A one day seminar on the ethical implications of central health databases is being held by the World Medical Association in Geneva on Wednesday 3 May. The event is being held in conjunction with the World Health Organisation at the WHO's headquarters in Geneva.

Following the seminar, the WMA will be meeting at Le Grand Hotel, in Divonne-les-Bains, France, from May 4-7 when it will hold its 156th Council session and committee meetings.

Both events are open to the media and you are invited to attend.

Seminar

The May 3 Symposium, entitled 'The Ethical Implications and Optimal Design of Centralized Health Databases', will be held in the executive board room at the WHO in Geneva. The proposed agenda will include case studies from Sweden, Estonia and Iceland. There will be a keynote address from an expert on centralized databases, Dr. William Lowrance. Dr. Daniel Wikler will give the World Health Organisation's perspectives on the ethical implications at issue, while Dr. Anders Milton, Chairman of the WMA Council, will talk about the WMA's views and recommendations.

COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Among the issues to be discussed at the WMA's committee and Council meetings are:

  - The Clinical Independence of Physicians
A new draft Statement that seeks to protect doctors from being exploited in their dealings with patients by ensuring that the doctor's ethical code is not overruled by other demands;

  - Prison Health Care
Proposed Statement on prison conditions and the spread of tuberculosis and other communicable diseases;

  - Organ Transplantation
Further discussion on reviewing the issues and principles surrounding transplantation to guide national medical associations;

  - Declaration of Helsinki
Further discussion about proposed revisions