Training Course on the Public Health Implications of the
Multilateral Trade Agreements
December 10 to 14, 2001
Background:
As the world becomes more integrated economically, cross-border trade in health-related goods and services is having greater effects on health and health systems than in the past. At the same time, the growing number and broader reach of regional and multilateral trade rules are likewise affecting health in new ways. Yet, most public health professionals and health policy makers in developing countries have little appreciation for the growing importance of international trade policy to health and health systems. In addition, most health professionals lack the knowledge and skills to negotiate with their counterparts in the trade sector, to ensure that health considerations are taken into account in the design of national
and global trade policies.
Objectives:
The prime aim of this proposed course is to educate the public health community and health policy makers in developing countries about:
- the relevance of multilateral trade agreements (MTAs) to health and the health sector and the opportunities for constructive interventions by the health sector to ensure that public health interests are appropriately addressed in trade negotiations;
- the need to encourage and support the involvement of public health professionals and
health policy makers in developing countries in trade policy deliberations at all levels.
A related aim is to emphasize the importance of health issues to trade officials and to encourage them to consider health objectives in regional and global trade negotiations.
Activities:
The one-week course will:
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Review the broad determinants of health and health sector performance, especially in developing countries, in the context of the changing global environment
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Explain the influence of trade on health and the health sector, and describe the relevance of the WTO MTAs for health and the health sector in developing countries
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Highlight the positive opportunities for promoting health and the health sector in developing countries available under the MTAs, and identify current MTA issues and negotiating processes that have implications for health
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Discuss and illustrate the principles and practice of managing complex multiparty negotiations
The pilot course will be taught in Geneva to take advantage of expertise at WHO and WTO. It will use a mixture of teaching methods: lectures, interactive panels, site visits, and individual and group work. All presenters will be experts in their fields and will be briefed to ensure appropriate content and delivery for the audience. Public Health and Trade: A Guide to the Multilateral Trade Agreements, prepared by
HDE will be a key resource. To facilitate maximum interaction, participants will be limited to 25 and 30 people. Every effort will be made to ensure a gender balance in the participants.
It is proposed to translate the course into a distance learning module to ensure its
wider availability both electronically and in hard copy.
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