| Adopted by the WMA General Assembly, Copenhagen,
Denmark, October 2007
PREAMBLE
Noting information and reports of systematic and repeated violations
of human rights, interference with the right to health in Zimbabwe,
failure to provide resources essential for provision of basic
health care, declining health status of Zimbabweans, dual loyalties
and threats to health care workers striving to maintain clinical
independence, denial of access to health care for persons deemed
to be associated with opposition political parties and escalating
state torture, the WMA wishes to confirm its support of, and commitment
to:
- Attaining the World Health Organization principle that the
"enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health
is one of the fundamental rights of every human being"
- Defending the fundamental purpose of physicians to alleviate
distress of patients and not to let personal, collective or
political will prevail against such purpose
- Supporting the role of physicians in upholding the human rights
of their patients as central to their professional obligations
- Supporting physicians who are persecuted because of their
adherence to medical ethics
RECOMMENDATION
Therefore, the World Medical Association, recognizing the collapsing
health care system and public health crisis in Zimbabwe, calls
on its affiliated national medical associations to:
- Publicly denounce all human rights abuses and violations
of the right to health in Zimbabwe
- Actively protect physicians who are threatened or intimidated
for actions which are part of their ethical and professional
obligations
- Engage with the Zimbabwean Medical Association (ZiMA) to ensure
the autonomy of the medical profession in Zimbabwe
- Urge and support ZiMA to invite an international fact finding
mission to Zimbabwe as a means for urgent action to address
the health and health needs of Zimbabweans
In addition, the WMA encourages ZiMA, as a member organization
of the WMA, to:
- Uphold its commitment to the WMA Declarations of Tokyo, Hamburg
and Madrid as well as the WMA Statement on Access to Health
Care
- Facilitate an environment where all Zimbabweans have equal
access to quality health care and medical treatment, irrespective
of their political affiliations
- Commit to eradicating torture and inhumane, degrading treatment
of citizens in Zimbabwe
- Reaffirm their support for the clinical independence of physicians
treating any citizen of Zimbabwe
- Obtain and publicize accurate and necessary information on
the state of health services in Zimbabwe
- Advocate for inclusion in medical curricula, teachings on
human rights and the ethical obligations of physicians to maintain
full and clinical independence when dealing with patients in
vulnerable situations
The WMA encourages ZiMA to seek assistance in achieving the above
by engaging with the WMA, the Commonwealth Medical Association
and the NMAs of neighboring countries and to report on its progress
from time to time.
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