By Prof. T C James
The need for greater access to and affordability of healthcare solutions has once again been reiterated by the current pandemic. There is a significant gap in our healthcare systems, underscoring the need to prioritize health and invest in the development of affordable and accessible healthcare solutions. In the current scenario, cost is a significant barrier for most individuals, particularly those in the low-income group. The inability to afford essential medicines leads to poor health outcomes and increased mortality rates, as seen in the case of tuberculosis, a long-standing disease in many countries. Many are struggling with how to overcome these challenges, and even as COVID-19 comes under control, difficulties persist.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage of oxygen, ventilators, and other medical supplies drove home the point of prioritizing health and increasing investments to develop more affordable and accessible healthcare solutions. Economic investment should be considered over social investment, as a healthy population is essential for a country’s progress. There is a direct relationship between a country’s GDP and the health of its people as seen in the development indicators of many countries such as Sweden.
So, in this context, a primary step is to reduce the cost of essential medicines by addressing the issue of intellectual property rights. India has proposed restrictions only relating to COVID-19 drugs, but focusing on the quality of patents is crucial. Patents should not be granted to anything and everything developed but only be granted for true or proper inventions that bring something really new or innovative and promise improved patient outcomes. Half of the problems related to TRIPS will be over if the quality of patents is focused upon. Minor changes should not be considered patentable; no ever greening at all. If a medicine has not been clinically tested and proven, it should not be granted a patent. This is one way to reduce the cost of medicines.
The second priority is to leverage technology. Today technology can make healthcare more accessible to hilly, unreached, and remote areas. During the time of President Abdul Kalam, India was able to help Africa, as we connected 54 African countries with Indian medical institutes and super-specialty hospitals, further expanding access to quality healthcare. There are other examples of healthcare start-ups and IITs developing portable, smartphone-based health-test kits that can perform many blood tests, remotely and give results in seconds.
Third, innovation is something where industry and Government can work together on reducing the cost by cutting out unnecessary expenses by working together. Investment in healthcare innovation is very important, and this was reinforced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Private companies in India must invest in research and development of new treatments for diseases like TB which is a major concern of with the largest number of TB patients in the world. Because it would benefit us, we should focus on investments that would work to our advantage.
Intellectual Property
The main argument of pharma companies on IPR is where are our rewards for the time and resources spent on investments in R&D? This is a major argument for data exclusivity rights while launching new drugs in low-income countries years after their launch in the developed economies. This practice adds to the period of monopoly for originators and delays the launch of generics. While talking about profits we must remember the saying by Mahatma Gandhi, “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for one person’s greed.” Tolstoy also said likewise in the story titled, “how much land does a man need?” So, a mindset change is required – profit is important, but public health is ill-served by data exclusivity as it will delay the entry of affordable generics for a significant number of new drugs, and some medicines may not even be introduced in low-income countries.
There is also a question of why should public-funded research be commercialised?Public funds are where everyone has invested, it should be commercialised in a way private parties can gain out of it but it should be regulated and controlled, so that the prices don’t become prohibitive. Investments are rewarded – if not instantly, but over the course of time.
India needs a health protection scheme, like health insurance, for all where everyone, including the low-income group must be covered. When inflation rises, and prices of essential commodities go up, health expenditure also rises sharply. Therefore, it is important to impress upon them, the importance of investing in healthcare. The pandemic was a big challenge but also an opportunity. The fact was that a health problem shook up Governments and industries across the world as it brought economic activities to a standstill. The crisis may now be forgotten; however, we know that a similar crisis can happen anytime. COVID-19 happened after almost 100 years of the Spanish flu, which caused a lot of deaths. Thus, preparedness along with sustained, regular investment becomes necessary.
The key message is that healthcare investment should be treated as an economic investment and not as a social or welfare measure. Economic returns will come when people of a nation are healthy and well and it would act as an investment for the economy as well.
Coming back to drug patents, we face the risk of further reducing the quality of inventions by granting patents for anything and everything. There should be a public database where everyone knows the effects of formulations, medications, possibilities of adverse effects, and benefits for public access. This is the fundamental principle of therapeutic rights. We need comprehensive policy frameworks which can serve as regulatory guidelines for the industry. It must be borne in mind that the paying capacity of people can increase if the Government invests in healthcare and education in a sustained manner. It is a long-term investment, and we would be able to see results in years to come, if not instantly.
(The author is a Visiting Fellow, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS). Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the FinancialExpress.com.)
