EC and WHO unite to fight health threats

The European Commission (EC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have held a series of high-level consultations in Brussels to take forward their global alliance in tackling health threats. Health and consumer protection commissioner David Byrne met WHO director-general Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland to discuss joint strategies to address a wide range of health issues.

Brundtland then had meetings with trade commissioner Pascal Lamy, research commissioner Philippe Busquin, development and humanitarian aid commissioner Poul Nielson to discuss co-operation in further key areas such access to medicines, health and development, health research, and environment and health issues.

Issues discussed included:

the fight against smoking;

communicable diseases, including increasing surveillance, co-operation and capacity building, and working together to revise the international health regulations;

collaborative work to develop new health information systems, especially between the Commission and WHO's European office;

nutrition, including collaboration in developing the new WHO nutrition strategy;

future priority areas for co-operation, including strengthening the existing partnership in communicable diseases, tobacco, and health information, as well as exploring ways for co-operation in new areas such as health and EU enlargement, poverty and health, and children's health.

Brundtland and Lamy agreed to push ahead with the agenda to improve access to medicines for developing countries. In a joint statement, they said: 'WHO and the EU agree that WTO members need to find a sustainable, balanced, and workable solution for these countries. The solution should also be supportive of WTO Members' rights to protect public health and to promote access to medicines for all.

'Healthcare providers and consumers in the poorest countries need the lowest possible prices to make essential medicines affordable to all. We call for continued efforts by the international community, governments, research-based companies, and generic pharmaceutical producers to achieve this on a sustainable basis. The EU and WHO will continue to analyse the effects of abolishing tariffs and taxes on medicines imported into developing countries.'

Nielson and Brundtland discussed health in developing countries. Both sides have successfully co-operated in the Programme on Accelerated Action against Major Communicable Diseases and have worked closely together in setting up the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Furthermore, the EC and WHO are working together on a partnership in pharmaceutical policies to improve the access to essential medicines in developing countries.

Both sides agreed to further develop a broader strategic partnership to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in health: to reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, expand access to essential medicines, and to have halted if not reversed the spread of AIDS, malaria and TB by 2015.