If countries start breaking patents, though, firms lose out on sales. And they’re less able to finance the development of new cures. That’s a blow to the public health efforts of all countries, rich and poor. Ghana’s health Minister told me that he fails to see how people could hold antagonistic positions against pharmaceutical companies, because in his own words "if drugs are being made, then people must be sick somewhere-it is not for charity".
Poor patent enforcement also gives rise to potentially harmful copycats. The generic pharmaceuticals manufactured in the developing world often don’t comply with international safety regulations. Low-quality and counterfeit drugs are common. The WHO estimates that 10 percent of the world’s drugs are counterfeit. Patent-theft is making the problem worse.
I feel as though Stiglitz could successful refute this account on the grounds that Africa makes a small portion of the pharmaceutical industry sales and that the small loss of profits is tiny compared to the benefit of making life-saving drugs available.
"The Poor Stand to Lose from Anti-Patent Crusades"
