A modern civilization is identified by the living standards and rights afforded to its citizens. Such rights include access to food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof to sleep under, and perhaps, access to healthcare. Yet despite all our technological advancements and progress, we have failed to include individuals from less privileged backgrounds in our civilization, and, as a result, have deprived them from life saving medications due to them being simply unaffordable. Is it justified to keep essential medical products out of reach for patients from lower income countries in the name of profit, or should these drugs and services be made more accessible at cheaper costs for those who need them? I believe in the latter viewpoint.
Healthcare is a basic right that should be given to all of humanity. Regardless of whether an individual is born in the slums of Brazil, or in the urban metropolis that is New York City, every human being deserves a chance to be healthy. Even if the underprivileged were to fight tooth and nail to provide basic civic amenities for their family, they would still be crushed underneath a mountain of medical bills in the event of contracting any illness requiring access to patented drugs. To think that a child would be deprived of life saving medications simply because they were unfortunate enough to belong to a community with fewer resources is not only tragic, but a mark of shame for humanity at large.
It can be argued, however, that the ground reality of the situation is not as simple as it seems. Many drugs produced by pharmaceutical companies require extensive testing before they are declared fit for human consumption; a process that requires both time and capital. The costs associated with development, safety checks, mass production, packaging and shipping, all contribute towards the total expenditure that goes into making medicine available for patients. If so many resources are needed for allowing these drugs to reach the shelves in the local pharmacy, it is no wonder that the costs are also fairly significant. With that said, it is also true that a large portion of the cost associated with buying these patented products exists simply to make a large profit, and a large portion of the listed price can in fact be reduced without any major loss in quality control.
It is the right of a company that produces a product to charge for it, particularly if the product in question is of a particular standard. However, is it not a greater responsibility on mankind as a species to look after their own brethren? Is it not unethical to let our follow man suffer for being born in the house of a less wealthy father, or in a country with a worse economic situation? It is essential that we ensure that important medication is both affordable and available to all those who seek it. Profits have their time and place, but the value of human life must be paramount, regardless of whether or not they have the same resources we do.