282. In reaction to the quotation of the Indian Health Minister by the delegation of Canada, the representative of India noted that his Government attached high importance to the issue of spurious, sub-standard and falsified medicines, which posed a big challenge for public health and access to medicines. This was backed by the Minister's statement which had referred to deterrent punishments under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. With respect to counterfeit medicines, he endorsed the statement made by the delegation of Egypt. At the World Health Assembly, as well as at other international fora, his delegation had deplored the deliberate confusion which was being created between intellectual property rights and public health-related issues.
