[Ip-health] Americas Program | SA Ministers Protect Access to Medicines

[IRC]

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New at IRC Americas Program

=93A New World of Citizen Action, Analysis, and Policy Options=94
http://americas.irc-online.org/

Introducing the latest policy analysis from IRC Americas Program

South American Ministers Vow to Protect Access to Medicines
By Martin Khor

The Ministers of Health of ten South American countries have issued a
joint declaration on intellectual property committing themselves to
avoid "TRIPS plus" provisions=97clauses that are stricter than the
=93Trade-Related Intellectual Property=94 measures stipulated by the World
Trade Organization=97in bilateral and regional trade agreements. They
also agreed to facilitate the use of compulsory licensing and parallel
importing and to avoid broadening the scope of patentability and the
extension of patentable areas.

Explaining the rationale for their commitments, the Ministers said
there was a significant increase in drug prices which affects
government programs and consumers. They attributed this to the patent
system which affects health products that are essential for the
prevention and treatment of serious public health conditions, leading
to the worsening of the problem of access to essential drugs.

Martin Khor is an economist and director of the Third World Network,
based in Penang, Malaysia. He has been covering trade negotiations in
Geneva. The Third World Network can be found on line at:
www.twnside.org.sg.

See new IRC article online at:
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/3320

With printer-friendly pdf version at:
http://americas.irc-online.org/pdf/reports/0606vow.pdf


For media inquiries Siri Khalsa, media@irc-online.org, 505-388-0208

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