Reconciling Trade Agreement Negotiations with Efforts to Achieve Universal Health Coverage

Universal health coverage can be defined as ensuring access to affordable, high quality “...promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services” for all. The World Health Organization has identified achieving universal health coverage as a priority and a prerequisite to improving health globally.

In the past decade, several new multilateral trade agreement negotiations have emerged. The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP), Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) & Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA) represent a transition in global trade governance aimed at promoting trade liberalization largely outside of the existing World Trade Organization (WTO) framework. Within these agreements, investor-state dispute settlement, state-owned enterprise and intellectual property provisions could result in significant restructuring of health care systems and financing in many countries. Such restructuring may threaten efforts to realize universal health coverage.

This presentation will begin by describing the current status of universal health coverage and efforts to achieve this goal in trade agreement negotiating countries. Drawing on a Health in All Policies approach, the presentation will analyze potential implications of the new generation of free trade agreements on progress toward universal health coverage. Potential policy strategies to ensure trade agreements do not undermine universal health coverage will then be considered.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Other professions or practice related to public health
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Describe current trade agreement negotiations and anticipated implications for health care systems. Discuss potential implications of current trade agreement negotiations on efforts to achieve universal health coverage drawing on a Health in All policies framework.

Keyword(s): Universal Health Care, International Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As an advocate and physician, I have participated in Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) trade agreement negotiations as a stakeholder and have researched and written on promoting public health in trade agreement negotiations.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4173.0: Public Health Strategies to Address Trade and Trade Policy