Negotiating Health: Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines Book

* Explores the intrinsic conflict between intellectual property rights and the distribution of essential medicines* Discusses the implications for the health of the world’s poorest nations now that the full product patent requirements for medicines have come into force* The world’s leading authorities on the subject write from the perspectives of both the 'developed' and the 'developing' worldIn developing countries, access to affordable medicines for thetreatment of diseases such as AIDS and malaria remains a matter oflife or death. In Africa, for instance, more than one million childrendie each year from malaria alone, a figure which could soon be farhigher with the extension of patent rules for pharmaceuticals.Previously, access to essential medicines was made possible by thesupply of much cheaper generics, manufactured largely by India;from this year, however, the availability of these drugs is threatenedas new WTO rules take effect. Halting the spread of malaria andHIV/AIDS is one of the eight Millennium Goals adopted at the UNMillennium Summit, which makes this a timely and topical book.Informed analysis is provided by internationally renownedcontributors who look at the post-2005 world and discuss how actionmay be taken to ensure access to medicines is not sacrificed tocorporate attempts to protect business interests.Read More