WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & THE DEVELOPING COUNTIRES • Links Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Medicines Suggestions Conclusion ‘There is no patent. Could you patent the sun? Introduction

Links Introduction Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS • The WTO, TRIPS rules were introduced after continuous lobbying by trans-national corporations (TNCs). • The Agreement forces the member countries to grant at least 20-year patent protection in all fields of technology, including medicines. Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Introduction CONTD..

Links Introduction….. Introduction • This enables already powerful developed countries pharmaceutical TNCs to join their market domination on a global scale. • At a time when millions of people are already unable to afford essential medicines. WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Introduction CONTD..

Links Introduction….. Introduction • How the WTO patent rules work and how they will affect the price of medicines in developing countries • The negative effects of the rules, • Corporate interests & poverty reduction • Health crisis in developing countries • Need for governments to fill the gaps in pharmaceutical research • Who makes the decisions • Some recommendation for developing countries. WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Introduction

Links Introduction WTO, TRIPS & Patents WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss WTO • The inter governmental organization • Promote and liberalize the trade • Basically an agreement that erects barriers • Undermines competition • Protects private rights Medicines Suggestions Conclusion WTO, TRIPS CONTD..

Links WTO, TRIPS & Patents…… Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss TRIPS • Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations (ACTN) and IPC, convinced the government that the ‘theft’ of US technology could be stopped only by creating international rules. •The US TNCs skillfully enrolled their European and Japanese counterparts to put pressure on the other rich country governments, and the deal was done which laid the groundwork for what became TRIPS Medicines Suggestions Conclusion WTO, TRIPS CONTD..

Links WTO, TRIPS & Patents…… Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Patents • A control or monopoly of some pharmaceutical business, granted by the country for a particular period of time for the commercial exploitation of a scientific or technological invention. • The social function of patent is to stimulate innovation & it is applicable on either a product or a process. Medicines Suggestions Conclusion WTO, TRIPS

Links Patent’s effects on Developing countries Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS • To talk about TRIPS some years ago was totally unknown; it was something from another planet to most of us. • Many developing countries were unaware of the implications of TRIPS. • Even now, many of the poorer countries are unaware to the commitments they made in 1994. Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Patent Effects CONTD..

Links Patent’s effects…. Introduction • The new patent rules, at present coming into force in many developing countries • Introduce new global standards for all member Countries • Forced member countries with a minimum 20-year patent term for all products, including medicines and the processes by which these are made. WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Patent Effects CONTD..

Links Patent’s effects…. Introduction • During this period, the prices of many medicines could be at least three and possibly more times higher than they would previously • It is a right of any country to override a patent and authorize third-party production of a medicine. • Some industrialized countries, like the United States, Japan, Denmark, Germany etc. are using political pressure and the threat of trade sanctions to force countries to enact laws of TRIPS, which exclude public-health issues. . WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Patent Effects CONTD..

Links Patent’s effects…. Introduction • All WTO member countries, even the poorest in the world, must be obedient with the whole of TRIPS by 2006, depending on their stage of development. • Otherwise, rich countries can take them to the WTO court, which can impose sanctions on those countries. • The Agreement is loaded against poor people of the poor countries. Majority of the TRIPS agreements were heavily biased in favor of the developed countries. WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Patent Effects

Links Issue of Public Health Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss ‘Many – even very poor people – can afford to buy drugs when the need is urgent and they are desperate. Our parents are just like all parents anywhere in the world. If a child is sick, they will do everything they can, to help that child. They will borrow money. They will sell a cow. They will sell the tin from their roof. I see this every day’. Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, health activist in Bangladesh Public Health CONTD..

Links Issue of Public Health…. Introduction • In this tech world, one in five of the world’s • population does not have access to health • services. Inadequate water supply and sanitation, • poor diet and the low quality of education are • major contributory factors to ill health. • Developing country governments could do more to make medicines available to the poor but the governments like the govt. of Pakistan continue to spend far less on public health than on other priorities, such as military budgets WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Public Health

Links Medicine access, …. Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Price increases shall be a regular feature, with the introduction of &/or strengthening of patent protection in developing countries. According to an estimate, prices could be three times or more during this time. For some products, prices could be ten or twenty times higher. Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Medicines CONTD..

Links Medicine access, …. Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss TRIPS will make it harder for domestic pharmaceutical industries Prices could be three times or more during this time. For some products, prices could be ten or twenty times higher. Incomes and employment in the sector will fall Poor countries will become more dependent on expensive patented imports Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Medicines

Links Govt. Role Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Allocation of resources would follow clearly defined public-health priorities. Availability of cheaper and more easily used medicines. Research priorities should build in a gender dimension and ensure that treatments for diseases that particularly affect women are investigated. All countries, rich and poor are required to contribute annually based on their capacities, making it a genuine global initiative. Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Suggestions CONTD..

Links Pharmaceuticals Role Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Determining the availability and affordability of medicines They develop and manufacture most of the world’s medicines, deciding what is produced, and how much it will sell for. Corporate charity Give EMR Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Suggestions CONTD..

Links Pakistan’s Role Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss Designing patent legislation to provide maximum protection for public-health needs Pressure for IP protection that goes beyond TRIPS should be resisted Involving health ministries, other government departments, and parliaments in decision-making on IP rules, including fundamental questions such as minimum patent length. Encouraging broad public debate on the issues. Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Suggestions CONTD..

Links Conclusion Introduction WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WTO,TRIPS Patent Effects Pb. Health Iss In my opinion TRIPS related agreements are not suitable for majority of developing & all poor countries to follow. Pakistan has to strengthen its relation with ‘Like-Minded Group’ of developing Countries comprising Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Uganda, Medicines Suggestions Conclusion Conclusion THANKS

WTO, TRIPS, PATENT RULES & DEVELOPING COUNTRIES