Bruntdland to Take on Tobacco Cos. (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

New chief vows big reforms at maligned
                  WHO 

                  By Reuters, 07/22/98 

                     GENEVA - Norway's former prime minister, Gro Harlem
Brundtland,
                      took the helm of the ailing World Health Organization
yesterday with a
                  promise to improve the much-criticized UN agency. 

                  Brundtland, 59, pledged to adopt better ties with the
pharmaceuticals
                  industry and a business-friendly approach at the WHO,
which critics say has
                  been hobbled by the philosophy that profit is evil and
state action
                  automatically good. 

                  But she made an exception for the tobacco business. At a
news conference
                  after taking office, Brundtland repeated her call for a
global ban on cigarette
                  advertising. 

                  ''The kind of laws being put in place in many countries
will be a global model
                  for tobacco advertising. This has to be done in a
systematic way. We will
                  have to convince the governments,'' she said. 

                  ''The idea is to hamper and reduce the spread of tobacco
into new
                  population groups. ... We have to work on this very
seriously in order to get
                  results,'' said Brundtland. 

                  Tobacco companies face hostile legislation and lawsuits
and are accused of
                  promoting cigarettes among young people in Asia, Africa,
and Latin America
                  to make up for shrinking markets in the West. The European
Union in May
                  decided to gradually bring in a ban on tobacco advertising. 

                  Brundtland promised to make efficiency, accountability and
transparency her
                  watchwords at the 50-year-old UN agency. 

                  ''We need change in our culture,'' Brundtland said. 

                  Brundtland has introduced a new code of conduct requiring
all WHO staff
                  members to declare their financial holdings or other
interests in
                  private-sector firms to ensure their independence. 

                  She announced plans to clear out the top brass appointed
by her
                  predecessor, Japanese pharmacologist Hiroshi Nakajima, and
named nine
                  new executive directors, six of them women, to handle
major health issues. 

                  This story ran on page A14 of the Boston Globe on 07/22/98. 
                  © Copyright 1998 Globe Newspaper Company.