China tells journal publishers to share research with WHO’s Covid-19 database

Government-backed association calls on members to contribute so that global researchers can ‘benefit from our developments’

Beijing has been criticised for a lack of transparency over the coronavirus outbreak

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The WHO database was set up to give scientists open and free access to coronavirus research. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 10:00pm, 20 May 2020Updated: 1:16am, 21 May 2020

China has called for research literature and data to be shared with the World Health Organisation’s international Covid-19 database, in an apparent bid to counter accusations it has not been transparent about the outbreak.

The China Association for Science and Technology, a government-backed organisation, asked its members to contribute to the WHO’s collection of data in an open letter on its website on Tuesday.

“The CAST calls on all relevant publishers to proactively participate in building the WHO’s Covid-19 database, and to authorise the WHO to use their original metadata and journal papers,” the letter said.

“[This will allow] global medical workers and researchers combating the pandemic to more thoroughly and widely benefit from our country’s research developments and treatment, prevention and control experiences,” it said.

The database was set up to give scientists open and free access to research on the new coronavirus, which has killed more than 323,000 people and infected nearly 5 million worldwide. It is a collection of research papers related to Covid-19 from academic journals around the world, some of which usually limit access to subscribers.

Those who sign up for the database will grant the WHO irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free licence to reproduce and use the metadata and abstracts of their Covid-19 research for five years.