Examining the effects of trade rules on public health, access to medicines

In this post in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog, Tido von Schoen-Angerer, executive director of the Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Access to Essential Medicines Campaign, examines the interface between trade rules and public health, discussing the implications of the Doha Declaration on public health since its inception 10 years ago, and addresses the question of how "countries balance the need to protect public health against patent rights that lead to high medicine prices and limited access for people in need." He notes that the winners of an MSF "ideas contest on the theme of 'Revising TRIPS for Public Health'" will present their ideas at a conference in Geneva next month, concluding, "I hope the winning ideas can generate some discussion and look towards affecting change, so that the next decade sees us moving towards more access to medicines for those who need them most" (11/22).