{"id":8029,"date":"2017-04-27T14:50:57","date_gmt":"2017-04-27T13:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Council-206-SecGen-Report-Apr2017.pdf"},"modified":"2017-04-27T14:50:57","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T13:50:57","slug":"council-206-secgen-report-apr2017-2","status":"inherit","type":"attachment","link":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/fr\/ce-que-nous-faisons\/droits-humains\/droit-a-la-sante\/council-206-secgen-report-apr2017-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Council 206-SecGen Report-Apr2017"},"author":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"acf":[],"description":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

1
\nTHE WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, INC.
\nDocument: Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017 Original:
\nEnglish
\nTitle: Secretary General\u2019s Report to the
\n206th
\nWMA Council Session
\n(October 2016 \u2013 March 2017)
\nDestination: 206th
\nCouncil Session
\nAvani Victoria Falls Resort
\nLivingstone, Zambia
\n20-22 April 2017
\nAction(s)
\nrequired:
\nTo be
\nreceived
\nChapter I Ethics, Advocacy & Representations
\n1. Ethics
\n1.1 Declaration of Helsinki
\n1.2 Declaration of Taipei
\n2. Human Rights
\n2.1 Right to health
\n2.2 Protecting patients and doctors
\n2.3 Prevention of torture and ill-treatment
\n2.4 Pain treatment
\n3. Public Health
\n3.1 Non-communicable diseases
\n3.2 Communicable diseases
\n3.3 Health and populations exposed to discrimination
\n3.4 Social determinants of health
\n3.5 Counterfeit medical products
\n3.6 Food security and nutrition
\n3.7 Health and the environment
\n4. Health Systems
\n4.1 Comparing healthcare systems using PROMS & PREMS
\n4.2 Patient safety
\n4.3 One Health
\n4.4 Antimicrobial resistance
\n4.5 Health workforce
\n4.6 Violence in the health sector
\n4.7 Caring Physicians of the World Initiative Leadership Course
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n2
\n5. Health Policy & Education
\n5.1 Medical and health policy development and education
\n5.2 Support for national constituent members
\nChapter II Partnership & Collaboration
\n1. World Health Organization (WHO)
\n2. UNESCO Conference on Bioethics, Medical Ethics and Health Law
\n3. Other UN agencies
\n4. World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA)
\n5. WMA Cooperating Centers
\n6. Other partnerships or collaborations
\nChapter III Communication & Outreach
\n1. WMA newsletter
\n2. WMA social media (Twitter and Facebook)
\n3. The World Medical Journal
\n4. WMA African Initiative
\nChapter IV Operational Excellence
\n1. Advocacy
\n2. Business Development Group
\n3. Paperless meetings
\n4. Governance
\nChapter V Acknowledgement
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n3
\nCHAPTER I ETHICS, ADVOCACY & REPRESENTATIONS
\n1. ETHICS
\n1.1 Declaration of Helsinki
\nThe Declaration of Helsinki is one of the most important international ethical regulations
\nof biomedical research, and also one of the core documents of the WMA. It has been
\nrevised several times since its adoption in Helsinki in 1964. As a \u201cliving document\u201d, it is
\ncontinuously adapted to new developments and challenges in biomedical research. The 7th
\nrevision was adopted by the WMA General Assembly in Fortaleza in October 2013.
\nIn line with our efforts to promote the Declaration of Helsinki, a ceremony marking the 50th
\nanniversary of the first adoption of the Declaration was held on 11 November 2014 in
\nHelsinki, Finland. The event was co-hosted by the Finnish Medical Association and
\nattended by the President of Finland. The WMA has also produced a celebratory
\npublication, \u201cThe World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: 1964-2014 \u2013 50
\nyears of evolution of medical research ethics\u201d, which can be ordered online from the WMA
\nSecretariat.
\n1.2 Declaration of Taipei
\nThe Declaration of Taipei on Ethical Considerations Regarding Health Databases and
\nBiobanks provides guidance for the protection of persons who allow their health data
\nand\/or specimens to be used for future research or other uses. In some aspects, this is a
\nlogical continuation of the safeguards provided by the Declaration of Helsinki; extending
\nthem into virtual environments and scenarios such as administrative or commercial uses.
\nAn important focus of the Declaration of Taipei is maintaining the protection provided by
\ninformed consent. Since information about potential future uses of data or specimens is
\nnaturally incomplete, the Declaration offers a multi-step mechanism to replace part of
\ninformed consent. This is achieved through a predetermined governance structure and an
\nassessment by an ethics committee.
\nThe WMA was invited to host a session on the new Declaration at the 12th
\nUNESCO
\nChairs in Bioethics conference in Limassol, Cyprus in March 2017.
\n2. HUMAN RIGHTS
\n2.1 Right to health
\nThe WMA Secretariat follows the activities of the UN Special Rapporteur on the right of
\neveryone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health,
\nDr Dainius Puras, as well as health related matters addressed by the UN Human Rights
\nCouncil.
\n2.2 Protecting patients and doctors
\n2.2.1 Actions of support
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n4
\nCountry Case
\nTURKEY
\nNovember 2016-
\nMarch 2017
\nSources:
\nTMA,
\nHuman Rights
\nFoundation of Turkey,
\nMedia
\nIn November 2016, the Standing Committee of European
\nDoctors (CPME) and the WMA sent a letter to the Turkish
\nauthorities in support of the Turkish Medical Association and
\ntheir members facing increasing pressure from the authorities
\nin the context of the attempted coup d\u2019\u00e9tat of July 2016. In
\nthe letter, CPME and the WMA reaffirmed the unconditional
\nneed to safeguard the civil and human rights of all, including
\nthe right to health, and to ensure access to high quality
\nhealthcare supported by a functioning healthcare system and
\nsafe conditions for the health workforce.
\nIn early March, a joint letter (from organisations including
\nPhysicians for Human Rights, WMA, IRCT, BMA, GMA,
\nCPME) was sent to Prime Minister Erdo\u011fan to demand the
\nimmediate dismissal of all charges against Dr Serdar K\u00fcni,
\nthe Human Rights Foundation of Turkey\u2019s representative in
\nCizre and former president of the \u015e\u0131rnak Medical Chamber.
\nDr K\u00fcni was arrested and detained on 19 October 2016 on
\ncharges that he provided medical treatment to alleged
\nmembers of Kurdish armed groups while they occupied parts
\nof the city in January and February 2016.
\nMr Bjorn Oscar Hoftvedt from the Norwegian Medical
\nAssociation represented the WMA at the first hearing of Dr
\nK\u00fcni\u2019s case on 13 March 2017 at the \u015e\u0131rnak 2nd
\nPenal
\nCourt. He made a public statement in support of Dr K\u00fcni and
\nour TMA colleagues.
\nIRAN
\nJanuary \u2013 March 2017
\nSource:
\nAmnesty International
\nIn January, the WMA, together with the International
\nFederation for Health and Human Rights Organisations
\n(IFHHRO), the Standing Committee of European Doctors
\n(CPME) and the International Rehabilitation Council for
\nTorture Victims (IRCT), sent a letter to the Iranian authorities
\ncondemning the denial of medical care in Iran\u2019s prisons
\nrevealed in a report by Amnesty International. The
\nSecretariat shared the letter with national medical
\nassociations, encouraging them to take similar action.
\nFollowing this, the German and Norwegian medical
\nassociations also sent letters.
\nIn February, the WMA sent another letter to the Iranian
\nauthorities concerning the critical case of Dr Ahmadreza
\nDjalali, an Iranian national and resident of Sweden, who has
\nbeen detained in Tehran\u2019s Evin prison since his arrest on 25
\nApril 2016. He has been threatened with the death
\npenalty and has been on hunger strike since 26 December
\n2016 in protest at his detention. A press release was issued in
\nearly March.
\nEGYPT In January, the attention of the Secretariat was drawn to the
\ncritical situation of Mr Mohammed Mahdi Akef, aged 89,
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n5
\nJanuary 2017
\nSource:
\nAmnesty International
\nwho suffers from pancreatic, liver and gallbladder cancer. He
\nhas been detained since 2013 and until recently was denied
\nmedical care. A letter sent to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
\nurged him to ensure that Mr Mahdi Akef receives the
\nrequired medical care and that his family is regularly
\ninformed of his condition and can visit him. Given his age
\nand state of health, it was also requested that he be granted a
\npardon on medical grounds.
\n2.2.2 Protection of health professionals in areas of armed conflict and other
\nsituations of violence
\nICRC \u201cHealth Care in Danger\u201d (HCiD) initiative
\nThe WMA Secretariat has a close working relationship with the International
\nCommittee of the Red Cross (ICRC) headquarters within the context of the HCiD
\ninitiative, which has been prolonged by the ICRC for a second phase.
\nIn early November, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the WMA
\nand the ICRC was formally signed by Yves Daccord, Director-General of the
\nICRC, and Dr Otmar Kloiber, WMA Secretary General. This MoU develops and
\nconsolidates the cooperation between the WMA and the ICRC and fosters
\nunderstanding on topics of common interest, including on the protection of health
\nprofessionals and patients in situations of violence, on the role of physicians in
\naddressing sexual violence, as well as torture and ill-treatment in detention, and
\nmore generally in addressing Social Determinants of Health in the context of
\ninsecurity.
\nIn December, on the occasion of International Human Rights Day (9 December),
\nthe ICRC, the WMA, M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res (MSF) and other international
\nhealth organisations released a joint statement in support of the Health Care in
\nDanger initiative, in particular to renew their call for wounded and sick people’s
\nright to healthcare during armed conflict to be respected and protected, and for
\nattacks on health personnel and facilities to stop.
\nThe ICRC and the WMA decided to repeat the successful experience of last year
\nand are planning a joint side-event at the next World Health Assembly in May
\n2017. The permanent missions of Switzerland and Canada to the United Nations
\nwill join the initiative.
\nOther related activities
\nThe WMA made a public statement on the WHO response during severe,
\nlarge-scale emergencies at the WHO Executive Board session in January.
\nOn 11-12 May 2017 Clarisse Delorme will participate in an expert meeting on
\nHealth Care in Danger: a Central and Eastern European Perspective in
\nOlomouc, Czech Republic, co-organized by Palack\u00fd University, the Czech Red
\nCross and the ICRC.
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n6
\n2.3 Prevention of torture and ill-treatment
\nThe WMA Secretariat follows relevant international activities in this area, in particular
\nthose of the Human Rights Council.
\n2.3.1 Cooperation with the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture
\nVictims (IRCT)
\nIn conformity with IRCT Statutes, the mandate of Clarisse Delorme as an
\nindependent elected expert to the IRCT Council and the Executive Committee
\nended in December 2016 at the General Assembly in Mexico. The WMA will
\nnevertheless continue working in close collaboration with the IRCT where relevant.
\n2.3.2 Role of physicians in preventing torture and ill-treatment
\nIn March, the Secretariat shared with its members a survey on the use of the
\nIstanbul Protocol (IP) on the investigation and documentation of torture and ill
\ntreatment. The IP has been used as UN standards for the effective investigation and
\ndocumentation of torture and ill treatment since 1999. During the past several years,
\nthere has been some discussion on the need to update and enhance the IP. A few
\nNGOs active in this area (Physicians for Human Rights, the International
\nRehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, the Human Rights Foundation of
\nTurkey, and REDRESS) initiated this survey in order to evaluate the use of the
\ninstrument. The Secretariat encouraged members to share their experiences as
\nhealth professionals by completing the survey.
\nSee also 2.2.1.
\n2.3.3 Psychiatric treatment \u2013 Mental Health
\nIn June 2016, the WMA Secretariat made contact with the UN Special Rapporteur
\non the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ms Catalina Devandas Aguilar,
\npresenting to her the revised WMA policy on patients with mental illness.
\nFurther to the adoption of the UN Resolution on Mental Health and Human Rights by the
\nUN Human Rights Council during its 32nd
\nsession in July, the Secretariat sent a
\nletter to Mr Zeid Ra\u2019ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
\nasking to be included in the consultation to be set up on the implementation of the
\nResolution. The High Commissioner replied positively and asked the WMA to send
\nits written contribution in view of the preparation of his report on mental health and
\nhuman rights. The Secretariat drafted a contribution based on WMA policies and
\nwith the support of psychiatrist Dr Miguel Roberto Jorge (Brazilian Medical
\nAssociation). This was sent to the High Commissioner in October.
\n2.4 Pain treatment
\nThe WMA continues to be active in the area of palliative care in cooperation with the
\nWHO and civil society organisations working in this area. Within the context of the current
\nglobal discussion and the Special Session of the UN General Assembly on the world drug
\nproblem, the WMA made a public statement at the 140th
\nsession of the WHO Executive
\nBoard (January 2017) on the public health dimension of the issue, underlining the need for
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n7
\na committed public health approach encompassing the availability and access to medicines
\nfor effective treatment and related healthcare services.
\nIn September 2016, the WMA was approached by the International Association for the
\nStudy of Pain (IASP) to support their request to include Gabapentin in the WHO essential
\nmedicines list. Palliative care and pain specialists were consulted and their feedback was
\npositive, warning, however, that Gabapentin should not compete with morphine, both
\nbeing necessary for the treatment of pain. The request being in line with its policy, the
\nWMA agreed to support the IASP request.
\n3. PUBLIC HEALTH
\n3.1 Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
\n3.1.1 General
\nMember States and the WHO have made progress in fulfilling their commitments
\naccording to the 2011 UN Political Declaration on Prevention and Control of
\nNCDs. In the last two years, Member States have adopted a Global Monitoring
\nFramework with a set of global NCD targets, a Global NCD Action Plan
\n2013-2020, and a formalized UN Interagency Task Force on NCDs, which will
\ncoordinate a UN system-wide response to NCDs.
\nIn response to this UN Political Declaration, the WHO also established the Global
\nMonitoring Framework as a Global Coordination Mechanism (GCM) on the
\nPrevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. The scope and purpose of
\nthe coordination mechanism is to facilitate and enhance the coordination of
\nactivities, multi-stakeholder engagement and action across sectors at the local,
\nnational, regional and global levels. The WMA is an official member of this
\ncoordination mechanism, which was launched in March 2015, and has attended
\nseveral WHO GCM\/NCD meetings.
\nThe third UN High-level Meeting on NCDs will take place during the 2018 UN
\nGeneral Assembly. The WMA is in close contact with the WHO regarding
\npreparations, and made an intervention on this topic at the last WHO Executive
\nBoard meeting in January 2017.
\n3.1.2 Tobacco
\nThe WMA is involved in the implementation process of the WHO Framework
\nConvention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) http:\/\/www.who.int\/tobacco\/framework\/en\/.
\nThe FCTC is an international treaty that condemns tobacco as an addictive
\nsubstance, imposes bans on advertising and promotion of tobacco, and reaffirms the
\nright of all people to the highest standard of health. The WMA attends every
\nConference of the Parties meeting. The next Conference of the Parties to the FCTC
\nmeeting will take place from 1-6 October 2018 in Geneva.
\n3.1.3 Alcohol
\nThe Secretariat maintains regular contact with the WHO staff in charge of this
\ntopic, as well as with the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA). GAPA made a
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n8
\nrequest to the WHO, accompanied by a list of supporting Member States, to
\norganise a side-event on the need for an international response to the harmful use of
\nalcohol during the upcoming 70th
\nsession of the World Health Assembly (May
\n2017) and asked the WMA to sponsor it. This was agreed.
\n3.2 Communicable diseases
\n3.2.1 Immunization campaign
\nBackground
\nStarting in March 2013, the World Medical Association (WMA), with the support
\nof the International Federation for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations
\n(IFPMA), has been implementing a successful global communication campaign to
\npromote physician immunization against seasonal influenza. In the first year
\nfollowing its launch, the campaign targeted physicians through the WMA member
\nassociations to promote influenza immunization and encourage physicians to act as
\nrole models.
\nIn 2014, the WMA proposed including people living with NCDs as secondary
\ntargets given their heightened vulnerability to influenza complications. In addition
\nto the campaign activities, the WMA and IFPMA also co-authored and published a
\npaper on the link between influenza and NCDs in a peer-reviewed journal
\n(http:\/\/file.scirp.org\/pdf\/Health_2014112411134973.pdf).
\nIn 2015, the campaign underscored the need to immunize children, since they have
\na higher exposure potential to the influenza virus and less prior immunity, remain
\ncontagious longer, and are particularly prone to complications if they suffer from
\nunderlying conditions (e.g. asthma).
\nDue to budget limitations, campaign visibility in 2015, particularly online, was not
\nvery high. Therefore, the WMA proposed continuing the campaign focus on
\nchildren in 2016 and investing more resources to increase the campaign\u2019s visible
\npresence on the web and through social media outlets.
\nCampaign objectives 2016
\nMaintaining the same campaign message – Let kids be kids, the objectives in 2016
\nwere as follows:
\n\u2022 Educate physicians to actively promote and practice immunization against
\ninfluenza to protect themselves, their children and young patients
\n\u2022 Help physicians and other healthcare workers become visible advocates and take
\nownership of the campaign by actively engaging in social media and spreading
\nthe message
\n\u2022 Create visibility with the \u201cLet kids be kids\u201d campaign with the Sophia character
\nas the main storyteller
\nCampaign Visibility Online and Social Media
\nAfter the campaign for more visibility created in spring 2016, the second activation
\nof social media outlets took place from 18 October \u2013 21 November 2016.
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n9
\nAutumn activation highlights:
\n\u25aa 13,682 likes on Facebook (vs 7,900 in the spring), 344 shares (vs 67 shares in
\nthe spring) and 41 comments (vs 7 comments in the spring campaign)
\n\u25aa 6,333 tweet engagements (clicks, likes, retweets, comments), which was
\nalmost double the number in comparison to the spring campaign activation on
\nsocial media
\n\u25aa Website visits increased, with 14,306 sessions during the autumn campaign,
\nwhich represents more than half the sessions for the whole year
\nThe higher visibility of the campaign in the autumn can be explained by the (i)
\nlonger campaign period (5 weeks, compared to 2 weeks in the spring); (ii) a higher
\nadvertising budget; and (iii) the higher relevance of the campaign topic in the
\nautumn season compared with the spring.
\nOverall Campaign Social Media Activity in 2016:
\n\u2022 Visibility achieved: 4.2 million users reached via Facebook and Twitter
\n\u2022 Facebook post engagement: 21,582 likes, 411 shares, 48 comments
\n\u2022 Twitter engagement: 10,339 clicks on tweets (clicks, likes, retweets, comments)
\n\u2022 Follower growth: 2,316 new fans on Facebook and 337 new followers on
\nTwitter
\n\u2022 Website visits: The WMA website earned 21,539 sessions during the spring and
\nautumn campaigns out of the 23,953 visits in 2016
\nNext Steps
\nThe WMA\/IFPMA influenza campaign concluded at the end of December 2016.
\nThe WMA has submitted a new proposal to the IFPMA on continuing the campaign
\nwith a focus on immunizations as part of worksite wellness programmes. However,
\ndue to the leadership change at the IFPMA, the proposal is temporarily on hold.
\n3.2.2 Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Project
\nThe New Jersey Medical School Global TB Institute, together with the University
\nResearch Company in the USA and the WMA, has finalised the update of the TB
\nrefresher course for physicians in pdf format and online. A revision of the course
\nwas necessary given changes to the WHO Guidelines and the upcoming release of
\nthe 3rd
\nedition of the International Standards of Tuberculosis Care. The next step
\nwill be to update the MDR-TB course.
\nIn 2010, the WMA participated in the development of the WHO guidance
\ndocument entitled \u2018Guidance on Ethics of Tuberculosis Prevention, Care and
\nControl\u2019. Building on this document, the WHO is now in the processes of revising
\nthe existing document with the aim of speaking more directly to the challenges
\nfaced by healthcare workers (HCW) and decision-makers across the globe in
\nhelping fulfil the third principle of the End TB Strategy, namely the protection of
\nhuman rights, ethics and equity. A first workgroup meeting has taken place with the
\nWMA delivering a presentation on health workers rights and obligations.
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n10
\n3.3 Health and populations exposed to discrimination
\n3.3.1 Women and health
\nThe WMA continues to follow global activities on women and health and aims to
\nmonitor the implementation phase of the \u201cGlobal plan of action on strengthening
\nthe role of the health system in addressing interpersonal violence, in particular
\nagainst women and girls, and against children\u201d, which was adopted by the World
\nHealth Assembly in May 2016.
\n3.3.2 Ageing
\nThe WMA participated in the WHO consultation on the Global Strategy and Action
\nPlan on Ageing and Health, which was adopted by Members States at the last
\nWorld Health Assembly in May. The WMA will monitor the implementation phase
\nof the Global Strategy.
\nFor more activities in the area of aging please see Chapter III, section 4.
\n3.3.3 Zero HIV-related stigma & discrimination in health care settings day
\nIn March 2017, the Secretariat shared with WMA members the UNAIDS reference
\ndocument on eliminating discrimination in health care. This report aims to serve as
\na reference for policy-makers and other key stakeholders engaged in shaping
\npolicies and programmes to regulate healthcare and eliminate discrimination and
\nother structural barriers to achieving healthy lives for all. The WMA has been
\ninvolved in this initiative since it was started in November 2015.
\n3.3.4 Refugees, migrants & access to health
\nIn response to the WHO initiative on migrants\u2019 health, the WMA made a public
\nstatement on behalf of the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) at the 140th
\nsession of the WHO Executive Board (January 2017) welcoming WHO\u2019s efforts in
\npromoting migrant health and highlighting that late or denied treatment is
\ndiscriminatory and contravenes a fundamental human right: \u201cRefusing to provide
\nhealthcare is not only ethically wrong, it poses a serious public health risk\u201d.
\n3.4 Social determinants of health (SDH)
\nThe WMA is actively engaged with the WHO Department of Health Workforce and sits on
\na Steering Committee to develop an eBook on the Social Determinants of Health Approach
\nto health workforce education and training. The project is part of the WHO\u2019s work to
\nimplement the guidelines on \u201cTransforming and scaling up health professionals\u2019 education
\nand training\u201d, launched in Recife in 2013. The project also supports World Health
\nAssembly Resolution WHA66.23 \u201cTransforming health workforce education in support of
\nuniversal health coverage\u201d. The collaboration involves participation in meetings organized
\nby WHO and providing technical assistance and guidance for the eBook.
\n3.5 Counterfeit medical products
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n11
\nCounterfeit medicines are manufactured below established standards of safety, quality and
\nefficacy. They are deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and\/or
\nsource. Counterfeiting can apply to both brand name and generic products, and counterfeit
\nmedicines may include products with the correct ingredients but fake packaging, products
\nwith the wrong ingredients, products without active ingredients, or products with
\ninsufficient active ingredients. Counterfeit medical products threaten patient safety,
\nendanger public health, e.g. by increasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance, and
\nundermine patients\u2019 trust in health professionals and health systems. The involvement of
\nhealth professionals is crucial to combating counterfeit medical products.
\nThe WMA and the members of the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) have
\nstepped up their activities on counterfeit medical issues and developed an anti-counterfeit
\ncampaign with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly. The basis of the
\ncampaign is the \u2018Be Aware\u2019 toolkit for health professionals and patients, which is
\nintended to increase awareness of this topic and provide practical advice for actions to take
\nin case of a suspected counterfeit medical product.
\nAs part of the WHPA campaign, the WMA has developed three videos to explain the issue
\nof counterfeit medicines and what can be done about them. Each video targets a specific
\ngroup: policy-makers, healthcare professionals and patients.
\nThe WMA has joined the Fight the Fakes campaign that aims to raise awareness about the
\ndangers of fake medicines. Coordination among all actors involved in the manufacturing
\nand distribution of medicines is vital to tackle this public health threat. The website also
\nserves as a resource for organizations and individuals who are looking to support this effort
\nby outlining opportunities for action and sharing what others are doing to fight fake
\nmedicines.
\n3.6 Food security and nutrition
\nThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health
\nOrganization (WHO) have received a mandate to develop a Declaration on Nutrition and
\nan accompanying Framework for Action (FFA) to guide its implementation. They will
\norganise several preparatory meetings and conferences during the development process.
\nThe WMA is observing this process. One main criticism is the short timeline and the low
\ninvolvement of civil society in the process. NGOs also complain that problems concerning
\nthe use of antibiotics in foodstuffs are not well addressed in the current discussion.
\nThe focus so far is on: Social protection to protect and promote nutrition, nutrition-enhancing
\nagriculture and food systems and the contribution of the private sector and civil society to
\nimprove nutrition.
\n3.7 Health and the environment
\n3.7.1 Climate change
\nThe WMA continues to be involved in the UN climate change negotiations,
\nparticularly the implementation of the Paris agreement adopted at COP21 in
\nDecember 2015. For this purpose, a WMA delegation attended the last round of
\ndiscussions in Marrakesh (COP22) on 7-18 November 2016 and will also be
\nmonitoring the Bonn Climate Change Conference in May 2017. In collaboration
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n12
\nwith WHO and key NGOs partners, the delegation will follow the negotiations and
\nadvocate for a health perspective in the conclusions.
\n3.7.2 Chemicals
\nIn December 2009, the WMA joined the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals
\nManagement (SAICM) of the Chemicals Branch of the United Nations Environment
\nProgramme (UNEP), which aims to develop a strategy for strengthening the
\nengagement of the health sector in the implementation of the Strategic
\nApproach.
\nIn May 2016, the 69th
\nWorld Health Assembly adopted Resolution 69.4 on the Role
\nof the Health Sector in the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals
\nManagement towards the 2020 goal and beyond, which requires the WHO
\nSecretariat to present to the 70th
\nWorld Health Assembly (May 2017) a roadmap
\noutlining concrete actions to enhance health sector engagement towards
\ncontributing to relevant targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
\nThe Resolution requests that the roadmap be developed in consultation with
\nMember States, bodies of the United Nations system, and other relevant
\nstakeholders, including NGOs. The WMA was invited to participate in an
\nelectronic consultation on the draft roadmap and sent its contribution in September
\n2016.
\nThe WMA made a public statement at the 140th
\nsession of the WHO Executive
\nBoard welcoming the draft roadmap prepared by the WHO Secretariat, while also
\ninsisting on the need to focus on hazard reduction and to aim at continuously
\nimproving the safety of chemicals and not only managing hazardous chemicals
\nsafely. The role of health professionals was also highlighted.
\n3.7.3 WMA Green Page
\nThe WMA is partnered with the Florida Medical Association (FMA) on a joint
\nproject \u201cMy Green Doctor\u201d. This project is a medical office environmental
\nmanagement service offered free of charge to members of the World Medical
\nAssociation (WMA) and the Florida Medical Association (FMA). The initial
\nversion of My Green Doctor was launched by the FMA on World Earth Day
\n2010. In June 2014, the WMA and FMA agreed to work together on this project.
\nThe My Green Doctor website is now available in the \u201cCourses & resources\u201d
\nsection of the WMA website.
\n4. HEALTH SYSTEMS
\n4.1 Comparing healthcare systems using Patient Reported Outcomes (PROMS) and
\nPatient Reported Experiences (PREMS)
\nThe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) presented its
\nplans to use Patient Reported Outcomes (PROMS) and Patient Reported Experiences
\n(PREMS) to measure and compare the healthcare systems of member countries at its
\nHealth Forum in Paris on 16 January 2017. The new strategy was endorsed by the
\nministerial conference the following day.
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n13
\nIn contrast to previous methods of data collection and comparison, the organisation hopes
\nthe new measurement approach will lead to more patient and outcome relevant
\ninformation.
\nThe WMA had the opportunity to participate in the health forum. In a subsequent exchange
\nof letters, the WMA Secretary General welcomed the attempt to achieve more meaningful
\nstatistics. He also pointed to the perception characteristics of this methodology and its
\nlimitations in non-local comparisons. Among other points, the Secretary General stressed
\nthe fact that physicians already have a tremendous workload of data collection tasks, which
\nrarely have any effect on patient treatment or work efficiency. The WMA will monitor and
\naccompany the implementation of the new strategy.
\n4.2 Patient safety
\nTo address the global problems of unsafe medication practices, the WHO has launched a
\nGlobal Patient Safety Challenge on Medication Safety with the overall goal to \u201creduce the
\navoidable harm due to unsafe medication practices by 50% worldwide by 2020\u201d. In order
\nto develop this initiative, the WHO invited the WMA and other relevant stakeholders to
\nseveral consultations this year.
\nThe aims of this initiative are to:
\n1. Establish the global baseline of medication errors and create a global monitoring
\nsystem to facilitate the tracking of medication errors.
\n2. Develop a multi-modal strategy to engage governments, organizations and front-line
\nhealthcare providers to improve medication safety by decreasing the incidence of
\nmedication errors by means of improving prescribing, transcription, preparation,
\ndispensing and administration practices.
\n3. Develop guidelines, tools, materials, and technologies to promote and support
\nmedication safety and reduce the incidence of medication errors.
\n4. Engage key stakeholders, partners and industry to actively pursue efforts to improve
\nmedication safety.
\nThe WMA was invited by the WHO to participate in a Global Consultation for Setting
\nPriorities for Global Patient Safety in collaboration with the Centre for Clinical Risk
\nManagement and Patient Safety, Department of Health. This high-level global event will
\nbring together key international experts and senior policy makers from ministries of health
\nfrom both developed and developing countries. The objective of this consultation was to
\nidentify main challenges and barriers in improving patient safety for patients, health-care
\nproviders and the environment of care and define priorities for future action by the WHO
\nand countries.
\n4.3 One Health
\nIn May 2015, the World Veterinary Association (WVA) and the World Medical
\nAssociation (WMA) in collaboration with the Spanish medical (SMA) and veterinary
\n(SVA) associations organized the Global Conference on ‘One Health’ Concept with the
\ntheme: \u201cDrivers towards One Health – Strengthening collaboration between Physicians and
\nVeterinarians\u201d. The Global Conference brought together 330 delegates from 40 countries
\naround the world. Veterinarians, physicians, students, public health officials and NGO
\nrepresentatives listened to presentations by high-level speakers and had the opportunity to
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n14
\nlearn, discuss and address critical aspects of the One Health concept. The main objectives
\nof the conference were to strengthen links and communications between the professions
\nand to achieve closer collaboration between physicians, veterinarians and all relevant
\nstakeholders to improve different aspects of the health and welfare of humans, animals and
\nthe environment.
\nThe 2nd
\nconference was hosted by the Japan Medical Association and the Japan Veterinary
\nAssociation together with the World Veterinary and the World Medical Association in
\nKitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan on 10-11 November 2016. The conference
\nwas attended by more than 600 participants from 44 countries around the world with
\napproximately 30 lectures covering different One Health issues. A summary of the
\nconference is available on the WMA website.
\n4.4 Antimicrobial resistance
\nAntimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a growing concern and an important challenge to
\npublic health. It has various aspects and different actors contribute to the problem.
\nIn May 2015, the World Health Assembly adopted the Global Action Plan on
\nAntimicrobial Resistance, which articulated five main objectives with the healthcare
\nworkforce being a key player in their attainment. Most notably, Objective 1 strives to
\n\u201cimprove awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective
\ncommunication, education and training.\u2019\u2019 The WHO established an AMR secretariat
\nwhose purpose is to link the various stakeholders, get them involved and coordinate the
\nactivities of the Action Plan. One emphasis will be on the education of medical students
\nand physicians. The WMA has discussed how the WHO and WMA can collaborate on this
\ntopic in several meetings. The WMA is currently in discussions with the WHO regarding
\nbecoming an expert member of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group to the
\nsecretariat.
\nThe WMA attended a WHO consultation to establish if a global development and
\nstewardship framework to support the development, control, distribution and appropriate
\nuse of new and existing antimicrobial medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines and other
\ninterventions should be set up.
\nThe World Medical Association and World Health Organization are planning to develop a
\nmulti-country health professional awareness survey on antibiotic resistance. The aim
\nwould be to gain further insight into the levels of awareness of antibiotic resistance among
\nhealth professionals and their perspectives on the prescription of antibiotics within their
\nprofession. A pilot questionnaire was conducted in preparation for the survey.
\n4.5 Health workforce
\nIn May 2016, the World Health Assembly adopted the Global Strategy on Human
\nResources for Health. One new and important statement in the WHO strategy is the
\nemphasis that investment in HRH has a growth-inducing effect and health care itself is a
\nlarge pillar of the economy. The argument that the health sector has a growth inducing
\neffect on the economy is now being adopted by more and more UN agencies. As a result,
\nthe UN Secretary General appointed a High Level Commission on Health Employment
\nand Economic Growth, which launched its report \u2018Working for Health and Growth –
\nInvesting in the health workforce\u2019 in September 2016. The report gives 10
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n15
\nrecommendations on areas such as job creation, gender and women\u2019s rights, education
\ntechnology and crisis and humanitarian settings. The report emphasises the need to create
\n40 million new jobs in the health sector and to reduce the projected shortfall of 18 million
\nhealth workers.
\nAt the High Level Ministerial Meeting on Health and Economic growth in December 2016,
\nthe WMA made an intervention on the report and spoke at the round table \u2018Acceleration
\ninvestments in scaling up education and skills\u2019. At the meeting, the draft 5 year action plan
\nwas discussed.
\nDuring the WHO Executive Board session, the WMA made an intervention on human
\nresources for health and implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations\u2019
\nHigh-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth.
\nThe WMA, together with the WHO and the other health professional associations,
\norganised a side event at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference on Health Workforce
\nDemography. The session brought together stakeholders and experts in the health
\nworkforce, labour markets and demography to present a framework for health workforce
\ndemography, including examples related to ageing, gender, and international migration.
\nThe session highlighted the importance of understanding the population of health workers,
\nincluding relevant demographic tools, in order to achieve Universal Health Coverage and
\nthe Sustainable Development Goals.
\nFollowing the conclusion of its 10-year mandate, the Global Health Workforce Alliance
\nhas transitioned into the Global Health Workforce Network. The Global Health Workforce
\nNetwork aims to facilitate evidence generation and exchange, foster intersectoral and
\nmultilateral policy dialogue, including providing a forum for multi-sector and
\nmulti-stakeholder agenda setting, sharing of best practices, and harmonization and
\nalignment of international support for human resources for health. The overall goal is to
\nenable the implementation of Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development
\nGoals. The WMA attended the first network meeting at the end of 2016.
\n4.6 Violence in the health sector
\nThe fifth International Conference on violence in the health sector \u201cBroadening our views;
\nresponding together\u201d, took place in Dublin, Ireland from 26 – 28 October 2016. The WMA
\nwas represented in the organisation and scientific committees in charge of the preparations
\nfor the event. The Secretariat shared the information on the event with its members and
\nliaised with the organisers of the Conference and the Irish Medical Organisation regarding
\nthe activities for the event. The next Conference will take place in October 2018.
\n4.7 Caring Physicians of the World Initiative Leadership Course
\nThe CPW Project began with the Caring Physicians of the World book, published in
\nEnglish in October 2005 and in Spanish in March 2007, which is now available in html and
\npdf. Some hard copies (English and Spanish) are still available from the WMA Secretariat
\nupon request. Please visit the WMA website to access the electronic versions and to order
\nany hard copies. Regional conferences were held in Latin America, the Asia-Pacific
\nregion, Europe and Africa between 2005 and 2007. The CPW Project was extended to
\ninclude a leadership course organised by the INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau,
\nFrance in December 2007, in which 32 medical leaders from a wide range of countries
\nparticipated. The curriculum included training in decision-making, policy work,
\nnegotiating and coalition building, intercultural relations and media relations.
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n16
\nThe seventh course was held at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, USA from 2 – 6
\nMay 2016. The courses were made possible by educational grants provided by Bayer
\nHealthCare and Pfizer, Inc. This work, including the preparation and evaluation of the
\ncourse, is supported by the WMA Cooperating Center, the Center for Global Health and
\nMedical Diplomacy at the University of North Florida.
\nAn eighth course at the Mayo Clinic is planned for 2017.
\n5. HEALTH POLICY & EDUCATION
\n5.1 Medical and health policy development and education
\nIn recent years, the Center for the Study of International Medical Policies and Practices at
\nGeorge Mason University, which is one of the WMA\u2019s Cooperating Centers, has studied
\nthe need for educational support in the field of policy creation. Surveys performed in
\ncooperation with the WMA found a demand for education and exchange. The Center
\ninvited the WMA to participate in the creation of a scientific platform for international
\nexchange on medical and health policy development. In autumn 2009, the first issue of a
\nscientific journal, World Medical & Health Policy, was originally published by Berkeley
\nElectronic Press as an online journal. It has now been moved to the Wiley Press. The World
\nMedical & Health Policy Journal can be accessed at:
\nhttp:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/journal\/10.1002\/(ISSN)1948-4682
\n5.2 Support for national constituent members
\nSee item 2.2.1
\nApril 2017 Council 206\/SecGen Report\/Apr2017
\n17
\nCHAPTER II PARTNERSHIP & COLLABORATION
\nDuring the reporting period, the WMA Secretariat held bilateral meetings with the WHO and staff of
\nother UN agencies on the following areas: Prevention of alcohol abuse, mental health, violence
\nagainst women, the environment, the migration of health professionals and the prevention of torture.
\nIn addition, the Secretariat voiced the WMA\u2019s concerns in various public settings as follows1
\n:
\n1. WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
\nWHO Governance
\nExecutive Board Meeting of the World Health Organisation 2017:
\nThe 140th session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation took place on 23 January
\n\u2013 1 February 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. The WMA made public statements on a series of issues.
\nFor more information (agenda, working documents and resolutions) see:<\/p>\n

Interventions<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n