Globalization is a key context for the study of social determinants of health (SDH): broadly stated, SDH are the conditions in which people live and work, and that affect their opportunities to lead healthy lives. In the first article in this three part series, we described the origins of the series in work conducted for the Globalization Knowledge Network of the World Health Organizations Commission on Social Determinants of Health and in the Commissions specific concern with health equity.
Health equity in economic and trade policies
Globalization and social determinants of health: The role of the global marketplace (part 2 of 3)
Labonte R, Schrecker T: Globalization and Health 3:6, 19 June 2007
In defense of national interest: Uganda's reform process for Industrial Property Legislation
Mpeirwe A: Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS Uganda) and Panos Eastern Africa, 2003
Uganda is currently preoccupied with reforms for its commercial laws. The
patent law is one of the laws under reform. A draft bill known as the Industrial Property bill is pending submission to cabinet at the time of writing. This report explains the process of reform of the patent law and traces the genesis of the process, stakeholders involvement, as well as the driving force for the reforms.
TRIPs and Public Health: The Doha Declaration and Africa
Haakonsson SJ, Richey LA: Development Policy Review 25(1): 71-90, January 2007
The Doha Declaration on the TRIPs Agreement and Public Health (2001), aimed at improving access to medicines, especially for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in developing and least developed countries, has not yet been used for compulsory licences to import generic medicines or for expanding production for export to poor countries. By analysing HIV/AIDS treatment in Uganda, this article discusses the variety of TRIPs-related channels for ensuring drugs for domestic treatment, and argues that emphasising the restrictive nature of TRIPs provisions fails to grasp the scale of the obstacles involved. Lack of domestic resources leaves African countries dependent on donor financing, which in turn constrains their ability to exploit international trade provisions.
A call to the 2007 G8 Summit to support African national health plans and comprehensive health workforce strategies
African Council for Sustainable Health Development (ACOSHED), African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF)
The full call and signatories are found here to this call from African organisations to the G8 presented in the editorial section of the newsletter.
Further details: /newsletter/id/32346
Brazil breaks Merck Drug Patent in major victory for AIDS activism
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, 4 May 2007
Amid news that the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, today will announce Brazil’s intention to issue a compulsory license for Merck’s HIV/AIDS drug Efavirenz, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest US provider of HIV/AIDS healthcare, education and prevention and operator of free AIDS treatment clinics in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia, hailed the move as a victory for global AIDS activism and AIDS patients worldwide.
Development and Intellectual Property under the EPA Negotiations
South Centre Policy Brief 6, March 2007
The negotiations for Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) between the EU and the African Caribbean and Pacific Countries are likely to result in additional layers of intellectual property right protection, at least in the case of the agreement with Cariforum countries. A review of the ongoing negotiations and various draft texts and papers demonstrates an inadequate focus on the need for technological development, promotion of public health, protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge as well as for ensuring access to knowledge. Considering the level of economic development in ACP countries, the negotiations should not include IP rights as part of the partnership agreement. Instead they should focus on industrial and technological development and aim to address the longstanding issues on various EU policies that have impeded participation of the ACP countries in the value-chain of products, protection of biodiversity and traditional knowledge and the use of TRIPS flexibilities.
ESA CSO Statement to the 11th Regional Negotiating forum for EPAs
SEATINI
This statement was compiled to prepare a position to feed into the 11th Regional Negotiating Forum for EPAs 14-16 May (SEATINI representatives attended this meeting which was the official meeting of ESA governments). The statement that is attached is from the meeting that was attended with other CSOs from Malawi, Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.
GATS dispute settlement cases: Practical implications for developing countries
South Centre Analytical Note: South Centre, February 2007
Developing countries should be aware of the implications of the WTO dispute
settlement reports on US – Gambling and Mexico – Telecommunications as they continue participating in the WTO negotiations. The findings in the reports have set precedents on the interpretation of various GATS articles and concepts, including: necessity tests; Article XIV on General Exception; Article IV on Increasing Participation of Developing Countries; and scheduling
guidelines.
HSRC embarks on Youth Policy Initiative to fuse research and policy
Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), 18 May 2007
In the next 10 years South Africa is expected to experience a ‘demographic dividend’ where the youthful population will peak, bringing a unique opportunity for rapid human capital development and economic growth, according to the World Bank’s 2007 World Development Report. This is a compelling argument for urgent investment in young people in Africa. The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Youth Policy Initiative is working to ensure that the country is prepared to make the most of this ‘youth bulge’. The initiative will bring together experts from the policy, programme and research environments as well as young people in a series of six roundtable meetings to interrogate the key questions of youth development.
Impact of packaged interventions on neonatal health: A review of evidence
Haws RA, Thomas AL, Bhutta ZA, et al: Health Policy and Planning, Advance Access published, 25 May 2007
A disproportionate burden of infant and under-five childhood mortality occurs during the neonatal period, usually within a few days of birth and against a backdrop of socio-economic deprivation in developing countries. To guide programmes aimed at averting these 4 million annual deaths, recent reviews evaluated the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of individual interventions. However, no systematic review of the empirical data on packages of interventions, including consideration of community based intervention packages, has yet been performed. To address this gap, we reviewed peer-reviewed journals and grey literature to evaluate the content, impact, efficacy (implementation under ideal circumstances), effectiveness (implementation within health systems), type of provider, and cost of packages of interventions reporting neonatal health outcomes.