Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and the public health

The Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement (TPPA) negotiations have been conducted in secrecy over the past four years. In New Zealand, the government has not released any official details of these negotiations and all the information we have about TPPA is derived from leaks. This makes any analysis of the risks and benefits of TPPA difficult to carry out. However, the consistency of the leaked material indicates that the TPPA appears to have major implications for the New Zealand health system, potentially adversely affecting public health initiatives, the control of alcohol and obesity problems, and reducing the availability of some drugs. This article describes the basis for these concerns, and aims to show that the TPPA could interfere with our ability to organise our health systems, now and in the future, for the best interests of all the people of New Zealand.