EU policies threaten developing countries drug supplies, report says

A report, released Tuesday, from Oxfam International and Health Action International says the EU is putting big drug companies' interests ahead of "millions of people" in developing countries who do not have access to essential medicines, Agence France-Presse reports (10/20).

"The EU's actions also undermine its obligations to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, as well as World Trade Organization agreements, the two organizations said in the report," Pharmabiz.com writes. The report comes just as some countries, including India and Brazil, are set to file a complaint against the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, with the World Trade Organization. The filing is related to a seizure of drugs last year, intercepted in Europe on their way to developing countries.

"The report also assumes significance against the backdrop of the renewed efforts by the European Union to reframe the counterfeit drugs laws and insistence on tough new intellectual property rules in bilateral free trade deals ..." that go beyond existing standards, according to Pharmabiz.com (Alexander, 10/21).

"Since late last year Germany and the Netherlands have made customs seizures of 19 shipments of generic medicines bound for developing countries, the report says. ... Many of these medicines are urgently needed to treat life-threatening conditions such as AIDS," Inter Press Service reports. The report also says that EU policies are increasing drug costs, which are "hitting the poorest people in developing countries disproportionately hard, as 20-60 percent of their health budgets are spent on medicines," and lists several other EU policies that restrict access to medicines in developing countries.

"The EU is guilty of double standards," according to Elise Ford, Oxfam's head of EU advocacy. "One rule for the rich and another for the poor. A crackdown on European pharmaceutical prices is happening alongside a concerted effort to further push intellectual property rules that prevent poor countries from buying affordable medicines," she said. According to Ford, the European Commission and member states should work together to create development and trade policies that promote access to healthcare affordable medicines (Suri, 10/20).


Kaiser Health NewsThis article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Comments

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
Post

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

You might also like...
Telemedicine and low-carb diet slashes diabetes meds and drives lasting remission