ReAct at the WHA 2007, summary report
ReAct attended the 60th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva as part of the NGO delegation of the World Council of Churches, targeting two main agenda items: the adoption of the resolution on Rational Use of Medicine ( EB120.R12), and the progress report on the resolution on Improving the containment of antimicrobial resistance (WHA 58.27), adopted by the Assembly in 2005. The WHA is the supreme decision-making body of the World Health Organization. It meets in Geneva in May each year, and is attended by delegations from the 193 Member States. Immediately prior to the Assembly ReAct participated in a preparatory workshop hosted by Third World Network and was able to brief NGO delegates about antibiotic resistance and rational use of medicines.
During the Assembly ReAct jointly hosted an important WHO/NGO briefing seminar “Saving lives, saving money: achieving rational use of medicines in health care services”. ReAct’s director Otto Cars outlined the direct relationship between resistance and indiscriminate use and even abuse of antibiotics, and stressed that without urgent action the world could run out of effective antibiotics in a very short period of time. The resolution calls for holistic approach, which would give WHO a new mandate to promote the rational use of medicines through an integrated health systems/medicines policy. Among other things it calls upon member states to invest sufficiently in human resources to strengthen institutional capacity to ensure appropriate use of medicines in both public and private sectors. The resolution, two years in the drafting, was adopted without changes by the WHA later during the week.
Although rational use of antibiotic is a crucial component in the containment of antimicrobial resistance, ReAct also believes that the WHO should address it as a wider and more multi-faceted problem. This multidisciplinary approach is outlines in the resolution “Improving the containment of antimicrobial resistance ( WHA 58.27), adopted by the Assembly in 2005”. In this resolution, the member states requested the Director-General to strengthen the leadership role of WHO in containing antimicrobial resistance by expanding and strengthening the provision of technical support to Member States, and to collaborate with other relevant programmes and partners in order to promote the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents.
However, very little has taken place to implement the resolution WHA 58.27 since its passage. This is particularly the case regarding drug resistance affecting the treatment of major bacterial diseases such as septicaemia, bacterial diarrhoeal diseases, pneumonia and wound infections. The WHO progress report on resolution 58.27 presented to the 60th WHA stated that “Overlap of issues and recommendations has resulted in the subject of containment of antimicrobial resistance being subsumed into the rational use of medicines.” ReAct has criticized the lack of leadership in its response to the progress report, highlighting the need for a coordinated response within WHO and allocation of adequate funds.
When the progress report was discussed in Committee B during the last week of the WHA, several interventions were made by the member states. Thailand asked the Director-General and the secretariat what initiatives had been taken to provide support to the regions in containing antimicrobial resistance, and asked for a new report on the implementation process to the coming World Health Assemblies in 2008 and 2009. The Nordic countries stated that the limited implementation of the resolution was of serious concern, and requested a new implementation report to the 62nd WHA in 2009. Shorter interventions in the same line were also made by the US, Japan and the Philippines. The Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) states, represented by Iran, stressed that the multifold approach to rational use of medicines, should also include hygiene initiatives and development of new antibiotics. They also highlighted that very few countries have so far implemented national task forces.
ReAct also followed up with individual NGOs, WHA staff and interested people to build links and explore interesting ideas for joint action. As part of this work, ReAct arranged a reception in Geneva during the WHA, inviting delegates, WHO representatives, NGO’s and other stake holders for discussions on how to work together to ensure that antibiotic resistance could be contained. At the same time, ReAct’s latest publication Cure with Care – understanding antibiotic resistance was launched.