E-DRUG: proposed Revised Drug Strategy Resolution
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[from our correspondent in the World Health Assembly.
Copied with thanks from DRUGINFO, the South African
E-drug version.
For those not familiar with WHO procedures: the WHA is
the "parliament" of WHO, and consists of all Ministers
of Health of WHO member states. One country, one vote
(different from Worldbank's one dollar, one vote!)
Sometimes the WHO Executive Board proposes a resolution;
this did not happen this year. That might be an indication
that the WHO secretariat wants to "cool down" the
debate.
However, if member states of WHO think that WHO should do
more on a specific issue, they have the right to propose
a draft Resolution "from the floor".
Below is what originated from Brazil, and it seem to
get a lot of support from the developing countries
(who have an absolute majority in WHA!).
The lobbying will now go on in the corridors about the
concrete wording. Watch this space! NN]
Below, taken from the PHARM-POLICY list, is the original
version of the Brazilian draft resolution on the
Revised Drug Strategy. It is expected to be debated either
later today (Thursday 17 May) or tomorrow.
regards
Andy Gray
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Revised Drug Strategy
The Fifty-fourth World Health Assembly:
Considering that access to health is a human right and
that access to essential drugs is part of the human
right to health and depends on:
a) rational selection and use of medicines;
b) adequate financing;
c) affordable prices; and
d) reliable supply systems
Considering that international law, and particularly
Article 12 or the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, recognizes the right to
the highest attainable standard of physical and mental
health, and that Article 12 thereof legally binds
States to furnish economic and technical assistance
and cooperation to realize that right, as respects the
treatment of diseases;
Additionally, considering that access to medicines is
particularly sensitive to price, since most people in
developing countries have to pay out of their own
pockets for health care, and that for achieving
universal access it is necessary to jointly ensure the
commitment of Governments, the United Nations Offices,
the private sector and the civil society ;
Recalling Revised drug strategy Resolution WHA 52.19
and prior related resolutions, nominally WHA39.27,
WHA41.16, WHA43.20, WHA45.27, WHA47.12, WHA47.16, WHA
47.17, and WHA 49.14;
Having considered the Report of the Executive Board on
its 107th session;
Taking into account the Revised Drug Strategy Report
by the Secretariat (document A54/17), as well as the
previous Report to the 53rd World Health Assembly
(document A53/10), that highlights challenges in the
issues of international trade agreements, access to
essential drugs, drug quality and rational use of
medicines; that also takes into account that the very
urgent need to increase access to drugs for treating
priority health problems such as malaria, childhood
illnesses, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, among others;
Taking into account that the aforementioned health
problems present acute crises which particularly
affect the poor and vulnerable populations, and which
entrap them in poverty, substantially slowing the
growth of national and international economies to the
detriment of all humanity;
Taking into account that the Revised Drug Strategy
must be immediately implemented, to realize the
enormous health benefits that essential drugs can
offer to the one-third of the human population now
lacking them;
Taking into account that the currently insufficient
levels of international economic and technical
assistance do not ethically or legally justify delays
in the implementation of the Revised Drug Strategy;
Noting the importance that WHO and overall country
governments are according to the formulation,
implementation and monitoring of national drug
policies in accordance to WHO guidelines;
Acknowledging the four main objectives incorporated in
WHO Medicines Strategy: framework for action in
Essential drugs and Medicines policy 2000-2003 ,
being: to frame and implement policy; to ensure
access; to ensure safety, quality, and efficacy; and
to promote rational use of medicines;
Commending the strong leadership that WHO has shown in
reemphasizing the essential drugs concept, and the
contributions of non governmental organizations
working on public health, toward the attainment of
such objectives as national drug policies, access to
drugs, indicators for monitoring access and policies,
promotion of generic drugs, differential pricing,
supply of drug price information, methodology for drug
pricing surveys, sustainable financing of drug
purchases, reliable supply systems, studies of
international trade agreements, harmonization of drug
regulation, good manufacturing practices, among
others;
Noting that the impact of international trade
agreements on the access to or local manufacturing of
essential drugs has scarcely been evaluated in most
developing countries, and that ongoing initiatives are
needed to research and develop drug policies vis-�-vis
these agreements;
Recalling that the 9th point of the Revised Drug
Strategy (Resolution WHA52.19) requested the
Director-General to report to the 53rd Assembly on
progress achieved, problems encountered, and
recommendations for action, and that the 107th
Executive Board meeting further requested the Director
General to report on the actions of the Secretariat to
this Assembly, as noted in documents A53/10 and
A54/17;
Reaffirming the Commission of Human Rights resolution
2001/33 approved by its 57th Session;
1. URGES Member States to:
(1) Ratify this Resolution and related documents as
quoted herein, to reaffirm their commitment and
include the necessary actions within their national
health policies to ensure public health interests and
equitable access to medicines
(2) Guarantee access to medicines in the context of
priority diseases and pandemics, which must be
considered as a fundamental human right at
international law, the full realization of which is
indispensable to the right to the highest attainable
standard of physical and mental health
(3) Join efforts to cooperate into the implementation
of all of the Operative Paragraphs contained in the
Commission of Human Rights resolution 2001/33;
(4) To confirm the Revised Drug Strategy Resolution
WHA52.19 as an imperative mandate for Member State
actions directed toward the goal of expanding access
of populations to essential drugs
(5) Pursue measures directed to expanding access of
their own populations to essential drugs;
(6) Cease and desist immediately from bilateral
actions that effectively obstruct the efforts of other
Member States to expand access and local production of
generic drugs, where doing so has the potential to
improve the health of millions of people, and
particularly those in least developed countries;
(7) Provide the requisite international financial and
technical assistance, as legally mandated in Article 2
of the International Covenant of Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, to enable measures undertaken by less
developed Member States to expand access to essential
drugs.
2. REQUESTS the Director-General to:
(1) Include as a permanent issue of the Agenda of the
World Health Assemblies for the next years of 2002,
2003, 2004, and 2005, the Revised Drug Strategy, with
yearly Reports by the Secretariat, in order to allow
developing countries to discuss and debate advances
and constraints in achieving expanded access to
essential drugs to their populations, with a view to
facilitating the implementation of joint strategies
and guidelines;
(2) To facilitate, jointly with Member States and
non-governmental organizations concerned with public
health an in-depth evaluation of the essential drugs
concept and current guidelines; the development of new
pharmaceutical chemical entities for neglected
diseases whose burden is predominantly in poor
countries; the identification of measures to protect
intellectual property which are consistent with and
subordinate to the concurrent goal of ensuring present
and future access to essential drugs;
(3) Facilitate Member States in urgently
implementing, in partnership with non governmental
organizations, database systems for monitoring and
reporting global drug prices and a consolidated
worldwide database, in order to make it feasible,
especially for least developed countries, to have
reliable information and equity in access to essential
drugs within their health systems;
(4) Support the implementation of drug monitoring
systems in order to better identify adverse reactions
and misuse of drugs within health systems, thus
promoting rational use of drugs
(5) Continue and enhance efforts to study and report
on the pharmaceutical and public health implications
of international trade agreements
(6) Enhance funding to support Member States
requesting assistance in achieving the priorities
stated in Revised Drug Strategy Resolution WHA 52.19,
Reports by the Secretariat (document A53/10 and
A54/17), and this Resolution.
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