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<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>: <a
href="http://www.transparency.org/publications/gcr/download_gcr">http://www.transparency.org/publications/gcr/download_gcr</a>
- click for a copy of the report<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#CC0000'><b><font size=1 color=white
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;
font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#CC0000'><b><font size=1 color=white
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;
font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#CC0000'><b><font size=1 color=white
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;
font-weight:bold'>Theft, bribery and extortion rob millions of proper
healthcare, says Global Corruption Report 2006 <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#CC4A4C'><b><font size=1 color=white
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;
font-weight:bold'>Counterfeit drugs kill thousands each year and accelerate
spread of drug-resistant diseases <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#CC4A4C'><b><font size=1 color=white
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;
font-weight:bold'>Berlin/London, 01 February 2006 <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>Corruption in the
health sector deprives those most in need of essential medical care and helps
spawn drug-resistant strains of deadly diseases, says Transparency
International’s <i><span style='font-style:italic'>Global Corruption
Report 2006</span></i>, published today. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:7.5pt;background:#E7E7E7'><b><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366;
font-weight:bold'>The GCR 2006 focuses on corruption and health. The book
includes expert reports on:</span></font></b><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>the
risks of corruption in different health care systems <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>the
scale of the problem: from high-level corruption in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Costa
Rica</st1:country-region> to counterfeit medicines in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Nigeria</st1:place></st1:country-region> to <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>health
care fraud in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>the
costs of corruption in hospital administration and the problem of informal
payments for health care <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>the
impact of corruption at various points of the pharmaceutical chain <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>anti-corruption
challenges posed by the fight against HIV/AIDS <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:7.5pt;background:#E7E7E7'><b><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366;
font-weight:bold'>It also includes:</span></font></b><font size=1
color="#003366" face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;
color:#003366'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>a
foreword by Mary Robinson <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>detailed
assessments of the state of corruption in 45 countries <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>recommendations
for cleaning up the health sector <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>examples
of successes in preventing health-related bribery, fraud and corruption <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>the
latest corruption-related research, including studies on the links between
corruption and other global <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>issues
such as pollution, gender and foreign investment <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:43.5pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:#E7E7E7'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color="#003366" face=Symbol><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Symbol;color:#003366'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=1 color="#003366"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#003366'>Use
the free Adobe Reader to view these PDF files. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#CC0000'><b><font size=1 color=white
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;
font-weight:bold'>Theft, bribery and extortion rob millions of proper
healthcare, says Global Corruption Report 2006 <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#CC4A4C'><b><font size=1 color=white
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;
font-weight:bold'>Counterfeit drugs kill thousands each year and accelerate
spread of drug-resistant diseases <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#CC4A4C'><b><font size=1 color=white
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:white;
font-weight:bold'>Berlin/London, 01 February 2006 <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>Corruption in the
health sector deprives those most in need of essential medical care and helps
spawn drug-resistant strains of deadly diseases, says Transparency
International’s <i><span style='font-style:italic'>Global Corruption
Report 2006</span></i>, published today. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>For the millions of
poor held hostage by unethical providers, stamping out corruption in health
care is a matter of life and death. “Corruption in health care costs more
than money. When an infant dies during an operation because an adrenalin injection
to restart her heart was actually just water – how do you put a price on
that?” said Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International.
“The price of corruption in health care is paid in human
suffering.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><b><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;font-weight:bold'>Haemorrhaging
health systems</span></font></b><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>The report shines a
powerful light on the global US $3 trillion health sector, exposing a maze of
complex and opaque systems that are a fertile field for corruption. While the
majority of people employed in the sector perform their functions with
diligence and integrity, there is evidence of bribery and fraud across the
breadth of health services, from petty thievery and extortion to massive
distortions of health policy and funding fed by payoffs to officials. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>Corruption permeates
the provision of health care, whether public or private, simple or
sophisticated. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<ul type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Public health
budgets become subverted by unethical officials for private use. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Hospitals
function as self-service stores for illicit enrichment, with unclear
procurement<br>
of equipment and supplies and ghost employees on the payroll.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Health workers
demand fees for services that should be free. In <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Bulgaria</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region>,
as in much of South East Europe, doctors frequently accept small informal
payments or gifts for medical treatment. This can be anything from between
US $10 – US $50 and in some cases can rise to US $1,100. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>In the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Philippines</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region>,
a 10 per cent increase in the extortion of bribes by medical<br>
personnel was shown to reduce the rate of child immunisation by up to 20
per cent.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>In <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cambodia</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region>,
certain health indicators have worsened partly because of direct
embezzlement of public health funds and despite increased health aid. In
contrast, in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
Kingdom</st1:place></st1:country-region> tighter control mechanisms have
reduced losses to corruption by US $300 million since 1999. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>In <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Costa
Rica</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region>, nearly 20 percent of a
US $40 million international loan for health equipment wandered into
private pockets. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ul>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>“Corruption eats
away at the public’s trust in the medical community. People have a right
to expect that the drugs they depend on are real. They have a right to think
that doctors place a patient’s interests above profits. And most of all,
they have a right to believe that the health care industry is there to cure,
not to kill,” said David Nussbaum, Chief Executive of Transparency
International. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><b><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;font-weight:bold'>Market
distortions and counterfeit drugs</span></font></b><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>Aggressive marketing
techniques buy physicians’ support for specific drugs, leading to a high
rate of prescriptions that are not always based on patient need. With
individual “blockbuster” drugs pulling in tens of billions of dollars
each year for pharmaceutical companies, ballooning marketing and lobbying
budgets have outpaced the research and development outlays necessary to create
new and critical medicines that could save lives in low-income countries. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>Corruption underpins a
lucrative counterfeit drugs trade. Payoffs at every step of the chain smooth
the flow of counterfeit drugs from their source to the unwitting consumer. With
pharmaceuticals often the largest household health expenditure in developing
countries – estimated at 50-90 per cent of total individual out-of-pocket
health expenses – corruption in the pharmaceutical industry has a direct
and painful impact on people struggling for survival. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><b><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;font-weight:bold'>Undermining
the fight against HIV/AIDS</span></font></b><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>Corruption has hampered
the success of global efforts to reign in the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The
international response to the growing crisis has been to scale up aid in order
to fund prevention programmes and the disbursement of life-saving
anti-retroviral medications. Increased aid alone will not be effective if
corruption is not curbed. Accountability mechanisms need to be introduced to
prevent money from leaking at every level. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<ul type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo4;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Theft by
ministries and national AIDS councils of funds allocated for treatment
leave sufferers without critical care. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on"><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Kenya</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>’s</span></b> National Aids Council was
hijacked by a few high-level civil servants, diverting critical resources
through shell organisations expressly formed to siphon off public funds. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo4;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Corruption can
contribute directly to infection when relatively low-cost measures, such
as sterile needles and screening of blood donations, cannot be carried out
because a corrupt procurement or distribution process holds up supplies. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ul>
<p style='background:white'><b><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;font-weight:bold'>Millennium
Development Goals under threat</span></font></b><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>Corruption is
undermining progress towards the United Nations’ Millennium Development
Goals, in particular the three related directly to health: reduced child
mortality; improved maternal health; and the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria
and other diseases. With the target date for achieving the goals just nine
years away, the global community is already off target to meet them – and
corruption is one of the primary causes. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>“Poor families,
particularly in rural areas, who cannot afford private health care face the
agonising choice of food or medicine. Feed your child or cure his illness, but
not both? No parent should face that awful choice,” said Huguette
Labelle. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><b><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;font-weight:bold'>Transparency
International recommendations </span></font></b><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>The cure for corruption
in the health care industry starts with transparency. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<ul type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Donor and
recipient governments should grant easy access to information on key
aspects of health-related projects, budgets and policies. Budget
information should be available on the internet and subject to independent
audits. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Adopt and
enforce codes of conduct for health workers and private sector companies
and provide ongoing anti-corruption training. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Incorporate
conflict-of-interest rules in drug regulation and physician licensing
procedures. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Public health
policies and projects should be independently monitored, both at the
national and international level, and their reports should be open to
public scrutiny. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Procurement
processes should be competitive, open and transparent, and comply with
Transparency International’s Minimum Standards for Transparency and
Public Contracting. Rules on conflicts of interest must be enforced and
companies that engage in corruption debarred from future bidding. No-bribe
pledges such as TI’s Integrity Pact should be adopted to level the
playing field for all bidders. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo5;background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial'>Rigorous
prosecution will send the message that corruption in health care will not
be tolerated. To facilitate this, there must be robust whistleblower
protection for both government employees and private sector health,
pharmaceutical and biotech employees. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ul>
<p style='background:white'><b><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;font-weight:bold'>State
of corruption worldwide</span></font></b><font size=1 color="#666666"
face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>The <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>Global Corruption Report 2006 </span></i>also
presents reports on the state of corruption and governance in 45 countries
around the world, including troubling evidence of financial irregularities in
post-tsunami relief operations. The report’s final section surveys the
cutting edge in corruption research. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><i><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666;font-style:italic'>Transparency
International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight
against corruption.</span></font></i><font size=1 color="#666666" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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