Health equity in economic and trade policies

This publication, on negotiations about trade in services indicates ways that human rights advocates can get involved to ensure their governments do not sign agreements that could have harmful human rights effects. Access to essential services, including water, education and health care are on the table as representatives at the WTO push for closure to trade talks in the coming months. Advocates must act now to ensure these agreements include full consideration of the potential human rights impacts of new policies. This Action Alert sets out actions and strategies for human rights advocates concerned about the issue.

This study provides the first detailed economy-wide analysis of the likely gender effects of economic partnership agreements (EPAs) based on the goods tariff liberalisation schedules agreed by Tanzania, Mozambique and Jamaica. The study found that the employment and production effects of trade liberalisation on women will depend on the extent to which women are employed in the sectors sensitive to import competition, but most importantly, their ability to relocate to an expanding sector of production. It predicts that, under an EPA, women’s employment is likely to be minimally affected in Jamaica, Mozambique and Tanzania. Findings suggest that the consumption effect of trade may be regressive: imports, such as washing machines in Mozambique or gas cookers in Tanzania, will most likely benefit the wealthier, as they are not consumed by poorer households. For example, increasing availability of household appliances could reduce the workload of women with access to electricity, but only 7% of Mozambican households have access and an indirect effect could be a drop in demand for domestic workers, most of whom are women. The loss of government revenue from tariff removal constitutes the most immediate and significant impact, estimated at 2% of revenue, with too little time to compensate for lost revenue. The study urges that further monitoring of the implementation of trade liberalisation is required from a gender perspective. The gender-aware framework and analytical approach developed could be used to examine other EPAs and other trade agreements.

Malaysia's Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani has publicly stated his country's stand "that generic drugs should not be restricted in any manner," as generics are cheaper than patented medicines. He made this statement before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), whose session concluded in Geneva last week. He was speaking in response to pointed questions from the Committee?s Chair, Jacob E. Doek, who asked Malaysian governmental representatives how they can ensure that trade agreements do not affect provision of generic medicines, particularly for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

The WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan, has sent a letter to Thailand's Health Minister expressing regret for the embarrassment caused to his government by remarks she was reported to have made in Bangkok that were critical of the compulsory licenses granted by the government for three medicines. The letter follows the deep offence that Dr. Chan's comments had caused the government and particularly the Minister of Public Health. Dr. Chan's reported comments had also caused outrage among international health NGOs and grassroots health movements worldwide, especially groups representing people living with HIV-AIDS. More than 400 groups and individuals have sent her a protest letter asking her to change her views.