Cheaper drugs for developing countries
Sep 01, 2003
The World Trade Organisation’s long-fought deal Saturday to improve access to generic drugs for poor countries drew wide praise, but critics said the agreement could aggravate the plight of millions suffering from AIDS, malaria and other grave diseases.
The World Trade Organisation’s long-fought deal Saturday to improve access to generic drugs for poor countries drew wide praise, but critics said the agreement could aggravate the plight of millions suffering from AIDS, malaria and other grave diseases.
Breaking an eight-month deadlock, the 146-member WTO approved changes to its intellectual property rights laws making it easier for the poor to import generic prescription drugs. “This is a historic agreement for the WTO. The final piece of the jigsaw has fallen into place allowing poorer countries to make full use of the flexibilities in the WTO’s intellectual property rules in order to deal with the diseases that ravage their people,†WTO boss Supachai Panitchpakdi said.
Breaking an eight-month deadlock, the 146-member WTO approved changes to its intellectual property rights laws making it easier for the poor to import generic prescription drugs. “This is a historic agreement for the WTO. The final piece of the jigsaw has fallen into place allowing poorer countries to make full use of the flexibilities in the WTO’s intellectual property rules in order to deal with the diseases that ravage their people,†WTO boss Supachai Panitchpakdi said.