Is Open Access to medical research literature relevant to low- and middle-income countries?

At the end of 2003, the United Nations held the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, the aim of which is to develop a better understanding of the international impact of the information and communication technology revolution. Part of the first meeting's declaration referred to the Open Access movement. This article describes what Open Access is, its implications for medical research in low- and middle-income (LAMI) countries, and considers whether Open Access will make a difference.