PHA-Exchange> WHO agreement on virus sharing and intellectual property

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                            News Release WHA/2
23 May 2007

WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY CLOSES WITH AGREEMENT ON INFLUENZA VIRUS SHARING AND 
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 

 

GENEVA -- The World Health Assembly (WHA), the supreme decision-making body of 
the World Health Organization (WHO), wrapped-up its sixtieth session today, 
reaching last-minute agreement on two key resolutions on Pandemic influenza 
preparedness and Public health, innovation and intellectual property. More 
than 2400 people from WHO's 193 Member States, nongovernmental organizations 
and other observers attended the meeting which took place from 14-23 May.

The Assembly approved the largest-ever budget for the Organization and adopted 
a record number of resolutions on public health issues and on the technical 
and administrative work of WHO.

Member States agreed a resolution which will help all countries better prepare 
for the global public health threat which an influenza pandemic presents. The 
resolution, "Sharing of Influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other 
benefits," restates the general principles of the necessity of sharing both in 
the preparations for an influenza pandemic and the benefits that will flow 
from improved international cooperation and preparation, such as greater 
quantities of and equitable access to H5N1 and pandemic vaccines. 

In her closing remarks, the Director-General Dr Margaret Chan told the 
delegates, "All countries need to be aware of their obligations under the 
revised International Health Regulations. When collective security is at 
stake, public opinion can carry great weight. After very considerable 
discussion, you have adopted a resolution on the sharing of influenza viruses 
and access to pandemic vaccines and other benefits. I want to underscore the 
importance of this decision. My responsibilities in implementing the IHR 
depend on this sharing." 

The resolution requests WHO to establish an international stockpile of 
vaccines for H5N1 or other influenza viruses of pandemic potential, and to 
formulate mechanisms and guidelines aimed at ensuring fair and equitable 
distribution of pandemic-influenza vaccines at affordable prices in the event 
of a pandemic.

It also tasks an interdisciplinary working group with drawing up new Terms of 
Reference (TORs) for the WHO Influenza Collaborating Centre Network, and its 
H5 reference laboratories, for the sharing of influenza viruses. The new TORs 
will take into account the origin of influenza viruses going into the WHO 
Global Influenza Surveillance Network, and will make their use more 
transparent. Once finalized, these TORs will be submitted to a special 
Intergovernmental Meeting of WHO Member States and regional economic 
organizations.

The Assembly reached a last-minute agreement on Public health, innovation and 
intellectual property. The resolution expressed appreciation to the Director-
General for her commitment to the process of the Intergovernmental Working 
Group on the issue and encouraged her to guide the process to draw up a global 
strategy and plan of action. The resolution also requested the Director-
General to provide technical and policy support to countries.

Dr Chan said, "I am fully committed to this process and have noted your desire 
to move forward faster ... We must make a tremendous effort. We know our 
incentive: the prevention of large numbers of needless deaths and suffering." 

Summary of additional decisions and issues discussed at the 60th World Health 
Assembly

The Assembly approved a budget for 2008-2009 of $4.2 billion, an increase of 
nearly $1 billion from the $3.3 billion approved for 2006-2007. The new budget 
highlights the continued trend of increased investment in global public 
health. For WHO it means being able to provide more support to countries, in 
close collaboration with UN and other partners. For the first time, this 
budget is part of a six-year strategic plan for the Organization, which Member 
States also adopted at the Assembly. 

Member States expressed their concern that malaria continues to cause more 
than one million preventable deaths every year. The Assembly passed a 
resolution to intensify access to affordable, safe and effective antimalarial 
combination treatments, to intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancies, 
to insecticide treated mosquito nets, and indoor residual spraying for malaria 
control with suitable and safe insecticide. Member States requested that 
donors adjust their policies so as to progressively cease to fund the 
provision and distribution of oral artemisinin monotherapies, and to join in 
campaigns to prohibit the marketing, distribution and use of counterfeit 
antimalarial medicines. 

All Member States were urged to develop and implement long-term plans for 
tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control, in line with the WHO Stop TB 
Strategy. The actions the resolution are aimed at accelerating progress 
towards halving TB deaths and prevalence by 2015, through the full 
implementation of the Global Plan to Stop TB, 2006-2015. WHO is requested to 
strengthen its support to countries affected by TB, in particular those 
heavily affected by Multidrug-resistant and Extensively Drug-Resistant TB 
(MD/XDR-TB) as well as TB/HIV.

Indigenous polio survives in parts of only four countries. Member States 
resolved to step up their efforts to eradicate the virus swiftly, while taking 
steps to minimize the risk of its international spread. Stressing the 
financial and humanitarian gains to be made from completing eradication and 
the ongoing dividends of the highly-developed polio infrastructure, the 
Director-General presented the 'Case for Completing Polio Eradication', 
outlining a clear justification for the international donor community to 
rapidly fill a global funding gap of US$540 million for 2007-2008. 
Insufficient funding is currently imperilling the 20-year, US$5.3 billion 
international effort. 

The Assembly adopted a resolution on Integrating gender analysis and actions 
into the work of WHO, demonstrating the importance Member States place on 
including gender perspectives such as disaggregation of data based on sex in 
all publications and reports.

The WHA adopted a resolution expressing concern over the continuous 
deterioration of the health and economic conditions of the populations in the 
occupied Palestinian territory. The need for universal coverage of health 
services was reaffirmed while recognizing that the acute shortage of financial 
and medical resources is jeopardizing access of the population to curative and 
preventive services. The Assembly requested the WHO Director-General to report 
on the health and economic situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and 
to continue to provide the necessary technical assistance to meet the health 
needs of the Palestinians.

The Assembly passed a resolution on Better medicines for children, requesting 
the Director-General to undertake a program of work to improve access to 
essential medicines for children. This year, WHO will develop a Model List of 
Essential Medicines for Children, as well as evidence-based medicines 
information for prescribers and carers, and identify key research and 
development requirements for producing better medicines for children.

In a resolution on Health Technologies, in particular medical devices, the 
Assembly urged Member States to draw up national guidelines and plans for the 
assessment, procurement and management of technologies used in healthcare. 

A resolution on Rational use of medicines promotes an integrated, health 
systems approach to promoting more appropriate use of medicines - 
specifically, national multidisciplinary bodies to monitor medicines use and 
promote rational use. 

  

The Assembly agreed that a comprehensive review of all research undertaken on 
the variola virus, which causes smallpox, be undertaken beginning in 2010. The 
WHA asked that the results of that research - and conclusions concerning the 
need for any further research - be presented to the 64th World Health Assembly 
in 2011. 

 

The economic burden of oral disease is predicted to grow rapidly worldwide, 
particularly in disadvantaged and poor populations, unless oral preventive 
programmes are implemented. The WHA resolution urges WHO to provide advice and 
technical support for strengthening oral health programmes at country, 
regional and global levels, in collaboration with other UN organizations, WHO 
collaborating centres and NGOs.

The WHA passed a resolution urging Member States and the Secretariat to 
increase investment in, and strengthen efforts towards health promotion as the 
cornerstone of primary health care and a core function of public health. 

The Assembly adopted a resolution on emergency trauma care systems, which 
draws the attention of governments to the need to strengthen pre-hospital and 
emergency trauma care systems (including mass casualty management efforts) and 
describes a number of steps governments could take. It also invites WHO to 
scale up its efforts to support countries. 

Member States approved the resolution on strengthening of health information 
systems and enhancing WHO's work on health statistics in general. They also 
called on the DG to strengthen the information and evidence culture of WHO 
itself, and ensure the use of accurate and timely health statistics in order 
to generate evidence for major policy decisions and recommendations within 
WHO. 

Member States approved a resolution and reiterated the importance of a 
coherent research strategy for WHO which will help to disseminate the outcomes 
of research and its utilization in decision- and policy-making for more 
effective health policies. 

Member States approved a resolution on the control of leishmaniasis, which is 
recognized as one of the most neglected tropical diseases. Member States were 
urged to encourage research on leishmaniasis control, to identify appropriate 
and effective methods of control of vectors and reservoirs and find 
alternative safe, effective and affordable medicines. 

The Assembly endorsed the Global Plan of Action on Workers' Health, which aims 
to devise policy instruments on workers health; protect and promote health at 
the workplace; improve the performance of and access to occupational health 
services; provide and communicate evidence for preventive action; and 
incorporate workers health into other policies. During this year's opening 
plenary, the United Nations declared the Palais des Nations a smoke-free 
environment indoors, recognizing the major contribution of tobacco use to non-
communicable diseases and preventable, premature death.

 

A progress report to the Assembly describes noncommunicable disease activities 
in advocacy, surveillance and population-based prevention since the year 2000. 
A resolution urges Member States to strengthen national efforts in 
noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention and control and also calls for an 
action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs to be presented to the 61st 
WHA in 2008.

The Assembly held lengthy discussions on public-health problems caused by the 
harmful use of alcohol. Delegates agreed that the issue will be discussed 
again at the WHO Executive Board in January, 2008.

Keynote speakers at the Assembly were the Prime Minister of Norway, Jens 
Stoltenberg, and the Executive Director of UNFPA, Thoraya Obaid. The Prime 
Minister spoke of Norway's focus on Millennium Development Goals 4 (child 
mortality) and 5 (maternal mortality), and announced the establishment of 
a "Global Business Plan", to accelerate the progress towards these MDGs. The 
UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid underlined the areas of cooperation 
with WHO and urged delegates to focus on improving the sexual and reproductive 
health of their populations.

Ms Jane Halton, Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing, Australia 
was the Assembly President. The Chair of Committee A was Dr Robinson Jean-
Louis, Minister of Health and Family Planning, Madagascar and the Chair of 
Committee B was Mr Thomas Zeltner, Secretary of State and Director of the 
Federal Office of Public Health, Switzerland. 

 

For more information:

WHO Department of Communications, Geneva, Fadéla Chaib: tel: + 41 22 791 32 
28, mobile: +41 79 475 5556, email: chaibf at who.int; Christine McNab: tel: + 41 
22 791 4688, mobile: + 41 79 254 6815, email: mcnabc at who.int; Iain Simpson: 
tel: + 41 22 791 32 15, Mobile: + 41 79 475 5534, email: simpsoni at who.int. All 
WHO Media Releases, Fact Sheets and Features as well as other information on 
this subject can be obtained on internet on the WHO home page: www.who.int. 

 

 

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