Trade in health services
The wrong model: GATS, trade liberalisation and children’s right to health
Is trade in services under GATS the way forward for health care in developing countries?
Authors:
J. Hilary
Publisher:
Save the Children Fund , 2001
This report examines the global policy context behind the child health crisis. In particular, it looks at the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the World Trade Organisation’s drive to increase international trade in services such as water and health care. Save the Children's analysis suggests that this is the wrong model to follow if countries wish to develop strong public health systems for all their people. The report concludes that the market disciplines included within GATS undermine national efforts to develop public health systems, and calls for the Agreement to be revised.
Specifically the report recommends:
- Full and independent impact assessment of GATS and trade in services
- National governments must be allowed sovereignty over liberalisation commitments
- GATS should be amended to strengthen the exemption of services provided in the exercise of governmental authority.
- The requirement of GATS that government regulation of a service should be “not more burdensome than necessary to ensure the quality of the service” places undue restriction on domestic regulation and should be removed.
- Appropriate measures to promote services exports from developing countries should be implemented
- The international community should realise its repeated commitment to sufficient funding of basic services.
