Doha Declaration

The special declaration on the ‘Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) and Public Health’ is an important milestone in the fight for access to affordable medicines. The declaration makes clear that pressure from governments and pharmaceuticals, stopping developing countries using flexibilities in the TRIPs agreement to ensure access to medicines (for example through compulsory licenses for HIV drugs), are against its spirit and purpose. But despite being hailed as a watershed moment, the problem of affordable access continues.