Health is now higher on the international agenda than ever before, and concern for the health of poor people is becoming a central issue in development. The nations of the world have agreed that enjoying the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief and economic or social condition.1 Beyond its intrinsic value for individuals, improving and protecting health is also central to overall human development and to the reduction of poverty. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), derived from the UN Millennium Declaration, commit countries to halving extreme income poverty and to achieving improvements in health by 2015.2 three of the eight goals are health related, calling for a two-thirds reduction in child mortality, a three-quarters reduction in maternal mortality, and a halt to the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. In addition the eighth goal, redeveloping a global partnership for development, calls for developing countries to have access to affordable essential drugs.