Health Promotion and Healthy Lifestyles

WMA World Medical Association statement by Dr. Yoram Blachar, Chair of WMA Council
( WHO 113th Executive Board meeting, 20 January 2004)

(Agenda item 3.6)

Mister Chairman, Honorable Director General, Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The World Medical Association, the global representative body for physicians, would like to stress the key role medical practitioners and their professional associations could play in influencing health promotion and healthy lifestyles on the individual, national and global levels.

We are encouraged by WHO policies and actions in strengthening the prevention - care continuum and would like to express our concern and deep commitment to assist WHO in achieving its set goals in this area.

The World Medical Association - WMA - was founded in 1947. Our aim is to serve humanity by endeavoring to achieve the highest international standards in Medical Education, Medical Science, Medical Art and Medical Ethics, and Health Care for all people in the world. WMA represents over seven (7) million physicians globally.

The health of a community or a nation is measured by the health of all persons in that community or nation.

The preventable health or medical problems that affect an individual person have an impact on the health of the community and its resources. Therefore, the effectiveness of many programs to enhance the health of the public is dependent on the active involvement of medical practitioners and their professional associations in concert with public health agencies.

During its 47th Assembly, the World Medical Association adopted a comprehensive statement on health promotion. We have also addressed health promotion and healthy lifestyles in our Ottawa Declaration on the Rights of the Child to Healthcare and several months ago in the WMA General Assembly adopted a statement on violence and health, which is in line with the WHO Report on violence and Health. We view as our ethical duty and professional responsibility to advocate, train and program together with our constituency for health promotion and healthy lifestyles on global, national and individual levels.

Public health agencies benefit greatly from close cooperation with and support by medical practitioners and their professional associations who are cognizant of personal and community illness patterns, who notify health authorities promptly of problems that might require further investigation and action and whose skills, knowledge and competence could be an asset to any health promotion intervention.

There is also no replacement to an effective health education intervention in a one-on-one doctor-patient session.

Noting the secretariat report on health promotion and healthy lifestyles we wish to draw the attention of the executive board to the importance of health promoting hospitals and health care institutions, which is an initiative greatly supported by WHO in Europe. We firmly believe that this initiative can also be of benefit on a global scale. We also note with concern that the WHO health promotion and education expert advisory panel has at the moment only one member.

To this end the World Medical Association is prepared, willing and eager to co-operate very closely with WHO in making sure that the experience and expertise of medical practitioners and their professional associations will effectively contribute to further research, evidence gathering and implementation of agreed health promotion interventions and to achieving the goals set for WHO as the leading global public health agency. I would also like to use this opportunity to greet the new Director General of WHO, Dr LEE Jong - Wook, and wish you a successful, productive and collaborative term.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

Dr Yoram Blachar,
Chairperson, WMA Council

Dr Yoram Blachar, Tentative Schedule of Meetings