PHA-Exchange> WHA opens with calls for more health financing

[claudio at hcmc.netnam.vn]

de Third World Network <twnet at po.jaring.my> -----

World Health Assembly opens with calls for more health financing
By Martin Khor

The World Health Assembly (WHA) opened Monday with speeches by the 

President of Maldives Maumoon Gayoom and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, 

both urging that more funding be given to health to reduce global health 
inequities.

World Health Organization Director-General Dr Lee Jong-wook  warned that
although health was at the centre of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
progress towards meeting them was not reassuring.  He and  President Maumoon
warned about the impending avian flu pandemic, which could kill many millions if
measures are not taken now.

Among the highlights on the agenda of the Assembly, which ended on 25 May, are
the achievement of health-related MDGs, revision of the International Health
Regulations, and health action in relation to crises and disasters.

In view of the avian flu problem, the item on pandemic influenza preparedness 
and
response will also be a closely-followed item, as will the issue of scaling up 
treatment
of HIV/AIDS.  The Assembly will also discuss controversial proposals to allow
genetic engineering experiments on remaining stocks of the smallpox virus.

At the opening plenary session, the President of the Assembly, Spanish Health
Minister, Ms. E. Salgado, highlighted two issues that will occupy the Assembly:
assessment of the attainment of health-related MDGs, and the adoption of a 
revised
draft of the International Health Regulations.

The revised regulations, which will replace the 1979 regulations, had been 
discussed
for two years and were finalized late night on 13 May.  They pertain to 
prevention and
control of international spread of disease, particularly in relation to 
transport, travel
and trade.

WHO Director-General Dr Lee Jong-wook, in his opening speech, said that health
issues are at the centre of the MDGs, yet the translation of those goals into 
reality is
very far from completion, and progress towards them was not reassuring.

Unless there are major changes in the very near future, the targets for 
reducing child
mortality will not be achieved by 2015, warned Dr. Lee.  Although the coverage 
rates
in some areas rose as planned, "we have not yet seen improvement in health
indicators.  In some areas death rates have actually risen due to extreme 
poverty and
epidemics."  The technical knowhow exists to do what is needed for global 
health, but
"we have not yet found ways to apply it on a large enough scale."

Dr Lee added that the rise in funding for health development was encouraging, 
having
risen steeply, but was still a small fraction of what is needed.  "We have at 
least begun
to overcome lack of resources, one of the biggest obstacles to meeting MDG 
targets."

He cited the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (which has entered into
force with 64 contracting parties) as a "shining example" of negotiation 
ensuring that
knowledge leads to action.

He mentioned the launching in March of the Commission on Social Determinants of
Health which will define and confront major underlying causes of ill-health in 
the
21st century;  and the Commission on Intellectual Property which will present 
its
findings to next year's WHA.

On specific diseases, Dr Lee mentioned the campaign to treat 3 million HIV/AIDS
patients by end-2005.  He said the milestone of 700,000 people on treatment was
passed last December but did not reveal what the present level of achievement 
was,
except to say that the next progress report is due in June.

On tuberculosis (TB), the treatment success rate reached 82% but case detection 
is
still lagging at 45%.  In Africa, the HIV epidemic is fuelling TB resurgence.

On malaria, which kills over a million people annually, under-investment in 
control
activity has accelerated drug resistance and excluded whole populations from
protection. The new artemisinin-based combination therapies and insecticide-
treated
nets are effective and WHO is preparing a major initiative based on these.

He ended by warning about avian influenza, which he described as "the most 
serious
health threat the world is facing today". While the timing cannot be 
predicted, "rapid
international spread is certain once the susceptible virus appears."

He said this was a grave danger for all people in all countries, adding that the
magnitude can be gauged by the 20-50 million deaths from the Spanish flu 
epidemic
in 1918.

Dr Lee added that there is time to prepare for the next global pandemic. "When 
this
event occurs, our response has got to be immediate, comprehensive and 
effective."

The President of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, made an eloquent plea for
international cooperation to come to the aid of small  countries like his, 
which were
threatened by natural disasters such as the recent tsunami and the effects of 
climate.

He gave a wide-ranging panorama of the health problems and crises facing the 
world. 
He said the tsunami directly affected one-third of the people of the Maldives, 
with
two decades of development and the equivalent of 62% of the Gross Domestic
Product washed away.  An early warning system alone isn't enough, what is needed
is a strategy for people to find refuge once the alert is sounded.

Though substantial funds have been committed for recovery and reconstruction, he
feared the promised aid would take too long to materialize, with particularly 
slow
reaction in aid for repairing water and sewerage infrastructure and the 
clearing of
debris and waste.

He highlighted the need for treatment for HIV/AIDS and drug-resistant TB, and
warned that globalization, travel and trade were rapidly spreading infectious 
diseases. 
While the challenges of dealing with old diseases like malaria, TB and cholera
remain, the emergence of new pathogens such as SARS and avian flu were equally
worrying.

He warned that the avian flu could transform into a new pandemic strain against
which human beings have no immunity, and such a pandemic could kill over 100
million people.

Localised health hazards are equally more devastating, he added, citing that 
one in
five persons in the Maldives is a thalassaemia carrier.  Bone marrow 
transplantation,
the only permanent cure, is not available locally.  The cost of treatment is 
projected
to consume over 40% of per capita health expenditure in 50 years, if preventive 
steps
are not taken.

President Maumoon Gayoom also stressed the importance of the environment, citing
that over 5 million children die annually from illnesses caused by the 
environment
they live in.   He pinpointed the health effects of global warming, which could 
kill the
corals and starve the Maldives of fish supplies, and would increase vector-borne
diseases, lead to more virulent forms of tropical diseases and poison water 
aquifers
and soil with excess salination as the seas rise.

Bill Gates, speaking in his capacity as founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, said the world is failing billions of people as governments in rich 
and
poor countries are not putting enough funds in health, while the private sector 
is not
developing vaccines needed in developing countries as they could not afford to 
buy
them.

The story, however, is changing, he said, with the application of more 
scientific
research on treating diseases such as pneumonia, malaria, sleeping sickness and
AIDS, giving examples of projects funded by his Foundation.

Delivery and distribution of medicines were also important, and he urged that 
the
design of medicines be shaped by the needs of delivery, for example, by 
developing
a pill to be taken once a month instead of AIDS patients who now have to take 
three
pills a day.

Gates said governments in rich countries must match resources to meet the scale 
of
the problem, governments in developing countries should increase the share of 
their
budgets going to health, and all countries should increase research on diseases 
that
claim the most lives, while scientists should design inventions with delivery 
in mind.

Earlier, the Assembly proceedings were held back by consideration of the issue 
of
whether to place on the agenda the issue of whether Taiwan could be accepted as 
an
observer in the WHA.

Chad and Malawi supported placing the issue on the agenda, arguing that the WHO
would lose credibility if it marginalizes small and weak members.

Pakistan spoke against the proposal.  China said the WHA had repeatedly 
rejected the
request of a few countries that Taiwan should take part as an observer.  It 
said that to
admit Taiwan as an observer would be against the UN Charter, UN General Assembly
and WHA resolutions and the WHA rules of procedure on observer status.  It added
that China would safeguard its sovereignty and would not allow anyone to conduct
secession activities through the WHA.

The Assembly decided not to include this issue on its agenda.

----- Fin del mensaje reenviado -----




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