Document Type

Article

Disciplines

International Law

Abstract

In a statement to the fourth World Trade Organization ("WTO") Ministerial Conference recently held in Doha, Qatar, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General of the World Health Organization ("WHO"), stated: "a fine balance needs to be struck between providing incentives for future invention of new medicines and ensuring affordable access to existing medicines. One third of the world's population still lacks access to the medicines needed for good health."'

Currently, about ninety percent of global investments are put toward developing new drugs to combat diseases that affect less than ten percent of the world's population.2 Pharmaceuticals are responsible for an increasing share of health care expenditures. Expenditures on pharmaceuticals, in contrast to other health care expenditures, tend not to be covered by public or private health insurance. This is especially true in developing countries, where pharmaceutical drugs represent an enormous financial burden on poor families. Access to drugs in developing countries is also limited by mismanagement and corruption.

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