[afro-nets] US Public Health Organizations Supports WHA resolutions

["Claudio Schuftan" <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

US Public Health Organizations Supports WHA resolutions
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From:  <spiritof1848@yahoogroups.com>

Eight major public health organizations have urged the U.S. to support a
resolution on trade and health at the World Health Assembly (WHA) next
week.  Four of the groups also expressed support for a groundbreaking
proposal to establish a framework convention on development and 
distribution of medicines. The WHA is the governing body of the World Health
Organization. and will convene on May 22 in Geneva.  The statements 
follow.

*U.S. Public Health Support for WHA Resolution on Trade and Health: EB 117
R5*

As public health advocates, we urge the U.S. delegation to the World Health
Assembly (WHA) to continue to support the proposed Resolution on International
Trade and Health (EB117.R5) at the WHA meeting on May 22-27, 2006.  The
Resolution was originally sponsored by Thailand, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil
Canada, China, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Nepal, Sudan, Tonga, and Vietnam
The Resolution gives a broad mandate to the WHO secretariat to assist
countries to frame coherent trade and health policies and to understand 
the implications and challenges that trade agreements may have for health. It
also calls for policy coherence between trade and health at regional and
global levels.

We are increasingly concerned with the adverse effects of multilateral 
trade agreements as well as bilateral and regional free trade agreements on 
health policies. Trade rules can limit our nations' abilities to regulate in the
interest of public health and the environment, to set standards for health
care services and health professional training, and to assure access to
affordable health-related services and to medicines. We call for international
trade agreements to include provisions that achieve upward harmonization, 
in that they elevate the standards of health care, environmental health,
workers' safety, the training of health care providers, and overall health
status, that improve access to medical care and pharmaceuticals, and that
support the protection of children in the workforce.

--
Claudio Schuftan
mailto:claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn