ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to discuss intellectual property (IP) that is currently under negotiation in phase II of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) from a public health perspective to come out with solutions to protect African countries. Section I of the chapter presents a background about the international pharmaceutical market and Africa’s situation, the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement and patents on drugs, and the arguments for and against IP protection. Section II discusses what African countries should do by presenting some solutions to protect these countries such as compulsory licenses, generic drugs and parallel imports. Section III concludes and summarizes the recommendations.
