01828nas a2200181 4500000000100000008004100001260003200042653001200074653003300086653002500119653002200144100001200166245008100178856009300259300000900352490001200361520127300373 2013 d bMcGill UniversityaMontreal10aPoverty10aNegelected Tropical Diseases10aEconomic Disparities10aBurden of Disease1 aSilva G00aEconomic disparities and intensifying burden of neglected tropical diseases. uhttp://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/webclient/StreamGate?folder_id=0&dvs=1473754936796~903 a1-880 vMasters3 a

This thesis examines the interaction between economic disparities and the burden of neglected tropical diseases through a multi-layered study of international agreements, mostly the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS), the health structure in developing countries and the manner in which intellectual property rights relate to the right to health in poor countries. By shedding light to this interaction, it will be demonstrated that small attention and resources is attributed to neglected tropical diseases. The predominance of the interests of affluent economic stakeholders over the reality of a substantial part of population of the world (either infected or at risk) is determined by virtue of limited access to drugs in developing countries, elevated out-of-pocket health expenditures by the poorest of the poor and inefficient/insufficient management of public funds for healthcare. This thesis challenges the current allocation of material and immaterial resources to attenuate the burden of neglected tropical diseases, as part of the right to health, as a way of bringing about more development and well-being to these populations.