PHM-Exch> WHO Exec Bd 130 Report Day 7

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Alice Fabbri <alealifab at gmail.com>


The report is available at:
http://www.ghwatch.org/sites/www.ghwatch.org/files/EB130_Day_7_Notes.pdf
I think this is the last mail, thanks again for forwarding all my messages
to PHM Exchange!

*Highlights from the seventh day of the 130th Executive Board*

*Geneva, 23.01.12*

*United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20 *

While the proposed informal consultations among Member States was welcomed,
the US and the EU emphasized this should not run in parallel to the process
in New York. The US further believed such a consultation should be held
only once rather than being a process. Switzerland recognized this but
expressed full support for the consultations as they could contribute to
the development of a coherent national position. Thailand asked to
broadcast the meeting on the web.

Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland and Estonia on behalf of the EU emphasized the
importance of getting health in the Rio+20 Conference. The Rio conference
should acknowledge health as a contributor to sustainable development and
an indicator to measure progress. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) should be
an essential part of social protection. They further pointed out the
important links between the social determinants of health and sustainable
development.

The Director General assured Member States that WHO did not want to set up
a parallel process and urged Member States to work towards policy coherence
in their own government. She noted that the social pillar is the weakest of
the three pillars of sustainable development (i.e. economical, social and
environmental). She recognized Switzerland comment and noted that “*we
should be more skillful in the use of language”*.

Click here<http://www.ghwatch.org/sites/www.ghwatch.org/files/WHO%20EB130-%20MMI%20statement%20Rio%20+%2020.pdf>for
the PHM statement. on this agenda item.



* WHO REFORM (continued)*

A written document was provided to Member States.

The document summarizes the conclusions of the Executive Board on WHO
Reform:

   - *Programmes and priority setting*: programmes and priority setting
   will be discussed in a Member State-driven process, which will include a
   meeting to be held in Geneva on 27-28th February and open to all Member
   States. The Secretariat will provide documentation for this meeting no
   fewer than seven days before the meeting.
   -  *Governance*:  Member States are invited to submit their comments on
   this item through a web site before 17th February . Further consultations
   with Member States will be required on WHO’s engagement with other
   stakeholders, including NGOs and industry, and the proposals to review and
   update principles governing WHO relation with NGOs, and to develop
   comprehensive policy frameworks to guide interaction with the
   private-for-profit sector, as well as non-for-profit philanthropic
   organizations.
   - *Managerial reform*: The Secretariat will further elaborate the
   proposals for the predictable financing mechanism and the contingency fund,
   based on the feedback from the EB at the present session, and present these
   to the 131st EB through PBAC. Member States are invited to submit their
   comments on the draft evaluation policy through a web site before 17th
   February. Concerning stage one of the independent evaluation of WHO, the EB
   has welcomed the offer of the External Auditor to carry out this step, and
   expects that the report of stage one will be presented to the 65th WHA, and
   will include a proposed road map for stage two of the independent
   evaluation.**

*In preparation for the May meetings of the governing bodies,* the
Secretariat will prepare a consolidated report covering all aspects of WHO
reform for submission to the 65th WHA. In line with the desire of the EB to
strengthen the oversight of the PBAC, which already has a crowded agenda
for a one day meeting, it was decided that this particular May meeting of
the Committee will be extended to three days. It was also decided that the
131th Executive Board will be extended to two days to ensure adequate time
to consider the reform proposals. **

* Agenda item 10.2 (C): Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public
Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property *

The EB discussed the progress report  on the implementation of the Global
Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Public Health
(GSPOA), adopted by resolution WHA61.21.
Burundi, speaking on behalf of AFRO, was of the view that the
implementation of the action plan remained slow and insufficient in certain
areas. Burundi looked forward to better funding for the GSPOA in the
future, and highlighted the element on strengthening R&D as particularly
important to developing countries.

Brazil commended PAHO for building a platform on challenges in the Americas
in the context of the implementation of the GSPOA. Brazil noted that the
WHO is approaching the deadline of 2015 for the GSPOA implementation, and
said they would like to see more progress on level of indicators.

* *

**

*Agenda item 10.2 (D): Smallpox eradication: destruction of variola virus
stocks *


There were only two interventions from Member States on this agenda item,
Nigeria on behalf of AFRO, and Iran, a non-EB Member.

Nigeria, speaking on behalf of AFRO, noted that resolution WHA60.1
requested a review of the membership of the Advisory Committee on Variola
Virus Research, so that it includes experts from developing countries in a
way which ensures geographical representation. That said, Nigeria requested
that an expert from AFRO be included in the Committee.

Nigeria also expressed its concerns that variola virus might exist
elsewhere, besides the known stocks, and that it could be released with the
purpose of causing harm, and called for measures to prevent unauthorised
access to the virus.

Iran expressed its concern regarding the report, saying that according to
the Review on smallpox research conducted by the Advisory Group of
Independent Experts (AGIES), there are no compelling scientific reasons for
retaining the virus stocks. However, according to Iran, the recommendations
of the Review had not been taken into account, and new research being
conducted is inconsistent with the conclusions of the Advisory Committee on
Variola Virus Research (ACVVR) and the global consensus reached on this
matter.



*Agenda item 10.2 (G): Viral hepatitis  *

The EB discussed the disease as contributing to the global burden of
disease, and as particularly affecting developing countries.

Cameroon, speaking on behalf of AFRO, noted that viral hepatitis is endemic
in most African countries. Cameroon also gave an overview of several
achievements at the viral hepatitis front in African countries e.g. moving
towards safe injections practice, safe transfusions and infant immunisation
with Hepatitis B vaccine.

There are still several challenges facing African countries in this regard,
as pointed out by Cameroon, most of which could be met with proper health
systems strengthening, such as the limited availability of accurate data,
vaccine procurement and the difficulty of reaching children for
immunisation.

The USA said that there is no mechanism for routine collection of
information related to viral hepatitis, and that there are two issues to
address: access to diagnosis and access to second line drugs that are still
poorly available.
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