Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05GENEVA1673
2005-07-08 04:53:00
UNCLASSIFIED
US Mission Geneva
Cable title:  

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: REPORT ON THE 58TH

Tags:  PREL TBIO AORC WHO 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 GENEVA 001673 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/T AND OES
PASS TO HHS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL TBIO AORC WHO
SUBJECT: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: REPORT ON THE 58TH
WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY

REF: A. A. STATE 86289

B. B. GENEVA 1558

C. C. GENEVA 1665

D. D. GENEVA 1666

E. E. GENEVA 1667

F. F. GENEVA 1668

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 GENEVA 001673

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/T AND OES
PASS TO HHS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL TBIO AORC WHO
SUBJECT: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: REPORT ON THE 58TH
WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY

REF: A. A. STATE 86289

B. B. GENEVA 1558

C. C. GENEVA 1665

D. D. GENEVA 1666

E. E. GENEVA 1667

F. F. GENEVA 1668


1. Summary. This message reports on the annual 192-member
World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization
(WHO),which met from May 16-25, 2005, in Geneva,
Switzerland. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Michael O. Leavitt headed the U.S. Delegation, which included
officials from HHS, the U.S. Department of State (IO, OES),
the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Mission,
Geneva, and several private-sector delegates. The key
outcome of this WHA was the adoption of the revised
International Health Regulations (IHRs),a milestone
achievement and the product of the work of three
Intergovernmental Working Groups (held in November 2004,
February 2005, and just prior to the May World Health
Assembly - see ref B). The revised IHRs bring global public
health preparedness up to a higher standard of action and
accountability, and will serve the international community by
requiring countries to develop certain core capacities and
meet certain requirements in preparing for, detecting,
reporting, and responding to potential public health
emergencies of international concern.


2. The invited speakers to the WHA were Mr. Bill Gates,
Founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who urged
countries to direct advancements in science to saving lives
in the developing world; and the President of the Republic of
Maldives, the Honorable Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who reflected
on the devastating effects of the December 2004 tsunami and
on lessons learned from subsequent reconstruction efforts.
WHO Director-General J.W. Lee also addressed the assembly,
along with Ms. Ann Veneman, the new Executive Director of the
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Ms. Veneman focused
her comments on the topic of child survival. The atmosphere
of the WHA was constructive and delegations generally sought
consensus outcomes; to that end, the WHA generally
accommodated U.S. positions. Most resolutions forwarded by
the WHO Executive Board, however, were reopened for further
negotiation, including by many countries that serve on the

Board. The WHA rejected, as in previous years, a proposal to
include on its agenda the issue of granting Taiwan
observership at the Health Assembly.


3. The WHA adopted by consensus the 2006-2007 Program and
Budget, with a 17-percent increase overall and a four percent
increase in the regular assessed budget. The United States
and other WHO Member States commended the WHO Secretariat for
progress on its results-based budget proposal. The WHA
adopted a number of other resolutions, including: Health
Action in Relation to Crises and Disasters (tsunami relief);
Malaria Control; Revision of the International Health
Regulations (to adopt the revised IHRs); Health Conditions in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory; Blood Safety; Sustainable
Financing for Tuberculosis Prevention and Control; Draft
Global Immunization Strategy; Strengthening Active and
Healthy Aging; International Migration of Health Personnel;
Cancer Prevention and Control; Disability; Sustaining the
Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders; Public Health
Problems Caused by Harmful Use of Alcohol; Improving the
Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance; eHealth Enhancement
of Laboratory Biosafety; Accelerating the Achievement of the
Internationally Agreed Health-related Development Goals,
including those contained in the Millennium Declaration;
Working Towards Universal Coverage of Maternal, Newborn, and
Child Health Interventions; Infant and Young Child Nutrition;
Sustainable Health Financing, Universal Coverage and Social
Health Insurance; Assessments for 2006-2007; and Ministerial
Summit on Health Research. The WHA adopted all resolutions
by consensus, with the exception of Health Conditions in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, put to a vote at the request
of the United States. End Summary.

Formal Adoption of the International Health Regulations
-------------- --------------


4. See ref B for the full report on the May 12-13 final
Intergovernmental Working Group on the IHRs, which concluded
at 4:15 am on Saturday, May 14. The U.S. delegation (USDel)
drew on flexibilities in negotiating positions to achieve our
objectives in securing an acceptable text. There was a
shared sense of accomplishment in relation to the IHRs, given
the speed with which they had been negotiated, the solidity
of the outcome, the contributions they are expected to make
to global public health, and the flexibility shown by all to
conclude successfully. Many delegations acknowledged that
the United States showed genuine commitment and flexibility
in concluding a deal.


5. There was extensive debate at the WHA concerning the
contents of the resolution that formally adopted the IHRs.
Highlights from the resolution include: 1) reference to
prior WHA resolutions related to development of the IHRs,
including explicit reference to public health emergencies
caused by "deliberate use of biological and chemical agents
or radionuclear material," 2) a call for Member States and
the WHO Director-General to implement fully the IHRs in
accordance with the purpose and scope in Article 2 and the
principles embodied in Article 3 (includes wording aimed at
including Taiwan through the principle of "universal
application" of the IHRs),3) references by name to other
competent intergovernmental organizations and international
bodies with which WHO is expected to cooperate and coordinate
under the IHRs, and 4) the need for States Parties to develop
the necessary public health capacities required under the
IHRs and for the mobilization of resources to provide support
for developing countries to that end.

Approval of the WHO Program Budget
and Scale of Assessments for 2006-2007
--------------


6. The WHA adopted the WHO Program Budget without protracted
negotiations and with broad support. The WHA also adopted
the Scale of Assessments for 2006 and 2007 without
controversy. The WHO Executive Board in January 2005
generated extensive debate and discussion on both the budget
level and on the budget details, at which time the United
States advised the WHO Secretariat that the proposed nine
percent increase to the Regular Budget portion was
unacceptable. The WHO Director-General sought a compromise
with the United States and other countries opposed to the
increase. Following consultations in Washington in March,
the final regular budget proposal had a four percent
assessment increase, which the United States accepted.
Japan, and to a lesser degree Germany, continued to have
difficulty with any budget increase, but they also joined
consensus at the time of adoption of the budget proposal.


7. The total WHO Secretariat budget for 2006-2007 is USD
$3,313,441,000. This amount includes $893,115,000 in the
regular budget (a four percent assessment increase),
$2,398,126,000 in anticipated extra-budgetary funding, and
$22,200,000 in estimated miscellaneous income.

Political Issues
Taiwan Observership and Palestinian Health
--------------


8. The WHA took up Taiwan's bid for observer status on its
opening day. The General Committee first considered a
proposal from Taiwan's diplomatic allies for a new agenda
item on granting observer status for Taiwan at the WHA. A
large number of delegations intervened: 13 countries spoke
for granting Taiwan observer status, and 36 countries spoke
against the proposal. At the close, the Committee agreed the
Agenda should be proposed for adoption by the Plenary without
the new item. The President of the Assembly (Ms Elana
Salgado, Spain's Minister of Health and Consumer Safety),
kept the debate in the Plenary to a two-by-two debate,
whereby two countries spoke in favor (Chad and Malawi) and
two spoke against (People's Republic of China and Pakistan),
and the matter was closed.


9. In relation to the IHRs, WHO Secretariat and China signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the WHA that laid
out the parameters for WHO cooperation with Taiwan, both in
regular health exchanges and in public health emergencies.
Although not a public document, the Secretariat confirmed the
MOU refers to the island "Taiwan, China." Malawi used its
statement under the two-by-two debate in the Plenary on
observership to say the MOU was strange and unprocedural and
developed without any consultation whatsoever with Taiwan,
which would reject it. (Comment: Although we have not seen
the text, we believe the MOU does nothing to help Taiwan
satisfy domestic audiences for real political progress toward
enhanced international status, even though it will provide
better procedures for cooperation with the WHO Secretariat
and Regional Office in Manila, including for direct
cooperation with the WHO Secretariat without Chinese approval
in the event of public health emergencies. End comment.)


10. Arab countries and the Palestinians put forward what is
an annual ritual, a resolution on Palestinian health that is
one-sided and political. As in the past, the resolution
generated a vote. Holding the European Union (EU)
Presidency, Luxembourg sought to negotiate the text with the
Palestinian delegation, and was able to secure only minor
changes to improve the resolution. U.S. Ambassador Kevin
Moley requested a recorded vote, and noted that the United
States strongly regretted the resolution was not focused on
the health of the Palestinian people but instead interjected
political considerations and final status issues that are
outside the scope of the WHA. The EU member states voted in
favor of the resolution--some EU countries wanted to
cosponsor--and the Assembly adopted it in a vote of 95 in
favor, 8 opposed, with 11 abstentions. Those opposed were
Australia, Fiji, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau,
Solomon Islands, and the United States. Those abstaining
were Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Iceland, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Singapore, Thailand, and Togo.


Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Control
--------------


11. The potential threat of a pandemic influenza outbreak
was a recurrent theme at the WHA out of growing global
concern that the potential for an avian influenza outbreak is
a grave health threat. The United States had proposed to add
this issue to the agenda of the 115th Session of the WHO
Executive Board last January, and the Board forwarded a draft
resolution, originally sponsored by the United States, to the
58th Session of the WHA, which the Assembly adopted with some
amendments. The resolution urged Member States to develop
and implement national plans for pandemic-influenza
preparedness and response; to develop and strengthen national
surveillance and laboratory capacity; to strengthen linkages
between the health, agriculture and other pertinent
authorities; to support an international research agenda; and
to provide vaccines and antiviral drugs as necessary during a
global pandemic by using flexibilities within the World Trade
Organization's Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). It also asked the WHO
Director-General to strengthen influenza surveillance, to
assess the feasibility of using anti-viral medication
stockpiles to contain an initial outbreak of influenza, to
evaluate the potential benefit of personal protection
measures, and to work closely with the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World
Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The WHO
Director-General committed additional resources from the WHO
Regular Budget to avian influenza for the next biennium.


12. Secretary Leavitt hosted a Ministerial meeting on the
margins of the WHA on avian influenza, joined by Health
Ministers from affected countries in Asia and donor countries
(ref C). The discussion on issues of preparedness,
surveillance, joint-planning, and coordination among agencies
and partners resulted in a common understanding on steps
needed to address a potential flu pandemic (refs D and E).

Enhancement of Laboratory Biosafety
--------------


13. Australia, concerned about the level of laboratory
safety around the world and the containment of microbial
agents and toxins, proposed a resolution related to influenza
preparedness. The text, on "Enhancement of laboratory
biosafety," urged Member States to review the safety of their
laboratories, promote good biosafety lab practices, and
develop national preparedness plans and programs to enhance
compliance. The United States strongly supported the
resolution, and offered amendments to strengthen it. The
final consensus resolution recognized the containment of
microbiological agents and toxins in laboratories as critical
to prevent disease outbreaks. The resolution also requested
the WHO Director-General to provide support to Member States
to enhance lab biosafety, and keep them apprised of relevant
WHO Guidelines and Manuals.

The WHO's role in UN Reform and Harmonization
of Operational Development Activities
--------------


14. Switzerland, with strong support from the Nordic
countries, proposed a resolution entitled "United Nations
reform process and WHO's role to harmonize operational
development activities at country level." USDel took part in
a drafting group that concluded a text to acknowledge the UN
reform process and activities under way, encourage the
participation of the WHO Secretariat in cooperation and
coordination among UN entities at country level and as a part
of the UN Development Group, and urge the WHO Secretariat and
donor countries to use the "Triennial comprehensive policy of
operational activities for development of the United Nations
system" (UNGA res 59/250) as well as the recent Paris (2005)
and Rome (2003) Declarations on aid effectiveness and
harmonization to guide their actions at the country level.

Achievement of the Health-Related
Development Goals of the Millennium Declaration
-------------- --


15. Member States introduced two resolutions under this
agenda item: Working Towards Universal Coverage of Maternal,
Newborn, and Child Health Interventions; and Accelerating the
Achievement of the Internationally Agreed Health-Related
Development Goals, Including Those Contained in the
Millennium Declaration. USDel actively participated in the
drafting groups for these two resolutions to increase the
commitment and activities of the Member States and the WHO
Director-General toward achieving the internationally agreed
health-related development goals. Both resolutions were
particularly long and contentious, in particular with respect
to references to sexual and reproductive health and rights,
which were originally unacceptable to the U.S. USDel secured
the necessary changes.

Health Action in Relation to Crises and Disasters
-------------- --------------


16. The Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of December 26,
2004, elevated the importance of this agenda item during the
WHA. USDel voiced its support for the WHO Secretariat to
help its Member States prepare for crises, and stressed the
need for the WHO staff to focus on where it can maximize its
technical competency and resources. The WHA adopted the
resolution on Health Action in Crises and Disasters from the
January 2005 Session of the WHO Executive Board, with
Particular Emphasis on Earthquakes and Tsunamis of 26
December 2004, with minor amendments proposed from the Thai
and Indian delegations to strengthen information systems,
integrate risk-reduction planning, develop post-crisis health
impact assessment, improve collaboration with local and
international expertise, and strengthen mental health
response during health crises and disasters.

Sustainable Financing for Tuberculosis
Prevention and Control
--------------


17. Member States acknowledged the importance of preventing
and controlling tuberculosis. USDel recognized the important
role played by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis,
and Malaria and by the Stop TB Partnership in efforts against
tuberculosis. USDel also stressed the need to work towards
expanded access to tuberculosis treatment for persons with
HIV infections, and to address the growing problem of
drug-resistant tuberculosis. Many delegations, including
Thailand, Swaziland, India, and Uganda, proposed changes from
the floor to the resolution from the January 2005 Executive
Board. The final resolution calls on Member States, to
integrate, strengthen and collaborate existing tuberculosis
programs to provide access to a universal standard of care
based on diagnosis, treatment, and reporting consistent with
the DOTS strategy. It also called for the WHO
Director-General to better coordinate WHO activities with
other stakeholders and promote various tuberculosis programs,
including programs to address the growing problems of
multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and co-infection with HIV.


Malaria
--------------


18. Member States reviewed the WHO Secretariat's Report on
Malaria and the proposed resolution from the January 2005
Session of the WHO Executive Board to combat the continued
burden of malaria. USDel urged continued leadership and
vigilance to avoid shortages in artemisinin-based combination
therapy; recognized the important resources made available
through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria and Roll Back Malaria; called on the governments
where artemisinin is produced to expand its availability; and
supported indoor residual household insecticide spraying as
an effective intervention for malaria control. Many
delegations, including Mexico, Iraq, Thailand, Japan, and
Jamaica proposed changes from the floor to the Executive
Board resolution. These changes included urging Member
States to ensure financial sustainability, achieve community
participation in vector control, and to encourage private-
and public-sector collaboration at all levels.


19. In the debate, the Africa group discussed detailed
strategies to reflect the needs of the African countries,
including artemisinin-based therapy, indoor insecticide
spraying, new technologies for treatment and diagnosis, and
human resources recruitment and retention.

Smallpox
--------------

20. A number of Member States expressed their support for
the WHO Global Smallpox Vaccine Reserve, and backed the
continued retention of smallpox virus in its two
WHO-sanctioned repositories in the United States and Russia
until necessary research is complete, although some countries
(e.g. China, South Africa, Canada, Tonga, Cuba, India, and
Iran) discussed the need to destroy Variola virus stocks at a
pre-determined date.

Reading from a text prepared by a non-governmental
organization, the South African Health Minister called for a
resolution to demand the immediate destruction of the
authorized virus stocks; only Zimbabwe seconded the idea, but
neither country circulated a text. Comment: After several
years of little discussion on smallpox at the WHA, the
interventions from Member States this year indicate a need
for the U.S. Government to undertake an aggressive diplomatic
campaign, with the participation of scientists from HHS and
back up from scientists from the U.S. Department of Defense,
to remind governments why the continued specter of
bio-terrorism makes the retention of the Variola virus in its
authorized repositories for ongoing research so critical. A
key aspect of this effort will be close coordination with the
Russian Federation, and HHS officials have already had
discussions with their colleagues in the Russian Ministry of
Health on the subject during Secretary Leavitt's June 2005
trip to Moscow. End Comment.

The WHA approved a number of recommendations forwarded from
the November 2004 meeting of the WHO Advisory Committee on
Variola Virus Research, supported by the United States and
Russia, that the U.S. scientists had sought for several
years. The most important concerns permission for authorized
scientists to insert green-fluorescent protein into the
smallpox virus, which will facilitate the screening of
pharmaceutical compounds for activity against Variola in the
search for new, more effective anti-viral drugs. The Assembly
accepted the decision of the Director-General to send back to
the Advisory Committee for further work the subject of
genetic modification of the Variola virus (through inserting
it into other orthopox viruses). Comment: The WHA's decision
to accept all but one of the Advisory Committee's
recommendations was a major victory, and should help
accelerate progress on the WHO-approved research agenda. End
Comment.

Poliomyelitis
--------------


21. Member States took the floor to highlight their
commitment to the global eradication of polio, and expressed
continued appreciation for the 15-year effort of the WHO
Secretariat, along with HHS, the United Nations Children's

SIPDIS
Fund (UNICEF),and Rotary International's involvement to
achieve the goal of a polio-free world. Many Member States
discussed the need for synchronized and coordinated
immunization campaigns and surveillance to enable polio
eradication. At present, six endemic countries remain:
Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Niger, Afghanistan, and Egypt. In
addition, Sudan, Mali, Chad, Central African Republic,
Burkina Faso, and Cote d'Ivoire have re-established
transmission of wild polio virus, and Yemen, Indonesia, and
Ethiopia are experiencing a recent surge of polio infections
spread by returning pilgrims from the Hajj in Mecca, Saudi
Arabia. The Assembly noted the Report on Poliomyelitis and
closed this agenda item.

Draft Global Immunization Strategy
--------------


22. The WHO and UNICEF agreed to develop a Global
Immunization Strategy for 2006-2015, and both agencies sought
commitments from Member States and other stakeholders to
support the document. The resolution on this topic urges
Member States to adopt the Global Immunization Vision and
Strategy, meet immunization targets expressed in the UN
General Assembly Special Session on Children in 2002, and to
ensure immunization remains a priority on the national health
agendas of the WHO Member States.

Antimicrobial Resistance
--------------


23. The WHA grappled with the reality that misuse of
medicines has precipitated pathogens' resistance to
antimicrobial agents. USDel to the January 2005 Session of
the Executive Board co-sponsored the resolution on
Antimicrobial Resistance. During the WHA, USDel stressed
the need to contain and combat antimicrobial resistance, and
the need for the WHO Secretariat to focus on measurable,
sustainable, and practical ways to increase appropriate and
optimal use of medications, while building stronger and more
effective health systems. A drafting group discussed this
resolution, which the WHA adopted with amendments.

Infant and Young Child Nutrition
--------------


24. Several countries brought a resolution before the 57th
WHA in 2004 to address the issue of infant and young child
nutrition, in particular the presence of Enterobacter
sakazakii in powdered infant formula. The WHA agreed to
submit the issue for consideration at the 115th Session of
the Executive Board in January 2005, where an open-ended
working group and lengthy negotiations produced a resolution
for the consideration of the 58th WHA. At the 58th WHA, many
delegations participated in the drafting group to revise the
resolution from the Executive Board. USDel stressed the
importance of the orthodox Codex Alimentarius Commission
processes to develop data-driven international standards
guidelines and related texts in the area of foods, nutrition,
and food labeling. After lengthy and impassioned
negotiations, this resolution, with amendments, was adopted
by consensus.

Cancer Prevention and Control
--------------


25. The WHA considered a resolution on cancer control to
call for increased national and international efforts to
reduce the incidence and mortality of cancer. Numerous
changes to the resolution forwarded from the January 2005
Executive Board emanated from the floor, during the WHA, to
urge Member States to promote palliative care, research and
priority setting in this area, and for the WHO Secretariat to
provide technical support, better collaborate with its
partners and agencies (e.g. International Agency for Research
on Cancer),and promote research and development in cancer
prevention and control. The WHA adopted the resolution, with
amendments, by consensus.

Disability, Including Prevention,
Management, and Rehabilitation
--------------


26. Originally an informational item, the 115th Session of
the Executive Board generated a resolution on disability,
including prevention, management, and rehabilitation for the
58th WHA to consider. Many changes emanated from the floor
during the WHA to increase awareness for specific risk
factors, conditions or disease that can cause disability;
recognize the International Classification of Functioning,
Disability, and Health (ICF); implement appropriate services,
including counseling programs; and when appropriate, research
and promote studies to better understand the incidence and
prevalence of disabilities as well as the most effective
measures to prevent disabilities.

Public Health Problems Caused by Harmful Use of Alcohol
-------------- --------------


27. The Nordic countries, led by Iceland, introduced a
resolution on the public health problems caused by the
harmful use of alcohol at the 115th Session of the WHO
Executive Board, which the Board adopted by consensus after
difficult negotiations. Many delegations proposed changes to
the resolution during the WHA. In particular, the Thai
Delegation proposed to recognize the WHO Secretariat's Report
and its recommended ten "best practices" by adding a footnote
to the resolution. The U.S. Government did not believe this
Report and its recommendations were well-vetted or
peer-reviewed. Extensive negotiations, under the leadership
of the Executive Board Chairman, David Gunnarsson of Iceland,
dropped this footnote from the proposed revisions, and the
WHA adopted by consensus the resolution, with other
amendments, including a preambular paragraph that makes the
first reference to religious traditions the WHA has made in
recent memory.

International Plan of Action on Aging
--------------


28. The United States was a strong supporter of the
International Plan of Action on Aging, and introduced the
Strengthening Active and Healthy Aging resolution in the
115th Session of the Executive Board. A few amendments to
the resolution emanated from the floor at the WHA to urge
making additional human and financial resources available to
the aging population.
Social Health Insurance
--------------


29. The 115th Session of the Executive Board in January
2005 forwarded to the WHA a resolution on social health
insurance. Most of the delegations present did not share the
U.S. desire to recognize privately financed health coverage,
and proposed approximately twenty-five changes to the
Executive Board resolution to, among other things, promote
universal, state-financed coverage; general taxation; and
limits on fee-for-service mechanisms. USDel proposed a
number of substantive changes in response, and a drafting
group attempted to reconcile the differences. At the
drafting group, delegations agreed to withdraw all
amendments, and the WHA adopted the original EB resolution,
with an additional operative paragraph for the WHO
Secretariat to report on the outstanding issues raised by

SIPDIS
Member States. Comment: During the drafting group, Thailand,
Kenya and Venezuela were the countries that held out the
longest for their proposed amendments to the resolution.
Venezuela took the opportunity to accuse the United States of
"blockading" the resolution and engaging in "anti-democratic"
behavior. End Comment.


eHealth
--------------


30. The United States supported the resolution on eHealth
that came from the January 2005 Executive Board. It was a
balanced effort to promote international, multi-sectoral
collaboration, and it reflects initial efforts to integrate
eHealth technologies in public health systems and services.
Delegations proposed a number of amendments to the resolution
at the WHA to promote respect for privacy and confidentiality
and expand the use of electronic information and telemedicine
infrastructure. In addition, Member States requested the
Secretariat to list, with budgetary implications, all

SIPDIS
proposed activities the WHO Secretariat will undertake.

Ministerial Summit on Health Research
--------------


31. Few Ministers of Health or Research attended the Mexico
City Summit in November 2004, which was Director-General
Lee's consolation prize to the medical research community for
having canceled the proposed World Health Report on research
in 2003. Many delegations expressed dissatisfaction with
the Mexico Statement on Health Research and did not consider
it to be a consensus document. A drafting group proposed
changes to acknowledge and consider the recommendations
rather than endorse or implement them, and recommended the
WHO to examine its role and expertise in health research and
to ensure that future ministerial summits will be first
approved by the World Health Assembly.

Implementation of Resolutions
--------------


32. This agenda item included progress reports on iodine
deficiency disorders, comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS,
traditional medicine, World Report on Violence and Health,
international chemicals management, international migration
of health personnel, and promotion of healthy lifestyles.
Two resolutions, Sustaining the Elimination of Iodine
Deficiency Disorders, and International Migration of Health
Personnel: a Challenge for Health Systems in Developing
Countries, emanated at the 58th WHA, which adopted them with
minor changes.
Moley