Towards health and trade policy coherence

There is common ground between health and trade, and between the objectives of the WHO and the WTO. The WHO's objective is "the attainment of all peoples of the highest possible level of health", and WHO defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Good health is one important building block for sustainable economic development. With regard to trade, an underlying assumption is that a liberal international trade regime, subject to reasonably stable and predictable conditions, improves the climate for investment, production and employment creation, and therefore contributes to economic growth and development. Generally, the health status of a country is affected positively by such growth. This expectation is reflected in the opening words of the agreement establishing the World Trade Organization