| |
WHO World Health Assembly approves resolution on hepatitis and mechanism to coordinate noncommunicable disease response
|
| |
| |
Download the PDF here
(SEE RESOLUTION Below)....http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2014/WHA-20140522/en/
News release
22 May 2014 | GENEVA - The World Health Assembly approved a resolution to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis and proposals to improve global coordination of efforts to address noncommunicable diseases like diabetes, cancers, heart disease and stroke. In addition, WHO's Director-General and the President of the Health Assembly presented 4 awards to leaders in public health.
Viral hepatitis
Viral hepatitis is responsible for 1.4 million deaths every year; 500 million people currently live with the disease. There are 5 main hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D and E). Types B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people and, together, are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer.
The resolution also highlights the importance of expanding hepatitis A and B vaccination programmes and further strengthening infection control measures in health-care settings - such as strategies to improve the safety of injections.
The resolution noted the importance of implementing appropriate measures to protect groups such as people who inject drugs from infection and to improve their access to diagnostics and treatment. As most people with chronic hepatitis B or C remain unaware of their infection, there is also a need to improve screening.
Delegates agreed to consider a range of measures to improve access to quality and affordable hepatitis medicines and diagnostics, whilst addressing intellectual property rights issues related to those products.
The delegates asked the WHO Secretariat to continue to help countries develop robust strategies and goals on hepatitis and to report regularly on the progress of such programmes, as well as examining the feasibility of eliminating hepatitis B and C.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)
Delegates approved 9 indicators to measure progress in implementing the WHO Global NCD Action Plan. They also endorsed the terms of reference and workplan for a Global Coordination Mechanism. The Assembly recommended that the Director-General submit proposed terms of reference for a United Nations Interagency Task Force on NCDs to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
A United Nations High-level Meeting will take place in New York on 10-11 July 2014 to review progress on NCDs. Member States asked the WHO Secretariat to report on the follow-up to this meeting at the next Health Assembly.
WHA67.6 ...........[http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha67.html#Main_documents__
Hepatitis
The Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly [WHA67.6]
Having considered the report on hepatitis;1 [1 Document A67/13. ]
............Cognizant of the fact that 4-5 million people living with HIV are coinfected with hepatitis C virus and more than 3 million are coinfected with hepatitis B virus, which has become a major cause of disability and mortality among those receiving antiretroviral therapy .............
Taking into account the fact that viral hepatitis is a major problem within indigenous communities in some countries;
Welcoming the development by WHO of a global strategy, within a health systems approach, on the prevention and control of viral hepatitis infection;1
Considering that most Member States lack adequate surveillance systems for viral hepatitis to enable them to take evidence-based policy decisions;
Taking into account that a periodic evaluation of implementation of the WHO strategy is crucial to monitoring the global response to viral hepatitis and the fact that the process was initiated with the publication in 2013 of the Global policy report on the prevention and control of viral hepatitis in WHO Member States;2
1 Prevention and control of viral hepatitis infection: framework for global action. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2012.
2 Global policy report on the prevention and control of viral hepatitis in WHO Member States. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013.
1. URGES Member States:3
(1) to develop and implement coordinated multisectoral national strategies for preventing, diagnosing, and treating viral hepatitis based on the local epidemiological context;
(2) to enhance actions related to health promotion and prevention of viral hepatitis, while stimulating and strengthening immunization strategies, including for hepatitis A, based on the local epidemiological context;
(3) to promote the involvement of civil society in all aspects of preventing, diagnosing and treating viral hepatitis;
(4) to put in place an adequate surveillance system for viral hepatitis in order to support decision-making on evidence-based policy;
(5) to strengthen the system for collection of blood from low-risk, voluntary, non-remunerated donors, for quality-assured screening of all donated blood to avoid transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis, and for good transfusion practices to ensure patient safety;
(6) to strengthen the system for quality-assured screening of all donors of tissues and organs to avoid transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis;
(7) to reduce the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection as proposed by WHO regional committees, in particular by enhancing efforts to prevent perinatal transmission through the delivery of the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine;
(8) to strengthen measures for the prevention of hepatitis A and E, in particular the promotion of food and drinking water safety and hygiene;
(9) to strengthen infection control in health care settings through all necessary measures to prevent the reuse of equipment designed only for single use, and cleaning and either high-level disinfection or sterilization, as appropriate, of multi-use equipment;
(10) to include hepatitis B vaccine for infants, where appropriate, in national immunization programmes, working towards full coverage;
(11) to make special provision in policies for equitable access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment for populations affected by viral hepatitis, particularly indigenous people, migrants and vulnerable groups, where applicable;
(12) to consider, as necessary, national legislative mechanisms for the use of the flexibilities contained in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in order to promote access to specific pharmaceutical products;1
(13) to consider, whenever necessary, the use of administrative and legal means in order to promote access to preventive, diagnostic and treatment technologies against viral hepatitis;
(14) to implement comprehensive hepatitis prevention, diagnosis and treatment programmes for people who inject drugs, including the nine core interventions,2 as appropriate, in line with the WHO, UNODC, UNAIDS technical guide for countries to set targets for universal access to ..........
[2 Needle and syringe programmes; opioid substitution therapy and other drug dependence treatment; HIV testing and counselling; antiretroviral therapy; prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections; condom programmes for people who inject drugs and their sexual partners; targeted information, education and communication for people who inject drugs and their sexual partners; vaccination, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis; prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis.]
.........HIV prevention, treatment and care for injecting drug users,1 and in line with the global health sector strategy on HIV/AIDS, 2011-2015, and the United Nations General Assembly resolution 65/277, taking into account the domestic context, legislation and jurisdictional responsibilities;
(15) to aim to transition by 2017 to the exclusive use, where appropriate, of WHO prequalified or equivalent safety-engineered injection devices including reuse-prevention syringes and sharp injury prevention devices for therapeutic injections and develop related national policies;
(16) to review, as appropriate, policies, procedures and practices associated with stigmatization and discrimination, including the denial of employment, training and education, as well as travel restrictions, against people living with and affected by viral hepatitis, or impairing their full enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health;
2. CALLS upon all relevant United Nations funds, programmes, specialized agencies and other stakeholders:
(1) to include prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis in their respective work programmes and work in close collaboration;
(2) to identify and disseminate mechanisms to support countries in the provision of sustainable funding for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis;
3. REQUESTS the Director-General:
(1) to provide the necessary technical support to enable Member States to develop robust national viral hepatitis prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies with time-bound goals;
(2) to develop specific guidelines on adequate, effective and affordable algorithms for diagnosis in developing countries;
(3) in consultation with Member States, to develop a system for regular monitoring and reporting on the progress in viral hepatitis prevention, diagnosis and treatment;
(4) to provide technical guidance on cost-effective ways to integrate the prevention, testing, care and treatment of viral hepatitis into existing health care systems and make best use of existing infrastructure and strategies;
(5) to work with national authorities, upon their request, to promote comprehensive and equitable access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis, with particular attention to needle and syringe programmes and opioid substitution therapy or other evidence-based treatments for people who inject drugs, in national plans, taking into consideration national policy context and procedures and to support countries, upon request, to implement these measures;
(6) to provide technical guidance on prevention of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis B and C through safe donation from low-risk, voluntary, non-remunerated donors, counselling, referral and treatment of infected donors, and effective blood screening;
(7) to examine the feasibility of and strategies needed for the elimination of hepatitis B and hepatitis C with a view to potentially setting global targets;
(8) to estimate global, regional and domestic economic impact and burden of viral hepatitis in collaboration with Member States and relevant organizations, taking into due account potential and perceived conflicts of interest;
(9) to support Member States with technical assistance in the use of the flexibilities in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights when needed, in accordance with the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property;
(10) to lead a discussion and work with key stakeholders to facilitate equitable access to quality, effective, affordable and safe hepatitis B and C treatments and diagnostics;
(11) to assist Member States to ensure equitable access to quality, effective, affordable and safe hepatitis B and C treatments and diagnostics, in particular in developing countries;
(12) to maximize synergies between viral hepatitis prevention, diagnosis and treatment programmes and ongoing work to implement the WHO global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013-2020;
(13) to report to the Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly, or earlier if needed, through the Executive Board, on the implementation of this resolution.
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
