Health and Wealth

As this Wikileaks article from December 2009 notes, the issue of intellectual property has made the World Health Organization vulnerable to spying by the pharmaceutical industry. Already beholden to corporate philanthropy, WHO is in many respects similar to the World Bank–committed to the status quo due to economic dependence. While these corporations seek total control of global public health, the intellectual property of indigenous peoples is likewise at risk. Having instituted theft as its modus operandi, the industry can be counted on to continue thwarting efforts to democratize public health and to share the wealth from products originally developed in the Fourth World.