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- China has passed a revised drug law.The revised drug law removes drugs that are legal in foreign countries but not approved in China from the category of fake medicines.
- The revised law will also mean that residents who use the drugs without official approval can be granted leniency if the amount of the drug is small and will not be punished if the drug does not cause health problems or delay in treatment.
- This decision will also allow Chinese residents to access effective and cheap generic drugs from India especially to treat ailments like cancer.
- However,the announcement did not mention how the medicines could be procured as they are not available at pharmacies.
- According to a 2011 World Bank report,lack of access to drugs emerged as a burgeoning problem for the Chinese government as heart disease, strokes and chronic lung disease accounted for 80% of the deaths.
- Further,India has been demanding that China open its pharmaceutical market to Indian drugs as part of the efforts to lower the USD 57 billion trade deficit in about USD 95.5 billion total trade last year.
