of this mission. The continent’s limited investment in research and development has kept it on the fringes of the global innovation landscape, missing out on potential avenues for growth and self-sufficiency.
Yet, initiatives such as the Lagos State Ministry of Health’s analysis and roadmap for IP governance offer a beacon of hope. Africa can unlock its potential in disease control and economic progress by strengthening IP frameworks, preserving indigenous knowledge, and fostering a culture of innovation. As Prof. Akin Abayomi rightly emphasized, safeguarding Africa’s biological resources from exploitation is paramount. The time has come for Africa to take control of its intellectual capital and pave the way for a more resilient and prosperous future. The UNESCO Global Investments in R&D report estimates that sub-Saharan African countries spend just about 0.4% of their GDP on research and development (R&D) against a global average of 1.7%
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