# E-DRUG: Re: New leadership in WHO (11) **URL:** \ **Category:** e-drug\ **Created:** [August 19, 1998, 10:53pm UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-re-new-leadership-in-who-11/3297 "1998-08-19T22:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ellen\_t\_Hoen5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a5b964/32.png) [@Ellen\_t\_Hoen5](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/Ellen_t_Hoen5)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1998, 10:53pm UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-re-new-leadership-in-who-11/3297/1 "1998-08-19T22:53:23Z")
E-drug: Re: New leadership in WHO (11) ---------------------------------------------------------- Dear E-druggers, I am following the discussion about developments at WHO and particular the appointment of Dr. M. Scholz with great interest. I share the concern expressed by Mark Raymakers and others on the fact that Dr. Scholz has a background in pharmaceutical marketing and has no or very little experience in public health, public bodies and with NGO's. Of course we will have to wait and see what he will do, but the fact that the multinational drug companies over the years have consistently obstructed the implementation of the Revised Drug Strategy and National Drug Policies based on the Essential Drugs Concept does not give reason for great optimism. The RDS does not only address the WHO or governments but a wide variety of interested parties and so do the many WHA resolutions that support the RDS. The document A39/13, the report by the Director-General that outlines the RDS identifies the following key players: governments, pharmaceutical industry, prescribers, universities, and other teaching institutions, professional non governmental organisations, the public, patients and consumer groups, mass media and WHO. To be able to work effectively Dr Scholtz will need good contacts with all these groups. Because of his background he will obviously have a much better network in the commercial and private sector. Now he has become an international public servant he will need to change his orientation. I would like to propose that we help him getting to know the other - more public interest oriented- players in this field by putting together a delegation of organisations that have working towards rational drug use as a key activity. The aim of this meeting can be - to introduce Dr. Scholtz to the kind of work that is being carried out by different NGOs - to show him how these NGOs collaborate with WHO and with each other - to hear from him what he sees as the priorities in this field - to determine lines of communication and consultation for the future. I think that HAI's suggestion to monitor what is happening at WHO is a good one but I would propose to include the setting up of a NGO meeting with Dr. Scholtz as part of the activities. The recent Essential Drugs Monitor that covered a number of Networks in this field can be a starting point for putting such an NGO delegation together also the WHO-NGO group could be involved. Ellen 't Hoen ethoen@csi.com -- Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'. Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'. For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.