International and global news. European Commission and WHO join forces to tackle health threats

Citation

(2003), "International and global news. European Commission and WHO join forces to tackle health threats", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 16 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2003.06216gab.002

International and global news. European Commission and WHO join forces to tackle health threats

International and global news

European Commission and WHO join forces to tackle health threats

Keywords: WHO, European Commission, EU, Global alliance, Partnership

In June the European Commission and the World Health Organisation (WHO) held a series of high-level consultations in Brussels to take forward their global alliance in tackling health threats. Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne, who chaired the meetings, said:

"The Commission and the WHO both have roles to play, and working together has a multiplying effect. We share goals, better health for all, we are natural allies and it makes sense to pursue these objectives together."

The new partnership approach stems from an Exchange of Letters between the WHO and the European Commission in December 2000. This identified various priority areas, including health information, communicable diseases, tobacco, mental health, environment and health, nutrition and alcohol and set up various co-operation mechanisms: high-level meetings between CommissionerByrne and WHO Director-General Brundtland to exchange views and review activities and working plans, meetings of senior officials to review work progress in priority areas and to examine future collaborative projects and coordination meetings between services to cover practical matters of co-operation.

Amongst the topics discussedduring the meetings was the possi-bility of linking WHO with the EU communicable diseases surveillance network. The ongoing and successful co-operation between the EU and the WHO on the Programme for Action on Communicable Diseases in developing countries (DCs) was reviewed and it was agreed that the WHO would help raise awareness of DCs on co-operation opportunities in the Europe-Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership programme (EDCTP), to which the EU will contribute e200 million. The organisations also agreed to work towards increasing Official Development Assistance (ODA) for better health outcomes. Currently 7.4 per cent of ODA is targeting health.

The Commission and WHO work together on strengthening the capacities of developing countries in the area of pharmaceutical policies in order to negotiate with and procure products from producers, in particular in Africa at the lowest possible price, and they further work on a global commitment on tiered pricing. They have also worked closely together in developing new international public/private partnerships, such as the Global Fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria.

European Commissioners andDirector-General Brundtland agreed on major trade-related issues toimprove access to medicines. The Declaration on the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) and Public Health made at the launch of the Doha Development Agenda underscores a pro-public health approach in international trade. The WHO welcomed the spirit in which the EU is conducting negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on compulsory licences for developing countries lacking manufacturing capacity. It also welcomed its intention to find a sustainable and balanced solution for these countries before the end of this year. R&D and generic pharmaceutical producers must offer the lowest possible prices on a sustainable basis (tiered prices) to the poorest countries to make essential medicines affordable to all and global co-operation will be needed to achieve this. The Commission and WHO will continue to analyse the effects of abolishing tariffs and taxes on medicines imported into developing countries.

Future priority areas for co-operation between the EU and the WHO include strengthening the existing partnership in communicable diseases, tobacco and health information, as well as exploring ways for co-operation in new areas such as health and EU enlargement, poverty and health and children's health. In order to strengthen co-operation further, the Commission and WHO agreed to take forward the work on the priorities in the framework of a joint action plan for the period till the end of 2004.