Full text PDF - International Policy Network

Fighting theDiseases of PovertyHow does economic globalisation affect health? Why is access tomedicines in many poor countries so low? Why, despite record levelsof spending, are intergovernmental efforts to fight disease soineffectual? In this book, a collection of experts address these andother questions, showing that:• Human health has been improvingglobally since the mid 18th Century andhealth inequalities between countries –with a few exceptions – are decreasing.• As a result, the populations of poorercountries are ageing and their burden ofdisease increasingly resembles that ofwealthy countries.• Despite these significant advances,access to medicines in poor countriesremains low – in large part becauseof a range of counterproductivegovernment policies.• Intellectual property is blamed by somefor restricting access to medicines, yetthis is rarely the case; rather, it is a vitalincentive for the development of newdrugs for the diseases of poverty.• A lack of enforceable property rights andweak rule of law are contributing to anexplosion of counterfeit medicines inless developed countries, to the gravedetriment of the health of the poor.• Government attempts to plan andcontrol universal healthcare systemsresult in rationing, inequitable accessand entrenched corruption.• Endemic corruption in the healthsystems of less developed countriesundermines the effectiveness ofoverseas development aid.• The politicisation of diseases suchas HIV/AIDS has led to a diversionof resources away from more easilytreatable diseases that affect morepeople. Cost-effective and simpleinterventions such as vaccinationare being subordinated to other more‘politically correct’ diseases.• Meanwhile, the UN’s centrally-plannedAIDS and malaria programmes haveharmed patients and wasted resources.• The structure and funding of the WorldHealth Organization leads it to focusresources on the modish health issuesof wealthy countries, rather thanfighting the diseases of poverty.www.fightingdiseases.orgInternational Policy Press, LondonPrice: £12