patent wars on aids drugs

public health or corporate wealth?

ENGLISH SPANISH

general
knowledge
analysis
reality
regions

WTO

What is the WTO?

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international organization comprised of 147 member countries.

The WTO is at the heart of the battlefield on pharmaceutical patent wars between developing and developed countries because WTO rules help them determine what is appropriate to do. Rules pertaining to patents on pharmaceutical drugs are decided by the WTO. With respect to patent wars on pharmaceutical drugs, the WTO plays a crucial role as these rules have a tremendous impact on how accessible 'life-saving' medicines are in developing countries. When a decision is announced by the WTO, it means that the decision was reached based on a consensus among all member countries and was subsequently ratified by members' parliaments.

However, the WTO's job is not restricted to pharmaceutical patents. The main role of the WTO is to review the trade policies and lower trade barriers to ensure that trade flows as efficiently and smoothly as possible. In essence, their mission is to better the lives of people in all member countries.

Do you want to learn about the WTO?