The Industry and the Developing World

Effective medicines are hardly available to populations in developing countries; this problem has a series of causes, the responsibility for which lies with different parties. Developing countries are short of money and education, skilled people, and wealthy institutions; many countries also lack adequate communication, the means to exploit what resources they have, and the ability to attract the business and investment that might bring them prosperity. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one-third of the world's population lacks access to the most basic medicines, while in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia this figure climbs to one-half. A pharmaceutical corporation that wishes to meet its obligations to the developing world or to some chosen part of it should ensure the following formal legal obligations: (1) its products meet international standards for quality, efficacy, and safety, (2) the products are accessible, particularly in terms of price, (3) its research programs take account of third-world needs, (4) the information that it provides is adequate and dependable, and (5) its clinical investigations adhere to accepted standards.