The National Health Policy 2002, has taken into account the serious apprehension expressed by several health experts related to possible threat to health security in the present economic globalisation era. Pharmaceutical drugs and other health services have always been available in the country at extremely inexpensive prices and India has also established a reputation around the globe for the innovative development of original process patents for the manufacture of wide range of drugs and vaccines within the ambit of the existing patent laws.
With the adoption of Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights and the subsequent alignment of domestic patent laws consistent with the commitments under TRIPS, there is significant shift in the scope of the parameters regulating the manufacture of new drugs, vaccines.
The policy also observed that global experience has shown that the introducing of TRIPS consistent patent regime for drugs in developing countries will result in increase in the cost of drugs and medical services to protect the citizens of the country from such a threat the National Health Policy envisaged a national patent regime for the future which will be consistent with TRIPS but will get all opportunities to secure for the country i.e. affordable access to the latest medical and other therapeutic discoveries.
The policy also sets out that the government will bring to bear it full influence in all international for a-UN, WHO, WTO, etc. to secure commitments on the part of the Nations of the Globe to lighten the restrictive features of TRIPS in its application to the health care sector.