Viral Sovereignty and Technology Transfer

Sharing biological resources—critical for new medicines and vaccines—has declined as countries and scientists dispute rights over research.

A resource for scholars and students of international public health, this volume analyses the global system for sharing pathogens for research into diagnostics, medicines, and vaccines. Authors trace the problems posed by negotiating for access to biological resources and offer solutions to ensure that politics do not threaten biomedical advances.In the global infectious-disease research community, there has long been uncertainty about the conditions under which biological resources may be studied or transferred out of countries. This work examines the reasons for that uncertainty and shows how global biomedical research has been shaped by international disputes over access to biological resources. Bringing together government leaders, World Health Organization officials, and experts in virology, wildlife biology, clinical ethics, technology transfer, and international law, the book identifies the critical problems - and implications of these problems - posed by negotiating for access and sharing benefits, and proposes solutions to ensure that biomedical advances are not threatened by global politics. Written in accessible, non-technical language, this work should be read by anyone who sees global health and biomedical research as a priority for international lawmakers.