Health

Patents help the sick, poor globally

IPN Opinion article

Author: Bibek Debroy

The WHO is proposing a global treaty to weaken patents and put research under official control. This diverts attention from the real problems of healthcare, such as poor water and electricity services, and allows governments in poor countries to continue to blame their appalling healthcare on international factors - avoiding the politically difficult reforms that really would improve health.

Intellectual Property, Innovation and Healthcare in Less-Developed Countries

A lunchtime conference on intellectual property rights, innovation and the provision of healthcare in poor countries.  The event coincides with the first day of the Pan-American Health Organisation General Meeting.

Symposium on intellectual property, innovation and health

Government policies are working against better health for people in the ASEAN region.

Symposium on intellectual property, innovation and health

A morning discussion in Copenhagen about the role of property rights and markets in health care and medical innovation.

IP fixation is bad for health

IPN Opinion article

Author: Philip Stevens

International NGO campaigns in India have given the misleading impression that patents are the single most important barrier to good health in less-developed countries. This fallacy is drawing attention away from the real causes of disease.

What Michael Moore left on the cutting room floor

IPN Opinion article

Author: Helen Evans

The quality of Britain's single-payer healthcare system has been entirely misrepresented by Michael Moore in his latest film, according to Helen Evans, a registered nurse from London.

Slum dwellers need rights not projects

IPN Opinion article

Author: Caroline Boin

India's slum population has doubled to 61.8 million in 20 years and more than half the world's population will live in cities by next year. UN Habitat has called for more plans to 'stabilise the unplanned and chaotic aspects of urban growth.' But grandiose schemes simply ignore the underlying problems ó and will probably make them worse.