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Brief Review of the World Health Assembly

A range of heath issues came under scrutiny when Ministers of Health and their senior officials met last week at the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

NGOs call World Health Assembly to take measures on smallpox stocks

As the 59th World Health Assembly (WHA) meets in Geneva from 22-27 May, an issue expected to generate some heated discussion is the destruction of remaining smallpox (variola) virus stocks.

PHM mini-assembly during the 2006 World Health Assembly in Geneva

In the margin of the 59th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, the People's Health Movement held a mini-assembly on May 23, 2006, in the headquarters of the World Council of Churches. PHM health activists raised the issues that should be discussed during the WHA and a turnover ceremony was held of the PHM global secretariat from Bangalore, India, to Cairo, Egypt.
PHM web editor

NGOs See Possibilities For New Health R&D Framework

A key question among delegates, lobbyists and activists tracking intellectual property-related resolutions at this week’s World Health Assembly is what a proposed new research and development framework would look like.

WHO Director-General dies

The World Health Assembly started in a sombre mood Monday morning with the news that the Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr Lee Jong Wook had died just a few hours earlier.

Governments Must Move Forward with Global R&D Framework at World Health Assembly

As health ministers meet in Geneva at the World Health Assembly (WHA) next week, the medical humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is calling on governments to overhaul the way medical research and development (R&D) is prioritised and financed, and support a resolution proposed by Kenya and Brazil for a "global framework on essential health R&D." Despite gathering increasing support from many governments, this resolution has faced consistent obstruction on the part of the WHO Secretariat.

Just listen: research and activism can walk hand-in-hand

Completing his three-year term as co-ordinator of the Global Secretariat of the People’s Health Movement – before it moves to the Middle East – activist researcher Ravi Narayan, a member of the Foundation Council of the Global Forum, speaks of the necessity for all groups working towards people’s health, including researchers, to listen to each other. Hard evidence is essential for progress he says – especially evidience collected and analysed by researchers in least developed countries.

EU Commission misleading on the access to generics

The European Union Commission has, according to its press release today, urged the EU to accept amendments to WTO Agreement on Intellectual Property, which it says would pave the way to provide wider access to generic medicine. Médecins Sans Frontières describes this as utterly 'misleading'.

WHO Board adopts decision on trade and health

The WHO Executive Board has adopted a decision to recommend that the next World Health Assembly adopt a resolution on international trade and health which urges member states and the WHO secretariat to take action to make national trade and health policies more coherent, especially in light of the health implications of international trade agreements.

A statement prepared for "Making Partnerships Work for Health", World Health Organization, Geneva, 26-28 October, 2005.*

PHM identifies exploitation and marginalization of the poor as root causes of preventable disease, malnutrition and death and in this and many other respects, women and children are particularly vulnerable. This awareness guides all of our work including our position on partnerships for health.