Why are generics important for global health?
Medicine constitutes between 8 and 15 percent of total health spending. Countries in the developed world are groaning under the weight of rapidly rising costs for their public health systems, while in developing countries people often cannot afford live-saving medication. In the end, the individual pays the bill: Either with ever rising contributions for medical insurance or even worse by letting a curable disease go untreated. Generic products help keep expenditures down. And that may contribute to saving lives.
