PHM-Exch> PHM Statement to the 65th WHA on compromised medical products

[Heba Wanis]

*Statement to the 65th WHA on Agenda item 13.13:
Substandard/spurious/falsely-labelled/falsified/ counterfeit medical
products*



Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


My name is Heba Wanis and I am making this statement on behalf of CMC
Churches Action for Health, Third World Network and People's Health
Movement, which is represented in more than 80 countries worldwide, calling
for "Health for All". ****

** **

Mr. Chairman, we have three points to make under this agenda item.


First, we welcome the establishment of a Member State mechanism to address
the issue of quality, safely and efficacy of medical products, from a
public health perspective, excluding trade and intellectual property
considerations.****

 ****

We believe that this intergovernmental mechanism is the appropriate forum
for WHO to deal with the problem of compromised medicines. With the
establishment of this mechanism, it is time to dissociate WHO from IMPACT
(International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeit Taskforce).****

** **

Second, the WHO has to focus on ensuring the quality and safety of
medicines and ensuring they are affordable.****

** **

The public has a right to expect that the medicines are available and
affordable and that medicines on offer are of high quality, are safe and
are efficacious. One of the root causes of the problem of compromised
medicines is the unaffordability of quality medicines.****

** **

This issue has not been given sufficient attention and we urge the Member
States, through the proposed new mechanism, to agree to bold solutions to
deal with the unaffordability of medicines.****

 ****

Third, the effective regulation of quality, safety and efficacy depends on
adequately resourced and well-functioning drug regulatory agencies at
country level. An important study conducted by WHO on drug regulatory
systems in 26 African countries concluded that many countries did not have
the capacity to control the quality of medicines circulating in their
markets.****

** **

The WHO has a critical mandate to support the development of drug
regulatory capacity. This needs to be done urgently.****

** **

WHO needs to make a clear distinction between the regulation of quality,
safety and efficacy on the one hand and the inspection and policing of
claimed intellectual property rights. Conflating these two purposes serves
the interests of big pharma but it does not assist in the establishment of
effective drug regulation to protect consumers from compromised medicines. *
***

 ****

We urge MS to properly fund WHO so it can carry out its proper role
including building drug regulatory capacity at global, regional and country
levels. We urge MS to resolve the financial crisis of WHO by increasing
assessed contributions and converting tied donor funding to untied
donations.


Thank you, Mr. Chairman.





Heba Wanis
Project Coordinator
Democratising Global Health Governance
People's Health Movement
Global Secretariat Office, Cairo

Tel:   +2 022 268 22 78
Mob: +20 122 314 0318 (Egypt)
        +41 7677 07800 (Switzerland)
Web: www.phmovement.org
         www.ghwatch.org
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