Trade
The links between trade and health extend back to the earliest human settlements, but globalization has brought these spheres together as never before. This section examines the issues that have led to an even closer intersection between trade and health, asks how they impact the poor, and explores the tensions that arise between the goals of protecting and promoting health and generating wealth through trade
Trade
20 Pounds
The average American eats 20 pounds of seafood each year—about three-fourths of which is imported
The Hidden Health Penalty of Seafood Tariffs
20%
India's pharmaceutical sector supplies 20% of the world's generic medicines and 37% of LMICs' vaccines
Pharma's Influence on India's Global Health Engagement
4.6%
The health-care sector accounts for 4.6% of global net carbon emissions—more than the global shipping industry
Health Care's Climate Footprint: Saving Lives without Costing the Earth
32 Million
Over 32 million of Africa's target population are fully vaccinated against COVID-19
African Public Health and Future Philanthropy
2%
Less than 2% of the world's influenza vaccine supply would reach low- and middle-income countries in a crisis
Efforts Against Flu Show Developing Nations Can Make Vaccines
1,961
A December 2021 search of ClinicalTrials.gov found 1,961 studies involving mRNA technology
mRNA Therapeutics: The Technology That Saved the World
16 Percent
The value of global trade in medical goods rose by 16 percent in 2020
Global Trade in 2020
1 Percent
India is spending only one percent of its GDP on health
Community health in rural India
94 Percent
By December 2021, 94 percent of people in LMICs had not yet received a first dose of COVID vaccine
COVID-19 vaccine access in LMICs
1995
Founding of World Trade Organization (WTO)
Founding of World Trade Organization (WTO)
Featured
Mapping Supply Chains: Global Health Agencies Lead the Way
Global health agencies can teach valuable lessons about drug supply risks and upstream supply chains
Using Game Theory to Advance the Pandemic Agreement
Rewarding drug manufacturers for sharing vaccine doses could break the impasse in negotiations
Vaccines for Africa by Africa
Recent outbreaks require investments in local vaccine manufacturing and ownership over allocation and access
The Hidden Health Penalty of Seafood Tariffs
President Donald Trump's tariffs will raise seafood prices, which could undermine cardiovascular health
U.S. Retreat from Gavi Cedes Influence to China's Vaccine Suppliers
The loss of U.S. funding could leave Gavi with three options to downsize its operations
The USAID "Lifesaving" Waiver Is a Mirage Without Sufficient Staffing
The State Department's humanitarian waiver is essential but falls woefully short of ensuring patients receive medicines
Protecting Miners' Health in Democratic Republic of Congo
Growing evidence reveals mining harms pregnancies, and basic medicine near the sites is often inaccessible
Importing Generic Drugs Could Ease U.S. Shortages
Two-thirds of generic sterile injectable drugs in shortage could be imported from well-regulated foreign markets
Africa's Music Industry Fights Health Misinformation
As misinformation grows alongside public health threats, Africa's music industry is stepping in to counter it
Pharma's Influence on India's Global Health Engagement
India must balance its advocacy on behalf of developing countries with the interests of its growing domestic industry
Secret Shoppers Expose Antibiotic Overprescribing in India
Is it ethical to pose as a patient to reveal medical malpractice?
Why Brazil Needs EpiPens
Easy access to anaphylaxis treatments such as epinephrine injectors is vital to preventing serious outcomes
Nigeria's Counterfeit Drug Epidemic
Health experts in Nigeria worry about the rising danger of fake and substandard medications
How a New HIV Medicine Reduced Carbon Emissions
The HIV medication dolutegravir is lowering the health sector's carbon footprint across several countries
New Biotech Platforms Offer Better Paths to Biosecurity
Changes in uses of digital technology improved cybersecurity, offering a blueprint for making biotechnology more secure