Question

Should World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations be reformed to improve population health? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Many of these trade rules came into existence with the creation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995. The WTO's influence extends beyond commercial relations to affect health, social welfare, and culture

The relation between health and trade is not new. Disease and pestilence have long followed global trade routes, a pattern that continues into the 21st century. A Chinese trade ship was the source of Latin America's cholera outbreak in 1991, which resulted in 10 000 deaths. Increased trade in tobacco products and processed foods high in sugar or fat contribute to rising chronic disease rates in poorer countries.

Trade can also be good for health, improving peoples' lives through access to goods or technologies that cure disease or improve well being. Proponents of trade liberalisation argue further that it can increase economic growth and wealth creation, both of which may reduce poverty and allow for greater investments in health care, education, environmental protection, and other population health determinants

WTO focuses on disease control and prevention, the reduction of a wide range of health risks, and a commitment to reducing health inequities. The public health implications of these agreements can be direct, as in the restrictions the Agreement on Trade‐Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) can place on access to essential medicines. They can also be indirect in two important ways:

1. the degree to which WTO agreements skew economic benefits and the health advantages these bring in favour of already wealthier/healthier nations and population groups; and

2. WTO expansion into trade related areas that have little to do with reducing border‐barriers to imported goods, and that could restrict national governments' abilities to regulate in the interests of public health

WTO rules for government measures span the entire field of public health, includes the following:

• surveillance and control of infectious disease
• regulation of hazardous products
• control of environmental health risks
• provision of food security and nutrition
• regulation of the health risks of biotechnology and emerging technologies
• provision of access to health services and essential medicines
• measures to prevent chronic disease.

YES,World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations should be reformed to improve population health because Trade liberalization done well can improve economic growth by increasing export and investment opportunities. The economic growth and increasing state wealth help alleviate poverty and are beneficial to human health because they provide opportunities for work and improved living conditions through greater income security; improved labor standards; better access to health care, including affordable medicines; and good nutrition.

Trade policies are powerful drivers of the distribution of power, money, and resources, which affect people’s daily living and working conditions, their health-related preferences and behaviors, and ultimately their health outcomes.

Trade liberalization can bring about health benefits, some health risks can nevertheless be mitigated only by changing specific terms included in or excluded from trade agreements and by preserving the policy space of member states to protect public health.