WHO

EPHA Briefing ’Revision of International Health Regulations’

The WHO European Regional Consultation on the Revision of the International Health Regulations took place in Copenhagen, 9-11 June 2004.
The meeting, which was part of a process started in 1995 to revise the International Health Regulations (IHR), was intended to provide the member states in the WHO European Region with the opportunity to become familiar with the draft revision of the new IHR document and to identify problems and discuss solutions.
A briefing note prepared by the EPHA (...)

WHO workshop on children’s environmental health advocacy

Diana Smith, EPHA’s Communication Director, was the facilitator and the rapporteur for the WHO workshop on "Advocacy and Information, Education and Communication for children’s environmental health" in Wroclaw, Poland (29 September-1 October).
The workshop defined advocacy and IEC, shared case studies of successful projects and identified key strategic links between sectors and (...)

New UN remembrance day for road victims

A new remembrance day for road traffic accident victims is to be created following a vote by the United Nations General Assembly.
The remembrance day is to be held on the third Sunday of November. It is hoped that this day will help to improve accident prevention, without which the World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that the number of fatalities and injuries will increase by about 65% by 2020.
According to the WHO World report on road traffic injury, published in 2004, 1.2 million (...)

Reducing water related diseases in Europe

85 million (10%) people living in the World Health Organisation (WHO) European Region do not have access to improved sanitation and over 41 million (5%) still lack access to a safe drinking-water supply. Access to safe water has been recognised as a basic human right and yet, the WHO estimates that 13 500 children under 14 years of age die every year due to poor water conditions.
The entry into force of the first legally binding international agreement in the fight against water-related (...)

WHO states that children should not use sunbeds

The World Health Organisation has recommended that no one under the age of 18 should use an artificial tanning sunbed. It highlights that sunbed use poses a risk of skin cancer and young people who get burnt from exposure to UV will have greater chances of developing melanoma (the most dangerous form of skin cancer) later in life.
Worldwide, there are an estimated 66 000 deaths from malignant melanoma and other skin cancers annually. These figures continue to rise: in Norway and Sweden, (...)

A Decade of "Water for Life" launched on world water day

According to UN estimates, 2.6 billion people (42% of the world population) lack access to even basic sanitation facilities. Each year, 1.8 million people die from diarrhoeal diseases, mostly in developing countries.
The annual World Water Day, 22 March, marks a permanent effort to promote access to safe drinking-water and sanitation throughout the world. The 2005 World Water Day coincides with the launch of the UN International Decade for Action "Water for Life 2005-2015".
The Decade is (...)

Healthy Planet News, 24 June 2004 and EEN Director’s keynote address

Healthy Planet News
The Healthy Planet News newsletter is published daily during the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health by a coalition of NGOs coordinated by the European Public Health Alliance Environment Network (EEN).
Please find below the PDF version of issue III - 24 June 2004. Today’s issue is focused on chemicals and the precautionary principle.
Previous issues:
23 June 2004
22 June 2004
Following issue:
25 June 2004
EEN Director keynote address at the (...)

WHO World Health Assembly adopts global strategy on diet, physical activity and health

The World Health Assembly, adopted a global strategy on diet, physical activity and health, which addresses two of the major risk factors responsible for the heavy and growing burden of noncommunicable disease. The strategy emphasizes the need to limit the intake of certain fats, sugars and salt, and increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, and levels of physical activity.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health was today endorsed by (...)

Consultation on children’s environmental health in Africa

On 4-6 February 2004 a technical consultation reviewed the national profiles on the status of children’s environmental health in six African countries.
This consultation took place in Cape Town, South Africa, and was hosted by the Medical Research Council of South Africa on behalf of the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa (AFRO).
WHO also launched a new publication on children’s environmental health indicators: "Making a difference: indicators to improve children’s (...)

Report on WHO meeting on precautionary policies and health

A report by Antoaneta Yoveva (Sustainable World Foundation) who attended the "WHO Meeting on Precautionary Policies and Health" on 12-13 September 2003, at the "Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire Environnementale" in Paris is available at the "Members Only" section of this website.
Members only: environment and health

Ninth meeting of the EEHC

The European Environment and Health Committee (EEHC), the steering group for the Budapest Conference, meets in Prague, Czech Republic, from 9-10 October 2003 to discuss the rapid progress in the many events and initiatives now building up to Budapest, and the major policy outcomes for the Conference.
The place on the agenda for issues of increasing concern such as the effects on health of extreme events related to the climate in Europe, such as heat and floods, is also an issue for the (...)

Calendar of events for the Budapest ministerial conference

; Date ; Event ; 2 October 2003 ; 1st meeting of the Working Group (WG) on environmental health information system, The Hague, the Netherlands ; 9-10 October 2003 ; 9th European Environment and Health Committee (EEHC) meeting Prague, Czech Republic ; 13-14 October 2003 ; Workshop on air quality and health in eastern Europe, Caucasus and central Asia (EECCA), St Petersburg, Russian Federation ; 16-17 October 2003 ; Environmental health (EH) indicators: towards implementation, Bonn, (...)

WHO comments on the health effects of extreme weather events

Experts say the factors behind France’s heat wave this summer are common in Europe and North America - and higher temperatures linked to global warming mean a similar disaster could easily happen again.
"We have to recognize that in the next years and decades, these episodes of heat waves will even be more frequent, sometimes even more severe", said Roberto Bertollini, an environmental health expert with the World Health Organization.
The country is far from fully figuring out why so many (...)

European Commission and WHO to work together on health

The European Commission (DG SANCO) and the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe have launched seven new jointly funded projects in the area of health. The projects will implemented by WHO/Europe over a three-year period.
The overall budget for the projects is 4,232,963, with the European Union’s Public Health Programme covering 60% of the cost. The two organisations will work together at political, technical and operational levels, with the aim of providing better support (...)

Poverty and health in developing countries: EU and WHO to cooperate closely

A new report by the WHO and UNICEF warns that vicious cycle of ill-health and poverty could defeat human development efforts, with children the first to suffer.
More than 2.6 billion people - over 40 per cent of the world’s population - do not have access to basic sanitation, and more than one billion people still use unsafe sources of drinking water
Entitled Meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) drinking water and sanitation target - A mid-term assessment of progress, the report (...)

Commission demands EU role in fight against global health threats

The European Commission adopted on 23 September a communication in which it supports World Health Organisation’s (WHO) major overhaul of its International Health Regulations (IHR).
The Commission calls for the EU to play a central role in WHO negotiations to reinforce international rules on the control of infectious diseases and other health threats.
Commission’s press (...)

WHO to Call for Legislation if Food Industry Doesn’t Reduce Salt Content

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a report calling for legislation to be put in place if recommendations to reduce the salt content in processed food continue to be ignored by the food industry.
The WHO recommendations - Reducing salt intake in populations 2007 - call for both governments and industry to commit to reducing the average salt consumption of the adult population to the maximum of 5g salt/day.
If the food industry fails to comply with the recommendations (...)

Second WHO Action Plan for food and nutrition policy 2007-2012 - EPHA responds

The World Health Organisation Europe is to publish by the end of 2007 the Second Action Plan for food and nutrition for the European region. EPHA has responded to a consultation launched by WHO EURO in order to prepare the Action Plan.(response attached)
First Action Plan for food and nutrition for the European region
Main objectives of the draft Action Plan
On November 2006 in Istanbul WHO/Europe organized the European Ministerial Conference on Counteracting Obesity where the first draft (...)

WHO European Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases

The World Health Organzation Europe region (EURO WHO) has recently adopted the European Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) (NCDs). The 28 page document makes for some interesting reading on ways to tackle the disturbing trend of NCDs.
NCDs account for some 86% of deaths and 77% of the disease burden in the WHO European Region - very disturbing statistics, especially given the fact that these diseases are largely preventable.
Noncommunicable diseases (...)

**Updated** WHO European Ministerial Conference on Obesity, November 2006

The WHO European Ministerial Conference on Counteracting Obesity, organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and hosted by the Government of Turkey, took place in Istanbul on 15-17 November 2006.
The Conference aimed to place obesity high on the public health and political agendas, in order to foster greater awareness and high-level political commitment towards action and to promote international and intersectoral partnerships.
During the Conference, (...)

WHO launches new campaign: 5 key actions for safer food

The second global forum of Food Safety Regulators met 12-14 October in Bangkok, Thailand. Organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 300 food safety regulators from over 100 countries attended the forum entitled "Building Effective Food Safety Systems" .
"The burden of death and disease from food borne disease is huge, and yet, a better organisation and communication between authorities along the entire (...)

Codex Alimentarius issues new draft guidelines

The Codex Alimentarius Commission, created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards, has released new draft guidelines on nutrition and health claims after their 27th Session held on 28 June - 3 July 2004 in Geneva.
Codex states in point 7.2:
“Health claims should have a clear regulatory framework for qualifying and/or disqualifying conditions for eligibility to use the specific claim, including the ability of competent national authorities to prohibit claims made for foods (...)

Obesity in children and young people: A crisis in public health

A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that overweight affects 1 in 10 children worldwide.
The report, "Obesity in children and young people: A crisis in public health", has been issued by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) of the WHO in co-operation with the Iternational Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) in May 2004.
Around 30-45 million within that figure are classified as obese - accounting for 2-3% of the world’s children aged 5-17.
A further (...)

WHO book on food and nutrition in Europe

The World Health Organisation has published a new book on the components of food and nutrition policies and the evidence supporting them.
Food and Health in Europe: a basis for action describes food- and nutrition-related ill health and its costs, shows the need for action and describes the steps for policy-makers to take. The book and associated executive summary highlights the urgent need for integrated, multisectoral food and nutrition policies to encourage the sustainable production of (...)

Update on WHO Strategy on diet, physical activity and health

The Executive Board of the WHO has accepted the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health as an agenda item for the 2004 World Health Assembly (WHA) in May.
The strategy was requested by Member States at WHA 2002 to address two of the major risk factors responsible for the heavy and growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers and obesity. NCDs now account for some 60% of global deaths and almost half (47%) of (...)

Fruit and vegetables save lives say WHO/FAO - November 2003

Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables could save 2.7 million lives per year
This was the finding of the WHO Global Forum on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Prevention and Control, 2002.
Read about risk factors and quantification
This has prompted the World Health Organization & the Food and Agriculture Organization to announce this month, a global initiative to promote greater consumption of fruit and vegetables.
A recent report by WHO/FAO called Diet, nutrition and the (...)

Health Impact Assessment is increasingly used by policy-makers

The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies has launched the book "The Effectiveness of Health Impact Assessment: Scope and limitations of supporting decision-making in Europe", on 16 October 2007.
The book is the result of a 3-year research project involving 22 teams from 19 countries, funded under the EU Public health work programme.
Health impact assessment (HIA) is a support tool for intersectoral policy-making. It is used to assess the potential health consequences of (...)

Health inequities: a discussion paper

The World Health Organisation Europe has published a discussion paper on concepts and principles for tackling social inequalities in health.
The paper aims to include in the discussion about health inequalities, the latest changes in the European context, as well as the newest ways to tackle the issue, notably on how to measure differences in health.
Social inequities in health are defined as the systematic differences in health status between socioeconomic groups. They are socially (...)

Health Gaps in the Wider Europe: 10 Health Questions about the EU’s Neighbours

The World Health Organisation Europe Region has released a book which provides information on the health gaps of Eastern European countries, in order to support Member States improve the health of the population.
Europe is not uniform with regard to health and health status. Besides, health systems vary significantly between countries and these disparities are not always well recognised.
At the same time, abundant health data and health systems knowledge do exist, and comparing them across (...)

Launch of the UN Millennium Project report

On 17 January 2005, the Millennium Project - an advisory body to the UN that brings together 265 of the world’s leading development experts - published a report "Investing in Development".
The report proposes a package of specific cost-effective measures that would allow to cut extreme poverty by half and radically improve the lives of at least one billion people in the developing countries by 2015.
In the field of health, the report highlights the following challenges:
Child and maternal (...)

Third edition of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality

The social determinants of health : the solid facts

The WHO has just published a new edition of its review of the Social determinants of health: the solid facts. Poorer people live shorter lives and are more often ill than the rich. This disparity has drawn attention to the remarkable sensitivity of health to the social environment.
The document examines the social gradient in health, and explains how psychological and social influences affect physical health and longevity. It then looks at what is known about the most important social (...)

**Avian Influenza - Update January 2008**

**Latest Update 21/01/2008.** It aims to focus on developments at international level.
Animal Avian Influenza is now in Europe - Increase of HUMAN cases in Indonesia
Poultry in Turkey and Romania have been hit by cases of Avian Influenza. Croatia also confirms a case of H5N1 in wild birds. Hence the decision from the European Commission to suspend imports of birds, feathers, poultry meat and avian species from Romania and Turkey. Both countries have quarantined the affected zones and (...)

WHO to focus on Women’s Health

In line with Women’s International Day on the 8th March 2007, The World Health Organisation (WHO) has decided to focus on women’s health. WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan has vowed to improve the health of women everywhere. WHO has also recently published a report on Gender equality, work and health: A review of the evidence (2006), which summarises evidence regarding the relationship between gender inequality and health and safety problems related to work.
Mental Health Europe press (...)

WHO/Europe suggest improvements for regulations on housing and health

The World Health Organisation European branch has carried out a review of housing and health regulations in selected European countries with cooperation and support from the French Ministry of Health, the Region Emilia Romagna and the city of Forlì (Italy).
The WHO’s Housing and Health programme aims to highlight the relationship betwen housing conditions and the health status of European citizens, as well as propose effective strategies that ensure housing conditions positively (...)

*UPDATED* The WHO seeks views on alcohol consumption

**Updated with the EPHA response and a model response for other NGOs.* The World Health Organisation is seeking views and opinions of stakeholders on health problems related to alcohol consumption. The deadline for answers is the 15 September 2006.
The WHO invites academic institutions, research departments, professional associations, NGOs and representatives of the industry, trade and agricultural sectors to express their opinion on the type of interventions that are needed at nationale, (...)

Public health success story over measles

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced that measles deaths were halved between 1999 and 2004 thanks to a global immunization plan involving all actors and political leadership.
According to the WHO latest data, 454 000 people (vast majority of them are children) died of measles in 2004 compared to 871 000 in 1999 - a 48% plunge.
The WHO-UNICEF Global Plan’s goal is now to reduce the mortality by 90% by 2010, complying therefore (...)

World TB Day 2006: a mixed picture

The Global Alliance for TB drug development, an EPHA member, has just received 14 million dollars from the Dutch, British and Irish governments to accelerate the research for new Tuberculosis cure, while progress in Central and Eastern European countries is particularly weak.
The funding will support the overall operations of the TB Alliance, more particularly drug discovery programmes, pre-clinical development and on-going and new clinical trials. It will also help the TB Alliance develop (...)

WHO Human Rights Day 2005 dedicated to Mental Health

The World Health Organisation (WHO) dedicated International Human Rights Day to people with mental disorders, highlighting thereof the prevalence of human right abuses.
Following an increasing awareness that people with mental ill health suffer from violation of their human dignity, the World Health Organisation decided to point out the continuing need to address stigma, discrimination and the consequent social exclusion.
In order to draw attention on the issue, the WHO has designed a new (...)

Avian Flu: destroying myths

The following information is meant to complement EPHA’s FAQ on Pandemic Influenza and answers some myths about animal/human pandemic Influenza, effects of vaccines and antivirals.
Bird Flu outbreaks or pandemic flu?
Avian Influenza affect primarily birds and not humans Avian Influenza refers to a group of viruses which affect bird species. Rarely, one of these viruses affect human beings. The current H5N1 is also known as the “Avian plague”, having led to cullling of billions (...)

New WHO report on child health in Europe

The WHO Euro Region has published its 2005 European Health Report addressing major health issues facing the European region and in particular its children.
Entitled Public health action for healthier children and populations, the 2005 report adresses major health issues facing the European region and in particular its children.
Recognising the challenges posed by the widening health inequalities between states in the European region, the WHO underlines the importance of good health as a key (...)

Plans to reduce the impact of the next influenza pandemic

An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in several, simultaneous epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness.
Many experts are presenting evidence that supports that the world is now closer to a flu pandemic than it has been at any time since 1968.
Even if the cause of the next pandemic and the potential magnitude are still uncertain, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated (...)

Avian flu represents a real pandemic threat

** Latest update: 22/07/2005.**
Many experts say that the world is now closer to a flu pandemic than it has been at any time since 1968. The key pre-requisites for a flu pandemic are: a novel virus of animal origin which jumps the species barrier and is able to replicate in the human body and be easily transmitted from human-to-human.
The current avian flu virus, H5N1 fails just the final test.
Avian Flu human cases
In September 2004, a possible human-to-human transmission of the Avian (...)

World Health Assembly urges for action against Pandemic Influenza

The WHO World Health Assembly , which met in Geneva between 16-25 May 2005, underlined the importance of influenza pandemic preparedness.
Deeply concerned by the recent outbreaks in the Avian flu crisis in Asia, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution that urges member states to:
Implement national preparedess planning;
Strenghten surveillance, early-warning systems and cooperation with other relevant authorities;
Increase seasonal vaccine coverage so as to lead to availability of (...)

New Global Commission on Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants contribute to most of the global burden of disease and death, as well as the bulk of existing health inequities between and within countries. Throughout the world, vulnerable and socially disadvantaged people have less access to health resources, get sicker and die earlier than people in more privileged social positions.
These unfair gaps are growing in spite of an era of unprecedented global wealth, knowledge and health awareness.
On 18 March 2005, the World Health (...)

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control enters into force

An International Treaty for Tobacco Control
On 27 February, The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) enters into force, becoming binding international law for its Contracting Parties.
The FCTC is the first global public health treaty created under the auspices of the World Health Organisation. The final text was adopted unanimously in May 2003 (see related EPHA’s article).
Key provisions of the Treaty
The Framework Convention covers all aspects of tobacco control (...)

WHO Euro region agrees a resolution on alcohol-related harm

At its meeting on 22 January 2005, the World Health Organisation Executive Board approved a draft resolution to be presented for adoption by the World Health Assembly in May on “ Public Health Problems caused by harmful use of alcohol ” which emphasises the influence of alcohol consumption on public health.
The WHO notes that alcohol in Europe causes 9.2% of all ill-health and premature death. Between 40% and 60% of deaths from intentional and unintentional injury are (...)

Policy framework for improving mental health in Europe

A WHO European Ministerial Conference on Mental Health "Facing the Challenges, Building Solutions" was held in Helsinki on 12-15 January 2005.
Organised in partnership with the European Union and the Council of Europe, it brought together health ministers from 52 countries of the WHO European Region to agree on effective mental health policies and actions to be taken.
Mental health problems constitute the greatest burden of disease after cardiovascular diseases in Europe, and account for (...)

WHO committed to tackle sexual violence issues

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a project called “Sexual Violence Research Initiative” (SVRI).
The idea for the SVRI came out of a May 2000 meeting in Melbourne, Australia attended by representatives from all regions of the world and several networks of organizations working on sexual violence.
It aims at addressing those gaps in research and evaluation of sexual violence.
The SVRI’s website: http://www.who.int/svri/en/ provides information and links on may (...)

First standard for Human Genetic Test approved

The first international standard for a human genetic test was approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Expert Committee on Biological Standardisation (ECSB) on November 17 2004.
The test, one of the most frequently carried out, is for Factor V Leiden, a particular genetic mutation creating a predisposition to thrombosis - a potentially life threatening blood disorder.
The standard provides reference material enabling all laboratories worldwide to carry out the test consistently and (...)

World Health Day 2005: "Make every mother and child count"

Cooperation and Immunisation needed to Control Infectious Diseases

Countries of the WHO European Region must scale up Immunisation programmes to help prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. This was the call made at the meeting of the Interagency Immunisation Coordinating Committee organised by WHO in Slovenia on October 21 2004.
Representatives of UNICEF, the World Bank, the Childrens Vaccine Program, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the United States Agency for (...)

World Health Report 2004 focuses on HIV/AIDS

The 2004 World Health Report, entitled Changing History published by the WHO calls for a comprehensive HIV/AIDS strategy that links prevention, treatment, care and long-term support.
At a crucial moment in the pandemic’s history, the international community has an unprecedented opportunity to alter its course and simultaneously fortify health systems for the enduring benefit of all.
The WHO says that effectively tackling HIV/AIDS is the world’s most urgent public health challenge. (...)

Drug resistant TB : a growing problem for Europe

Tuberculosis patients in parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia are 10 times more likely to have multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) than in the rest of the world, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report.
New data released on 16 March 2004 confirm geographical concentrations of TB drug resistance across the Commonwealth of Independent States. Six out of the top ten global hotspots are: Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, parts of the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan, with (...)

New global initiative to combat interpersonal violence

Interpersonal violence is a major public health problem globally, resulting in injuries, disability and 1.5 millions deaths annually.
The Global Interpersonal Violence Prevention Alliance (GIVPA). has been launched by a grouping of national governments, United Nations agencies, academic institutions, civil society groups, and philanthropic and corporate foundations to advance the goal of preventing violence and reducing its adverse health and social consequences.
"Interpersonal violence (...)

WHO - ’Health systems confront poverty’

A new World Health Organization publication looks at how health systems can tackle poverty - September 2003
This book explores 12 initiatives in 10 WHO Member States: Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom.
It examines how health systems can help to alleviate poverty, and reaches three main conclusions:
Health systems can take effective action to improve the health of the poor.
The health (...)

Outcomes of the World Health Asembly - Intergovernmental Working Group on Essential Health Research and IPRs

EPHA attended Médecins Sans Frontières debriefing session on the outcomes of May’s World Health Asembly (WHA). The session focussed on the WHA’s resolution on essential health research and intellectual property rights (IPRs) - see the attached report on WHA Towards a Global Strategy. It was also an opportunity to discuss the key issues and opportunities raised by the newly created intergovernmental working group.
Background Information by MSF The Commission on Intellectual Property and (...)

New WHO training scheme for public health leaders

The World Health Organization has launched a new initiative, the Health Leadership Scheme (HLS) to train the next generation of health leaders.
The WHO will recruit young health professionals to a two-year work and training programme, specifically aimed at strengthening the knowledge and skills essential for leadership roles in public health at all levels - national, regional and global. A grant of US$ 5 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides funding for this programme (...)

WHO reveals the economic cost of interpersonal violence

A WHO report reveals that violence devastates lives and also imposes major economic costs on societies around the world, some of which spend more than 4% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on dealing with violence-related injuries.
The economic dimensions of interpersonal violence, compiles currently available information on the costs of violence against children, women and the elderly and among young people, including information on the cost-effectiveness of preventing violence.
1.6 (...)

Highlights from 2004 World Health Assembly

17-22 May 2004, the World Health Assembly is being held in Geneva. On the agenda are the global strategies to promote healthy diets and physical activity, and to improve reproductive health. Other themes include action to limit the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, updates on WHO activity on health crises and mental health.
WHO Director-General, Dr LEE Jong-wook announced the creation of a new Commission to gather evidence on the social and environmental causes of health inequities, and how (...)

WHO welcomes Canada’s proposed legislation on access to medicines

The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed Canada’s recent tabling of new legislation which, if passed, would allow drug manufacturers to export low-cost, quality medicines to the world’s poorest countries.
Canada is the first country to propose changes to its patent legislation to put into practice a decision made by World Trade Organization (WTO) members on 30 August 2003, which allows exports of generic medicines to countries with insufficient pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The (...)