Market Pitfalls and Economics of New Health Technologies in Developing Economies

The objective of this chapter is to provide evidence on “how” market processes are not fully helping developing economies benefit from new health technologies. This is achieved based on publications related to economics of health and impacts of new technologies. Patenting, anti-commons tragedy, neglected health hazards, risks, and limited research constitute the major sources of market pitfalls discussed in this chapter. A special emphasis is placed on developing countries where a series of pitfalls lead to market failures that affect access to new technologies and thus to better health systems. The related risks at both levels of developed and developing economies are discussed even though emergent and developed countries have generated new instruments to limit the negative effects of these constraints. Examples and cases are used to illustrate the pitfalls and the on-going continuing emergence of old diseases, among others. Finally, the expansion of access to new health technologies is suggested to be achieved within the world global health system framework with a more active involvement of countries.