The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
Historic it may be—even if watered down. The unanimous adoption of a “political declaration” by the UN on the need to fight the rising tide of non-communicable diseases (NCD) is a singular development and, as analysts have been reminding us, it is only the second time a health issue has …
Posco India is interested in partnering state-owned Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) in future projects, including a proposed project at Sindri, even as previous issues between the two companies remain unresolved. Posco’s new India head Yoon Yong Won met Union steel minister Beni Prasad Verma on Wednesday to discuss …
Tiered pricing - the concept of selling drugs and vaccines in developing countries at prices systematically lower than in industrialized countries - has received widespread support from industry, policymakers, civil society, and academics as a way to improve access to medicines for the poor. We carried out case studies based …
India made it clear on Monday that it wants contentious issues, including access to intellectual property rights (IPRs), to be a part of the upcoming climate change talks at Durban in South Africa. New Delhi has submitted a proposal to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate …
In the run up to the COP 17 (Conference of Parties) meet, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has called for the inclusion of three contentious issues to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the provisional agenda of the proposed meeting in …
In accordance with Rule 10 of the draft rules of procedure being applied by the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), India submitted three agenda items for inclusion in the provisional agenda of the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP-17). These are featured …
Last week just as Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Novartis was set to begin its final arguments in the Supreme Court against the rejection of a patent for its cancer drug Glivec (see ‘Evergreen Novartis’, Down To Earth, September 1-15) there were two swift and stunning developments. A letter was written by …
Over the past decade, India has witnessed a phenomenal growth in the clinical trial industry. The projections forecast a double-digit growth over the next decade propelled by enhanced outsourcing by drug developing companies.
With only four years remaining in which to achieve the key targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), most of the world’s Heads of State and Government came to the United Nations in September 2010 to take stock of progress made thus far. Despite significant setbacks owing to the 2008-2009 …
Why is the pharmaceutical industry taking such a keen interest in the Pesticides Management Bill, 2008, or PMB, which would appear to be as far removed from drugs as chalk from cheese? The Bill, pending in Parliament since 2008, is all set to be debated in the current session with …
The World Intellectual Property Organization has announced clearly that it intends to play a role—and considering the clout WIPO enjoys it implies a significant part—in promoting intellectual property (IP) in agriculture to enhance productivity. The UN body stepped into this touchy arena with a seminar at its Geneva headquarters that …
Azim Anwar is a smiling young man with a singular mission in life: downloading everything he can possibly find on the Internet related to his interests: movies, funny videos, music, games and football matches. He gets more stuff from his network of friends and relatives (his brother has given him …
It’s a bit of Iraq and Afghanistan out there on the Internet. Just like the invasion of Iraq was lies, deceit and regime change as George W Bush chased illusory weapons of mass destruction in that hapless country, on the Internet, too, there is an element of fabrication and duplicity …
When we consider that expenditure on medicines in India accounts for 50% to 80% of treatment costs, India’s pharmaceutical success has clearly not translated into availability or affordability of medicines for all. As part of Universal Access to Healthcare, good quality healthcare should be accessible, affordable, and available to all …
The neo-liberal transformation of global economy has brought in a new trade regime replacing GATT 1947 with incorporation of services and intellectual property in the products to be exchanged and WTO as its powerful regulator. Health being one of the services has become tradable for the first time. India has …
Farmer-breeders are an unsung tribe. In far corners of the world, farmers study the seeds they use, experiment with them, do simple back-crossing to improve yields and taste, and quite often come up with winners. Some farmers are geniuses when it comes to improving their seed and introducing simple but …
