In The News

Academic Boycotts Alone Are of Little Use

Mark Klusener July 20, 2007
The academic boycott of South Africa began in the mid-1960s as a move to eliminate apartheid. Over time, the boycott gathered momentum, but had limited success. Critics pointed out that the boycott stifled the flow of ideas and interaction, hurting the very people who were supposed to be helped by the end of apartheid. Additionally, academics could avoid the boycott by using third parties to...

Both Sides Say Project Is Pivotal Issue for Brazil

Larry Rohter June 23, 2007
A proposal to build two dams on Brazil’s Madeira River has sparked debate about the value of economic growth versus environmental protection. An environmental agency denied the construction license, but the government ordered more studies. Environmentalists cite many concerns about building the dams. The river that winds through rainforest is said to have more distinct types of fish than any...

Brazil to Break Merck AIDS Drug Patent to Lower Price

Katia Cortes May 17, 2007
Brazil’s president signed an order to override the patent of Merck and Company’s signature AIDS drug, thereby opening the field to lower-cost producers to sell generic versions of the drug. Citing a 2001 World Trade Organization ruling permitting countries to overrule drug patents in cases of national health emergencies, Brazil rejected Merck’s offer to reduce the price of Efavirenz, part of an...

Thai Move to Trim Drug Costs Highlights Growing Patent Rift

Nicholas Zamiska February 8, 2007
Thailand’s plan to lower the price of pharmaceuticals for its citizens by ignoring existing patents reignites the debate between health advocates and supporters of intellectual-property rights. At the center of the conflict is a dispute over what will save the most lives in the long term. By ignoring patents, the government can lower its drug costs and therefore provide twice as many people with...

The Challenge of Global Health

Laurie Garrett December 20, 2006
Wealthy nations and their citizens donate billions in cash to end AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and some other high-profile problems in the developing world. But with uncoordinated programs, lacking in sustainability and long-term planning, the fast flow of cash could make problems worse, not better, argues health analyst and author Laurie Garrett. Studies have shown that focusing on high-profile...

AIDS Threatens India’s Prosperity

Pramit Mitra November 30, 2006
December 1 marks World AIDS Day, and by some reports, the world’s second most populous nation – India – has more AIDS cases than any other country in the world. The percentage of cases in India, at 0.09 percent, is miniscule compared with rates of 30 percent in some African nations, but the size of the nation’s population – 1 billion, with two out of five people illiterate – raises concern among...

Energy Firms Come to Terms With Climate Change

Steven Mufson November 30, 2006
With Democrats controlling US Congress, many anticipate new federal regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Executives of energy firms have shifted attention away from battling the existence of global warming to debating methods for controlling the trend: taxing emissions, capping emissions and allowing firms to trade credits, or trapping and storing emissions. Many company officials...