title: The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement and access to HIV treatment in Vietnam.
abstract: In the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement negotiations, the USA successfully pursued intellectual property (IP) provisions that will affect the affordability of medicines, including anti-retrovirals (ARV) for HIV. Vietnam has the lowest GDP per capita of the 12 TPP countries and in 2013 provided ARVs for only 68% of eligible people living with HIV. Using the current Vietnamese IP regime as our base case, we analysed the potential impact of a regime making full use of legal IP flexibilities, and one based on the IP provisions of the final, agreed TPP text. Results indicate that at current funding levels 82% of Vietnam's eligible people living with HIV would receive ARVs if legal flexibilities were fully utilised, while as few as 30% may have access to ARVs under the TPP Agreement - more than halving the proportion currently treated.
authors.affiliation: a Centre for European Studies, Australian National University , Canberra , Australia.
authors.forename: Hazel V J
authors.initials: HVJ
authors.lastname: Moir
authors.affiliation: b Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Australia.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tenni
authors.affiliation: c School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University , Melbourne , Australia.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gleeson
authors.affiliation: d Department of Health Policy and Management , George Washington University , Washington , DC , USA.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lopert
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000191:economics*; D003132:Commerce / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D018973:Intellectual Property; D007391:International Cooperation; D017008:Negotiating; D014481:United States; D014744:Vietnam
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents
keywords: HIV; Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement; access to medicines; intellectual property; trade agreements