From: <b class="gmail_sendername">SLAMA Slim</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:Slim.Slama@hcuge.ch">Slim.Slama@hcuge.ch</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="FR-CH"><div>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:right" align="right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"> Statement
by WHO Director-General /11<br>
19 November 2012</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"><br>
</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"> <br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US">Statement
by WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US">
</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center" align="center"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US">WHO sets
the record straight on work with the food and beverage industry</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US">Several recent media articles<a name="13b2287fb251f04b__ftnref1"></a><a href="https://extranet.who.int/datacol/custom_view_mailing.asp?page=custom_view_mailing.asp&survey_id=876&view_id=1706&question_name=question_36347_0_0_0#_ftn1" target="_blank">[1]
</a>are creating misinformation and confusion in the public health arena. These
articles are erroneously suggesting that in working to reduce noncommunicable
diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory
diseases and diabetes, the World Health Organization (WHO) receives funding
from the food and beverage industry. The allegations in these articles are
wrong.<br>
<br>
Because of WHO’s role in the development of norms, standards and guidelines for
protecting and improving people’s health, WHO uses a rigorous process to
protect its work from undue industry influence. The private sector plays an
important role along with other key stakeholders in taking action to improve
health. When WHO works with the private sector, the Organization takes all
possible measures to ensure its work to develop policy and guidelines is
protected from industry influence.</span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0cm" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US">WHO may engage
with the private sector on occasion, but according to WHO policy, funds
may not be sought or accepted from enterprises that have a direct
commercial interest in the outcome of the project toward which they would
be contributing. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US">All experts on
WHO advisory groups for developing norms, standards and guidelines are
required to disclose interests regarding the advisory committee’s area of
work. If a declared interest is potentially significant, then the
expert is either excluded from the meeting or given a restricted role.</span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US">For this reason the Organization does
not accept funding from the food and beverage manufacturers for work on NCD
prevention and control.<br>
<br>
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is unique among WHO’s Regional
Offices because it contains two separate legal entities – the WHO Regional
Office for the Americas (AMRO) and the health agency of the Organization of the
American States (PAHO). In some areas the two entities may have variations in
policy. For example, as mentioned in the media reports, in its capacity as
PAHO, food and beverage manufacturers have contributed financially as part of a
multi-sector forum to address NCDs.<br>
<br>
The <i>Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the United Nations
General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases,</i>
agreed by global leaders at the UN General Assembly in 2011, called on the
international community to undertake a series of actions. One of these actions
was to call on the private sector to promote measures to implement WHO
recommendations to reduce exposure to the risk factors which contribute to
NCDs. The WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health commits WHO
to hold discussions with the private sector, but the Organization will not take
money from private companies active in food and beverage production for work on
NCD prevention and control as implied by the media articles.<br>
<br>
WHO is committed to reducing the public health impacts associated with NCDs.
Hundreds of staff both at headquarters and in WHO’s Regional and Country
Offices work to develop evidence, tools and effective interventions to help
national governments take the action needed to prevent NCDs and reduce their
impact, by saving lives and reducing illness. Often, WHO’s work focuses on
policies and programmes to create health-promoting environments and reduce the
four principal risk factors that increase the risk of these diseases: tobacco
use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and harmful use of alcohol.<br>
<br>
Because NCDs contribute to 36 million deaths, or 63%, of all deaths globally
each year, they are a priority for the Organization. Of the 36 million people
who die annually from these diseases, 14 million are under 70 years of age, and
regarded therefore as premature and largely preventable deaths. About 80% of
the deaths related to noncommunicable disease occur in the developing world.
WHO appreciates the support of governments, civil society and other partners
who are working closely with us to reduce the death, illness and disability
from these diseases.<br>
<br>
<u>More information:</u><br>
The <i>Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the United Nations
General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases </i><a href="http://www.who.int/nmh/events/un_ncd_summit2011/en/index.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="text-decoration:none">www.who.int/nmh/events/un_ncd_summit2011/en/index.html</span></i></a><br>
<br>
Media contact:<br>
<br>
Fadéla Chaib<br>
Communications Officer / WHO Spokesperson<br>
Department of Communications<br>
Director-General's Office<br>
World Health Organization. Geneva<br>
Tel: +41 22 791 32 28<br>
Mobile: +41 79 475 55 56<br>
Email: <a href="mailto:chaibf@who.int" target="_blank">chaibf@who.int</a><br>
<br>
Twitter @WHO<br>
Facebook Page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/worldhealthorganization" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/worldhealthorganization</a><br>
Google+ Page <a href="http://gplus.to/WorldHealthOrganization" target="_blank">http://gplus.to/WorldHealthOrganization</a><br>
YouTube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/who" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/who</a><br>
Instagr.am @worldhealthorganization<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"><br clear="all">
</span></p>
<div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US">
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%">
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="13b2287fb251f04b__ftn1"></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"><a href="https://extranet.who.int/datacol/custom_view_mailing.asp?page=custom_view_mailing.asp&survey_id=876&view_id=1706&question_name=question_36347_0_0_0#_ftnref1" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">[1]</span> <span style="font-size:12.0pt">Mother
Jones: Is the Junk Food Industry Buying WHO?<br>
1 November 2012<br>
<br>
Reuters: Special Report: Food, beverage industry pays for seat at
health-policy table.<br>
19 October 2012<br>
<br>
</span></a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</span></p>
</div>
</div><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy" lang="EN-US"><a href="http://intranet.chatworld.eda.admin.ch/Pages/Record.aspx?recid=139289&cmtid=66547&tab=Comments" target="_blank">186th Round: Comment </a></span>
</div><br>