Utilising Public Health Flexibilities in the Era of COVID-19: An Analysis of Intellectual Property Regulation in The OAPI and MENA Regions of Africa

Authors: Yousuf A. Vawda and Bonginkosi Shozi

Abstract: The paper explores the unique approaches to IP protection in the countries belonging to the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle/African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions; the limited extent to which legal and policy frameworks with regard to TRIPS flexibilities have been adopted and implemented in pursuit of access to medicines in those countries; and makes recommendations in order to optimise the use of the flexibilities in advancing public health objectives. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of IP rights on access, and some approaches to countering the challenges to access are also discussed.

Citation: Vawda, Yousuf A. and Shozi, Bonginkosi, Utilising Public Health Flexibilities in the Era of COVID-19: An Analysis of Intellectual Property Regulation in The OAPI and MENA Regions of Africa (November 1, 2021). South Centre Research Paper 141 (2021), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4006606.