The Ethics of Expanding Access to Cheaper, Less Effective Treatments

Authors

Govind PersadFollow
Ezekiel J. Emanuel

Document Type

Article

Year

2016

Citation Information

Govind Persad and Ezekiel J. Emanuel, The Ethics of Expanding Access to Cheaper, Less Effective Treatments, (2016), available at https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/faculty-articles/1958.

Abstract

The provision of less effective or more toxic interventions is justified by the principles of utility, equality, and priority for those worst-off. Advocates and WHO are mistaken to demand that medical care provided in low-income and middle-income countries should be the same as in high-income countries. Instead, expansion of access to treatments that are effective, even if not the most effective, should be the standard in global health.