ON THE face of it, developing nations scored a victory last week at the World
Trade Organization talks in Qatar, by getting the rich world to loosen its grip,
just slightly, on the patent rights to lifesaving drugs. The way seems clear for
people in these countries to receive those drugs at an affordable price. Or is
it? Poor countries were allowed to make cheap copies of patented drugs even
before last week. They didn鈥檛 do it, because industrialised countries threatened
them with trade sanctions and lawsuits. Now it will be more difficult for the
rich nations to act the bully, but that isn鈥檛 going to stop them trying
(see 鈥淏attle cry鈥�).
And patent issues aren鈥檛 the only factors that stop sick people getting the
drugs they need. Many poor nations spend more on servicing their national debt
than on healthcare, leaving them with an utterly inadequate health
infrastructure. Triple therapy for HIV is far less likely to succeed for someone
who doesn鈥檛 have proper medical supervision, a decent diet and clean drinking
water.
The root problem is poverty, something the West could do much more to help
with. At the International Monetary Fund meeting last weekend, Britain鈥檚
chancellor Gordon Brown talked of a new spirit of global cooperation following
the 11 September attacks. If that means tackling poverty it will be a timely
change. Without it, the poor world鈥檚 apparent victory in Qatar will mean
nothing.
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