[Pharm-policy] HAI on WHO-EB HIV/AIDS resolution

[James Love]

Subject: EB105 adopts HIV/AIDs resolution
   Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 01:57:49 -0800 (PST)
  From: Bas van <hai_in_geneva@yahoo.com>
    To: love@cptech.org, hayeswaller@compuserve.com
    CC: Daniel_Berman@geneva.msf.org

For posting..

-- 

Dear friends,

I wanted to update you on the WHO-EB, in particular on the resolution on
HIV/AIDS.

Today the EB has endorsed the draft resolution on HIV/AIDS: confronting
the epidemic. The text will soon be posted on the WHO web. Please check
http://www.who.int/wha-1998/EB105/anglais.htm

The document will be listed on the left at the bottom as EB105/R.. This
resolution will now be recommended for adoption by the World Health
Assembly in May.

The resolution is four pages long and needs to be read in full in order
to understand the context. The sections that are interesting to share
right now are those referring to the trade agreements. This was an issue
for which a drafting group has developed alternative wording. The
explanation by Dr. Thomas Novotny that Jamie posted on  Pharm-policy
clarifies the US concerns with the original wording and gives some
insight in the negotiations. 

In the preamble the text now includes:

"Recalling resolution WHA52.19 which inter alia requests the
Director-General to cooperate with Member States, at their request, and
with international organizations in monitoring and analysing the
pharmaceutical and public health implications of relevant international
agreements, including trade agreements, so that Member States can
effectively assess and subsequently develop pharmaceutical and health
policies and regulatory measures that address their concerns and
priorities, and are able to maximize the positive and mitigate the
negative impact of those agreements"

Under the operative paragraphs it requests the Director- General:

(9) to pursue dialogue with the pharmaceutical industry with a view to
making HIV/AIDS-related drugs increasingly accessible to the population
of Member States through drug development, cost reduction, asnd
strenghtening of reliable distribution systems;

(10) to reinforce, promote, sand explore partnerships in order to make
HIV/AIDS-related drugs accessible through affordable prices, adequate
financing and effective health-care systems, and to ensure that drugs
are safely and effectively used;

(11) to cooperate with governments, at their request, and other
international organizations on possible options under relevant
international agreements, including trade agreements, to improve access
to HIV/AIDS-related drugs;

I leave it up to you all to interpret this text. I am puzzled with the
section on partnership (with whom?), but is certainly the buzz-word for
the new WHO. I am convinced that the main issue for the NGO community is
to continue to urge contries to use the options they have under the
trade agreements in trying to improve access to essential drugs. The
Thai case shows that this needs action at both national level and strong
support from NGOs elsewhere. At least, as far as I can see, this
resolution does not limit the mandate that the WHO had obtained with the
Revised Drug Strategy resolution last year. At the EB we have expressed
concerns that the WHO so far has not been very pro-active on
implementing this mandate. For a copy of our interventions please cleck
the HAI website http://www.haiweb.org

Best regards from Geneva,

Bas van der Heide



James Love, Consumer Project on Technology
P.O. Box 19367        | http://www.cptech.org
Washington, DC 20036  | mailto:love@cptech.org
Voice 1.202.387.8030  | fax 1.202.387.8030