WHO

At the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the 1978 Alma Ata Conference, Dr. Halfdan Mahler, who used to be the WHO director general at that time, talks about his love affair with the People's Health Movement. (Photo: WHO/Peter Williams)

Subtitles are available in Spanish and Arabic.

See video

 

 

The Community Working Group on Health and PHM Zimbabwe posted their analysis of health issues in Zimbabwe. The position paper includes more detailed analysis of the socio-economic background; the main current issues; the role of the state and some specific recommendations towards the realization of the right to health.

Health in Zimbabwe: PHM Zimbabwe Position Paper June 2008

At the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the 1978 Alma Ata Conference, Dr. Halfdan Mahler, who used to be the WHO director general at that time, talks about his love affair with the People's Health Movement.

Geneva, 25 May (Sangeeta Shashikant) -- The highlight of the 61st World Health Assembly was the adoption of a resolution that strengthens the mandate of the WHO to undertake work on the inter-related issues of public heath, intellectual property, innovation and access to medicines.

The resolution, adopted at the end of the WHA during the plenary session, last Saturday afternoon, covers the Global Strategy (GS) and agreed parts of the Plan of Action (POA) on Public Health, Innovation & Intellectual Property.

Geneva, 29 May (Sangeeta Shashikant) -- Both developed and developing countries vigorously questioned the WHO Secretariat during the WHO's Executive Board meeting on 26 May on its publications policy and called for further discussion on the matter.

Prior to the 61st World Health Assembly (WHA), the Third World Network (TWN) in collaboration with the People's Health Movement (PHM) and Health Action International (HAI) called for a civil society meeting. The meeting was held in Geneva on Sunday 18th May and discussed the civil society contribution during the 61st (19-24 May 2008).
The workshop was participated by around 50 participants from civil society organizations/networks, academic institutions and few official representatives. The discussions can be concluded as follows:

Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General
World Health Organisation
Avenue Appia 20

CH - 1211 Geneva 27

15 May 2008

Concerns Regarding WHO's publications policy

Dear Dr. Margaret Chan

The comprehensive Primary Health Care (PHC) approach articulated at Alma Ata remains as relevant today as it was 30 years ago. It was never really implemented to reflect its true spirit, i.e., the basic intent of the Alma Ata Declaration which highlighted the need for a new international economic order to ultimately solve inequities in health. A PHC policy for 2008 and beyond needs renewed commitment, which, while affirming the fundamental positions of thirty years back, also takes into account the new realities of this age.

The World Health Organisation system was shaken up during the World Health Assembly in the past week over the way that the Secretariat has been dealing with the issue of intellectual property and its link to access to medicines.

Widespread and sharp criticisms from some member states as well as health-related NGOs were made on several aspects of how senior officials of the WHO have either recently neglected the traditional priority given by the WHO to public health over patents on drugs, and how the WHO system has operated in a biased way to the detriment of developing countries.

Patents have been taken on the avian influenza virus, and WHO Collaborating Centres have also entered into Material Transfer Agreements with vaccine manufacturers. This was admitted by the World Health Organisation's most senior official dealing with avian flu, in response to questions during a WHO technical briefing session on avian influenza at the World Health Assembly.