Prof. Neelika Malavige has been selected as a member of the World Health Organization’s technical advisory committee on COVID-19.

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

Prof. Malavige currently serves as the Head of the Immunology and Molecular Medicine Department at the Sri Jayewardenepura University.

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.

The C-TAP Secretariat published the call for experts in December 2020 soliciting proposals from experts to serve on its technical advisory group. It aims to facilitate timely, equitable and affordable access of COVID-19 health products by boosting their supply.

WHO C-TAP implementing partners include the Medicines Patent Pool, Open COVID Pledge, UN Technology Bank and Unitaid. 

The technical advisory group will have its first meeting on 19 October 2021 to receive an update on COVID-19 Technology Access Pool progress to date, to review the terms of reference and the role of the Technical Advisory Group and reach agreement on how to deliver, to define priority areas/themes for the Technical Advisory Group, and to review operational procedures of WHO Technical Advisory Groups.