Professor at the Department of Immunology and Molecular Sciences of the Sri Jayawardenepura University, Prof. Neelika Malavige has been selected as one of the experts on WHO Technical Advisory Group on the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) for the period 2021 to 2023.

The members were appointed by the WHO Assistant Director-General, Medicines & Health Products.

The COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) provides a platform for developers of COVID-19 therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines and other health products to voluntarily share their intellectual property, knowledge, and data, with multiple quality-assured manufacturers. This enables manufacturers that currently have untapped capacity to produce COVID-19 health products by giving them the legal rights to manufacture and sell the products; the technological know-how required to develop high-quality products effectively and efficiently; and access to clinical data needed to obtain regulatory approval for their products.

WHO has established a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to advise on scientific, technical and strategic matters related to the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP).

The group is composed of 10 renowned experts with a diverse range of knowledge and expertise as clinicians and researchers working on COVID-19 health products; experts in access to medicines, diagnostics, vaccines and other health products; specialists of public health-oriented intellectual property; technology transfer experts; business development experts; experts in pricing, procurement, needs estimation and/or regulation of medicines.

Other members of the committee include :

Scholar Professor of Law Florida State University College of Law Frederick Abbott

Senior Researcher and Head of the Medicines Policy Department National School of Public Health Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Jorge Bermudez

Intellectual Property and Access Leader Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative Pascale Boulet

Independent Vaccinology Researcher and Consultant Jan Hendriks

Senior Health Economist/Senior Health Policy Analyst Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Ruth Lopert

Associate Professor, Consultant Physician, Clinical Pathology Assiut School of Medicine Asmaa Osman

Professor of the Practice and Director of the Innovation + Design Enabling Access (IDEA) Initiative Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Anthony So

Senior Advisor Global Access in Action Program of the Berkman Klein Center, Harvard University Padmashree Gehl Sampath.