Table 4 Implementation of available TRIPS Flexibilities by WHO African Region Countries

Patentability criteria and exemption from patentability based on what constitutes novelty.

Namibia, Rwanda and Zambia have specifically legislated against new or second use of already patented pharmaceutical products to stop “ever-greening” of patents

Research exception

Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda,

OAPI countries –Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo do not provide legislative exceptions for research purposes.

Regulatory review exception (Bolar exception)

Botswana, Cabo Verde, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

OAPI countries –Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo do not provide legislative exceptions for regulatory review purposes.

Compulsory licensing

Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and OAPI countries namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

Exhaustion of rights and parallel importation

International exhaustion – Botswana, Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Regional Exhaustion – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo – essentially all OAPI countries.

National exhaustion – Eswatini, The Gambia, Lesotho, Rwanda, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania, Nigeria, Sao Tome & Principe, South Sudan, Uganda

Algeria – legislation^a does not specify applicable level of exhaustion whether national or international

Patent term extension

Angola^b, Zimbabwe^c

Limits on test data protection

Uganda

Transition periods for LDCs and exemption of pharmaceutical products from patentable subject matter

Angola, Burundi, Madagascar, Liberia, Rwanda, Uganda have excluded pharmaceutical products from patentability criteria

OAPI countries –Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo, do not exempt pharmaceutical products from patentable subject matter.

Enactment of a patent opposition system

Countries with a pre-grant opposition system: - Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries with a post-grant opposition system: - Botswana, Comoros, DRC, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

OAPI countries –Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo do not have patent opposition legislation.