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Chapter 11 - Trade and Health

The Ethics of Global Rights, Regulation, and Redistribution

from Section 3 - Analyzing Some Reasons for Poor Health and Responsibilities to Address Them

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2021

By
Meri Koivusalo
Edited by
Solomon Benatar  and
Gillian Brock
Solomon Benatar
Affiliation:
Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Cape Town
Gillian Brock
Affiliation:
Professor of Philosophy, University of Auckland
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Summary

Concerns about health are not new aspects of trade policies and have long been part of trade negotiations. It is also known that failures in public health policies can substantially and adversely affect trade. The economic costs of global epidemics have been increasing, but more important is that prevention of epidemics requires both functional public health measures at national borders and functional health systems. Whereas health policies and trade policies have mutually compatible and strengthening aspects, they are marred by important conflicts of interests. In this chapter, I outline ethical issues and questions that relate to these conflicts and the importance of considering trade policies not merely as transnational policies but also as a component of global legal development and governance in relation to rights, redistribution, and regulatory measures. These have consequences not only across countries and among international organizations and actors but also for the balance between public policies and interests and those of national and increasingly global corporate actors and interest groups.

Type
Chapter
Information
Global Health
Ethical Challenges
 , pp. 158 - 169
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Trade and Health
  • Edited by Solomon Benatar, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Gillian Brock, Professor of Philosophy, University of Auckland
  • Book: Global Health
  • Online publication: 04 February 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108692137.012
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  • Trade and Health
  • Edited by Solomon Benatar, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Gillian Brock, Professor of Philosophy, University of Auckland
  • Book: Global Health
  • Online publication: 04 February 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108692137.012
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Trade and Health
  • Edited by Solomon Benatar, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Gillian Brock, Professor of Philosophy, University of Auckland
  • Book: Global Health
  • Online publication: 04 February 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108692137.012
Available formats
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