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Monday, January 18, 2010

UK: China's Emerging Role in Global Health Governance: Navigating between Access to Medicines and Economic Development

Supervisor: Dr Kelly Lee & Dr Chris Holden (LSHTM)

Co-Supervisor Dr Julia Strauss (SOAS)

This study aims to investigate Chinese contributions to global health governance (GHG) with a particular focus on the global governance of access to medicines. The country's rapid economic growth since the 1980's has led to growing debates about the pace of growth versus access to basic health care in China. A further challenge has been the country's engagement with the "global health" agenda, with the SARS outbreak sparking a fundamental reassessment of the hitherto domestic focus of the Chinese public health system.

The issue of access to medicine encompasses many of the tensions facing China's role in global health. Pharmaceuticals are among the largest industries in China. The industry is expected to expand significantly in future, notably in the production of generic drugs, for domestic consumption and export. At the same time, China became a member of the WTO in 2001 which requires adherence to the TRIPS agreement and other relevant regimes. How the country reconciles commercial interests with access to medicines, both domestically and globally, will have significant implications for GHG as a whole.

Aims

The aim of this study is to analyse China's policy on access to medicines in relation to emerging global governance of trade and health, and what implications this holds for China's contribution to GHG


Objectives

1. To review the changing nature of the Chinese pharmaceutical industry in terms of structure, production, and domestic and export market;
2. To describe the governance of intellectual property rights (IPR) in China related to the pharmaceutical industry including adherence to the TRIPS Agreement and other GHG mechanisms;
3. To analyse how Chinese policy makers, practitioners, scholars and civil society groups perceive the challenges of access to medicines;
4. To analyse Chinese perceptions of the IPR and access to medicines issues, notably as played out in other countries such as Thailand, India, Indonesia and Brazil;
5. To locate China's position on access to medicines within emerging GHG debates and
6. To draw conclusions about China's emerging role in global health governance.

Methodology

The research will undertake an analysis of the political economy of China's pharmaceutical industry and policy on access to medicine. This multi-disciplinary research will draw on theories of economic development, global governance and trade policy. Document analysis will be undertaken of Chinese-language documents concerning access to medicines, including government report, policies and statements; media coverage; and industry data. It will also review official documents related to China's participation in international negotiations related to China's participation in international negotiations related to access to medicines such as the Doha Declaration, Paragraph 6 Decision, bilateral trade agreements and virus sharing. Key informant interviews in China and Geneva will be carried out with public officials at national and international levels, public health practitioners, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, country trade officials and other relevant experts on China's role in negotiations.

Applications are invited for a three-year PhD studentship, to start October 2010. The studentship will cover course fees (at the usual level for UK and EU studentships) and a student stipend. Please be aware that non-EU applicants will be liable to pay the difference between Home/EU and overseas PhD fees. Details of Tuition Fees 2009-10:
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/howto/tuitionfees2009-10.html.

Key References

1. Kerry VB., Lee K. (2007), "TRIPS, the Doha Declaration and Paragraph 6 decision: What are the remaining steps for protecting access to medicines?" Globalization and Health, 3(3).
2. Fidler D., Drager N., Lee K., (2009), "The trade and health imperative: Managing the pursuit of health and wealth" Lancet; 373(9660); 26 January: 325-31.
3. Smith R., LeeK., Drager N., (2009), "Moving the trade and health agenda forward: What are the options?" Lancet.
4. Chan LH., Lee PK., Chan G. China engages global health governance: Processes and dilemmas. Global Public Health 2009; 4(1): 1-30.

Further details about the project may be obtained from:
Supervisor: Dr Kelley Lee, kelley.lee@lshtm.ac.uk
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/people/lee.kelley
Supervisor: Dr Chris Holden, chris.holden@lshtm.ac.uk
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/people/holden.chris
Co- Supervisor Dr Julia Strauss, js11@soas.ac.uk
http://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff36176.php

Further information about PhDs at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is available from:

http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/funding/bloomsburyphdstudentships.html

How to Apply

Applications should consist of:

Research Application Form: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/howto/research_app_form_2009-10.pdf
Research Applicant Reference Form: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/howto/research_ref_form_2010-11.pdf
Equal Opportunities Form: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/howto/equal_opp_form_2010-11.pdf
A full, original transcript of the applicant's academic record
A two-page CV, including the names of two academic referees
A covering letter, stating why you wish to do a PhD in this area at the School
Your current postal, e-mail address and telephone number.

Applications must be in writing and must clearly state which studentship you are applying for, eg. BCPhD: Lee

Please send completed application forms to:

Registry
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
50 Bedford Square
London
WC1B 3DP
Tel: 00 44 (0) 20 7299 4646
Fax: 00 44 (0) 20 7323 0638
E-mail: registry@lsthm.ac.uk

Closing date for applications is: 1st March 2010


Please quote Scholarization.blogspot.com as your reference when applying for this opportunity


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Scholarship Team: Ph.D Scholar Krisstofferson Joniel Scholarship Adviser, PhD Scholar Chea Vitom Scholarship Adviser and Senior Lecturer, PhD Scholar Rebecca T. Dalisay Scholarship Adviser, Ph.D Student Jiao Wang Scholarship Coordinator, MSc Student Dennise Maricel Scholarship Coordinator