PHA-Exchange> WHO meeting report 2

[claudio at hcmc.netnam.vn]

From: "Garance Upham" <g_upham at club-internet.fr>



> News from the Exec Bd mtg (continued)
>
> As this was the inauguration day in the United States, this gave rise to
> citations from past presidents by several delegation and sometimes lots
> of laughter, as people intervening quoted famed democratic president.
> Huenta, from Cuenca, Equador, quoted Clinton in his intervention, the
> Russian delegate quoted Kennedy : “It may take a year, a 1000 years, but
> let us begin” (refering to generic production and access to drugs for
> all), but most remarkable was the intervention of Muhammad Khan, the
> health Minister from Pakistan, who started the process of quoting
> democratic presidents by quoting Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Khan ended
> his intervention on ARV by reminding everyone that, as is the case in
> Zambia, debt repayment eats away most of the income of African
> countries, so that the debt issue is also essential for access to
> health
Khan concluded that : “FD Roosevelt expressed hope after WW2,
> that from the combat against debt- destruction – chaos and war, a we
> would learn to be world citizens to get out of this horror”
”.
> 
> Kenya congratulated JW Lee on the creation of a department for support
> to the developing countries.
> South Africa thanked Canada, Norway, the EU, for enabling legislation to
> use flexibility in TRIPS.
> The EU Commission welcomed the WHO resolution on ARV, while noting the 
absence
> of delivery systems. It noted the increase in capacities for local
> generics production, and the EU council and EU parliament stand on use
> of Doha provision for TRIPS flexibility.
> The Assistant DG said that the WHO would continue to provide
> technical assistance on TRIPS as required by member States, as well as
> some assistance on bilateral TRIPS ++ problems (against US advice),but 
that “it would not mean the WHO had the
> intention of criticizing all bilateral agreements”., Also WHO would
> provide data info on patents/prices..
> WHO has a “public health oriented approach”
thanked France and Nepal
> and other States who supported the project

> The pre-qualification of drugs is a strict process, it saves valuable
> money and time for countries..
> WHO confirmed the decision to create two new department on “access to
> drugs and traditional medicines” and policy and standards of medicines.
> 
> Dr Luis Gomes Sambo is appointed regional director for Africa, Dr Marc
> Danzon, Director for Europe.
>
> (note: all citations in this report are approximate as we do not have
> taping, only notes)
> >
> The Gambia comment on the immunisation, stressed that the polio program
> WAS NOT a good example, that vertical programs ought to be stoped and
> rather, linking vaccination with other programs, as mentioned in the WHO
> reso was good, and that, overall, strengthening health systems would
> lead to greater effectiveness. The man makes remarkably intelligent
> intervention on every issue. I will try to interview him on Monday. He said
> yes in principle.
> The Thai delegation said that accessibiliy to affordable vaccines was as
> important as accessibility to affordable medicines, and that the
> capacity to deliver these vaccines was also key.
>
> Yesterday session focused on ARV in developing countries, malaria, and
> public health problems caused by alcohol.
> Malaria
> Highlights were:
> The Thai delegation’s insistance on malaria program as integrated into
> overall effort on human resources and NOT as a vertical program.
> The Gambia and other delegations from Africa insisting that malaria is a
> developmental challenge, essential to achieving the Millenium dev goals
> and that, therefore, the insistance on “inexpensive rapid tests” for
> malaria in the resolution was innapropriate, as microscopes and
> microscopy alone is a sustainable way to identify malaria..
> The US del. strongly criticised the malaria resolution for speaking only
> of malaria as a problem in Africa and not in other regions, for not
> mentioning the Global Fund which will invest 30% of its ressources for
> malaria in 80 countries
.  He also asked that there be a statement 
supporting indoor residual household spraying of insecticides as indicated by 
local conditions.”
> The US was generally supported on these issues, which was rather
> exceptional as they were lots of debates on every other issue (except
> malaria) with the US.
>

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