| The integration of domestic economies into global markets can affect both the proximate and the underlying determinants of child health. As the World Trade Organization (WTO) extends its reach into areas formerly outside the range of international trade agreements, globalization poses new risks and challenges to communities which have not been exposed to such external factors before. Much of this health crisis reflects the underlying economic reality of globalization. The greatest gains from trade liberalization have accrued to the wealthiest nations, and to the most powerful economic actors within each country. While some people within developing countries have also benefited, trade liberalization has threatened the livelihoods of the world's most vulnerable communities by exposing them to global market forces. The resulting impoverishment of poor families across the developing world has in many instances led to increased health problems among children due to stricter norms of IPR protection and has raised the cost of medication. |