Patents, International Trade Law and Access to Essential精选.pdfVIP

PATENTS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW AND ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL MEDICINES B Y R I C H A R D E L L I O T T A N D M A R I E -HÉ L È N E B O N I N What is the issue? More than 85% of the world’s population live in developing countries, and the vast majority of them have no or limited access to drugs that have saved and extended the lives of people in richer, developed countries. In the developing world, where 95% of the 40 million people with HIV/AIDS live, 20 million people have already died from AIDS. Every day, over 8,000 more people die and another 15,000 are infected with HIV. The global epidemic is devastating entire countries and regions. Similarly, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria kill massively and mainly among the poorest and most vulnerable of the global population, given their extremely limited access to effective forms of treatment. What does this document tell me? This document answers some frequently asked questions about patents and international trade laws. The rules on drug patents in domestic laws and international trade agreements affect the availability and affordability medicines to treat diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB and malari