India opposes trade barriers in global medicine trade 7/11/2011WHO and UNAIDS besides BRICS Health Ministers--lauded India'srole in makingqualitydrugs

WHO and UNAIDS besides BRICS Health Ministers--lauded India's role in making quality, safe and effective drugs more accessible and affordable globally.India opposes trade barriers in global medicine trade/
7/11/2011

11.7.2011 (UNI) India today strongly opposed trade barriers and concerns for individual profiteering that stand in the way of equitable and affordable public health services and called for collectively addressing the issues which restrict access to newly-developed and future medicines.

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, addressing a meeting of Health Ministers of BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), also called for guarding against enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) through the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (ACTA) which, he said, would deter generic competition.

At the meeting held in Beijing, international agencies --WHO and UNAIDS besides BRICS Health Ministers--lauded India's role in making quality, safe and effective drugs more accessible and affordable globally, an official release issued here said.

Mr Azad stressed the need for collectively addressing the issue of trade barriers and said collaboration among BRICS countries opened up significant opportunities of leveraging a global health agenda for universal access to affordable health care products and services of assured quality.

'We need to collectively address the issue of trade barriers which restrict access to newly developed and future medicines. BRICS countries were already instrumental in the development of the Doha Declaration and can now play a leadership role in supporting other countries, ensuring that bilateral and regional trade agreements do not undermine TRIPS flexibilities,' he said.

He called for guarding against enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) through the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (ACTA) which would deter generic competition.

'We cannot, therefore, let trade barriers and concerns or individual profiteering stand in the way of equitable and affordable public health services. We must guard against enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) through the proposed Anti Counterfeiting Task Force (ACTA) which will deter generic competition. We cannot, therefore, let trade barriers and concerns for individual profiteering stand in the way of equitable and affordable public health services,' the Minister said. UNI