US embassy cable - 05GENEVA1673

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 GENEVA 001673 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR IO/T AND OES 
PASS TO HHS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, TBIO, AORC, WHO 
SUBJECT: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION:  REPORT ON THE 58TH 
WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY 
 
REF: A. A. STATE 86289 
     B. B. GENEVA 1558 
     C. C. GENEVA 1665 
     D. D. GENEVA 1666 
     E. E. GENEVA 1667 
     F. F. GENEVA 1668 
 
1.  Summary.  This message reports on the annual 192-member 
World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization 
(WHO), which met from May 16-25, 2005, in Geneva, 
Switzerland.  Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) 
Michael O. Leavitt headed the U.S. Delegation, which included 
officials from HHS, the U.S. Department of State (IO, OES), 
the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Mission, 
Geneva, and several private-sector delegates.  The key 
outcome of this WHA was the adoption of the revised 
International Health Regulations (IHRs), a milestone 
achievement and the product of the work of three 
Intergovernmental Working Groups (held in November 2004, 
February 2005, and just prior to the May World Health 
Assembly - see ref B).  The revised IHRs bring global public 
health preparedness up to a higher standard of action and 
accountability, and will serve the international community by 
requiring countries to develop certain core capacities and 
meet certain requirements in preparing for, detecting, 
reporting, and responding to potential public health 
emergencies of international concern. 
 
2.   The invited speakers to the WHA were Mr. Bill Gates, 
Founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who urged 
countries to direct advancements in science to saving lives 
in the developing world; and the President of the Republic of 
Maldives, the Honorable Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who reflected 
on the devastating effects of the December 2004 tsunami and 
on lessons learned from subsequent reconstruction efforts. 
WHO Director-General J.W. Lee also addressed the assembly, 
along with Ms. Ann Veneman, the new Executive Director of the 
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).  Ms. Veneman focused 
her comments on the topic of child survival.  The atmosphere 
of the WHA was constructive and delegations generally sought 
consensus outcomes; to that end, the WHA generally 
accommodated U.S. positions.  Most resolutions forwarded by 
the WHO Executive Board, however, were reopened for further 
negotiation, including by many countries that serve on the 
Board.  The WHA rejected, as in previous years, a proposal to 
include on its agenda the issue of granting Taiwan 
observership at the Health Assembly. 
 
3.  The WHA adopted by consensus the 2006-2007 Program and 
Budget, with a 17-percent increase overall and a four percent 
increase in the regular assessed budget.  The United States 
and other WHO Member States commended the WHO Secretariat for 
progress on its results-based budget proposal. The WHA 
adopted a number of other resolutions, including: Health 
Action in Relation to Crises and Disasters (tsunami relief); 
Malaria Control; Revision of the International Health 
Regulations (to adopt the revised IHRs); Health Conditions in 
the Occupied Palestinian Territory; Blood Safety; Sustainable 
Financing for Tuberculosis Prevention and Control; Draft 
Global Immunization Strategy; Strengthening Active and 
Healthy Aging; International Migration of Health Personnel; 
Cancer Prevention and Control; Disability; Sustaining the 
Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders; Public Health 
Problems Caused by Harmful Use of Alcohol; Improving the 
Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance; eHealth  Enhancement 
of Laboratory Biosafety; Accelerating the Achievement of the 
Internationally Agreed Health-related Development Goals, 
including those contained in the Millennium Declaration; 
Working Towards Universal Coverage of Maternal, Newborn, and 
Child Health Interventions; Infant and Young Child Nutrition; 
Sustainable Health Financing, Universal Coverage and Social 
Health Insurance; Assessments for 2006-2007; and Ministerial 
Summit on Health Research.  The WHA adopted all resolutions 
by consensus, with the exception of Health Conditions in the 
Occupied Palestinian Territory, put to a vote at the request 
of the United States. End Summary. 
 
Formal Adoption of the International Health Regulations 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
4.  See ref B for the full report on the May 12-13 final 
Intergovernmental Working Group on the IHRs, which concluded 
at 4:15 am on Saturday, May 14.  The U.S. delegation (USDel) 
drew on flexibilities in negotiating positions to achieve our 
objectives in securing an acceptable text.  There was a 
shared sense of accomplishment in relation to the IHRs, given 
the speed with which they had been negotiated, the solidity 
of the outcome, the contributions they are expected to make 
to global public health, and the flexibility shown by all to 
conclude successfully.  Many delegations acknowledged that 
the United States showed genuine commitment and flexibility 
in concluding a deal. 
 
5.  There was extensive debate at the WHA concerning the 
contents of the resolution that formally adopted the IHRs. 
Highlights from the resolution include:  1) reference to 
prior WHA resolutions related to development of the IHRs, 
including explicit reference to public health emergencies 
caused by "deliberate use of biological and chemical agents 
or radionuclear material," 2) a call for Member States and 
the WHO Director-General to implement fully the IHRs in 
accordance with the purpose and scope in Article 2 and the 
principles embodied in Article 3 (includes wording aimed at 
including Taiwan through the principle of "universal 
application" of the IHRs), 3) references by name to other 
competent intergovernmental organizations and international 
bodies with which WHO is expected to cooperate and coordinate 
under the IHRs, and 4) the need for States Parties to develop 
the necessary public health capacities required under the 
IHRs and for the mobilization of resources to provide support 
for developing countries to that end. 
 
Approval of the WHO Program Budget 
and Scale of Assessments for 2006-2007 
-------------------------------------- 
 
6.  The WHA adopted the WHO Program Budget without protracted 
negotiations and with broad support.  The WHA also adopted 
the Scale of Assessments for 2006 and 2007 without 
controversy.  The WHO Executive Board in January 2005 
generated extensive debate and discussion on both the budget 
level and on the budget details, at which time the United 
States advised the WHO Secretariat that the proposed nine 
percent increase to the Regular Budget portion was 
unacceptable.  The WHO Director-General sought a compromise 
with the United States and other countries opposed to the 
increase.  Following consultations in Washington in March, 
the final regular budget proposal had a four percent 
assessment increase, which the United States accepted. 
Japan, and to a lesser degree Germany, continued to have 
difficulty with any budget increase, but they also joined 
consensus at the time of adoption of the budget proposal. 
 
7.  The total WHO Secretariat budget for 2006-2007 is USD 
$3,313,441,000.  This amount includes $893,115,000 in the 
regular budget (a four percent assessment increase), 
$2,398,126,000 in anticipated extra-budgetary funding, and 
$22,200,000 in estimated miscellaneous income. 
 
Political Issues 
Taiwan Observership and Palestinian Health 
------------------------------------------ 
 
8.  The WHA took up Taiwan's bid for observer status on its 
opening day.  The General Committee first considered a 
proposal from Taiwan's diplomatic allies for a new agenda 
item on granting observer status for Taiwan at the WHA.  A 
large number of delegations intervened: 13 countries spoke 
for granting Taiwan observer status, and 36 countries spoke 
against the proposal.  At the close, the Committee agreed the 
Agenda should be proposed for adoption by the Plenary without 
the new item.  The President of the Assembly (Ms Elana 
Salgado, Spain's Minister of Health and Consumer Safety), 
kept the debate in the Plenary to a two-by-two debate, 
whereby two countries spoke in favor (Chad and Malawi) and 
two spoke against (People's Republic of China and Pakistan), 
and the matter was closed. 
 
9.  In relation to the IHRs, WHO Secretariat and China signed 
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the WHA that laid 
out the parameters for WHO cooperation with Taiwan, both in 
regular health exchanges and in public health emergencies. 
Although not a public document, the Secretariat confirmed the 
MOU refers to the island "Taiwan, China."  Malawi used its 
statement under the two-by-two debate in the Plenary on 
observership to say the MOU was strange and unprocedural and 
developed without any consultation whatsoever with Taiwan, 
which would reject it.  (Comment:  Although we have not seen 
the text, we believe the MOU does nothing to help Taiwan 
satisfy domestic audiences for real political progress toward 
enhanced international status, even though it will provide 
better procedures for cooperation with the WHO Secretariat 
and Regional Office in Manila, including for direct 
cooperation with the WHO Secretariat without Chinese approval 
in the event of public health emergencies.  End comment.) 
 
10.  Arab countries and the Palestinians put forward what is 
an annual ritual, a resolution on Palestinian health that is 
one-sided and political.  As in the past, the resolution 
generated a vote.  Holding the European Union (EU) 
Presidency, Luxembourg sought to negotiate the text with the 
Palestinian delegation, and was able to secure only minor 
changes to improve the resolution.  U.S. Ambassador Kevin 
Moley requested a recorded vote, and noted that the United 
States strongly regretted the resolution was not focused on 
the health of the Palestinian people but instead interjected 
political considerations and final status issues that are 
outside the scope of the WHA. The EU member states voted in 
favor of the resolution--some EU countries wanted to 
cosponsor--and the Assembly adopted it in a vote of 95 in 
favor, 8 opposed, with 11 abstentions.  Those opposed were 
Australia, Fiji, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, 
Solomon Islands, and the United States.  Those abstaining 
were Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, 
Iceland, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Singapore, Thailand, and Togo. 
 
 
Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Control 
------------------------------------------- 
 
11.  The potential threat of a pandemic influenza outbreak 
was a recurrent theme at the WHA out of growing global 
concern that the potential for an avian influenza outbreak is 
a grave health threat.  The United States had proposed to add 
this issue to the agenda of the 115th Session of the WHO 
Executive Board last January, and the Board forwarded a draft 
resolution, originally sponsored by the United States, to the 
58th Session of the WHA, which the Assembly adopted with some 
amendments.  The resolution urged Member States to develop 
and implement national plans for pandemic-influenza 
preparedness and response; to develop and strengthen national 
surveillance and laboratory capacity; to strengthen linkages 
between the health, agriculture and other pertinent 
authorities; to support an international research agenda; and 
to provide vaccines and antiviral drugs as necessary during a 
global pandemic by using flexibilities within the World Trade 
Organization's Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).  It also asked the WHO 
Director-General to strengthen influenza surveillance, to 
assess the feasibility of using anti-viral medication 
stockpiles to contain an initial outbreak of influenza, to 
evaluate the potential benefit of personal protection 
measures, and to work closely with the Food and Agriculture 
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World 
Organization for Animal Health (OIE).  The WHO 
Director-General committed additional resources from the WHO 
Regular Budget to avian influenza for the next biennium. 
 
12.  Secretary Leavitt hosted a Ministerial meeting on the 
margins of the WHA on avian influenza, joined by Health 
Ministers from affected countries in Asia and donor countries 
(ref C). The discussion on issues of preparedness, 
surveillance, joint-planning, and coordination among agencies 
and partners resulted in a common understanding on steps 
needed to address a potential flu pandemic (refs D and E). 
 
Enhancement of Laboratory Biosafety 
----------------------------------- 
 
13.  Australia, concerned about the level of laboratory 
safety around the world and the containment of microbial 
agents and toxins, proposed a resolution related to influenza 
preparedness.  The text, on "Enhancement of laboratory 
biosafety," urged Member States to review the safety of their 
laboratories, promote good biosafety lab practices, and 
develop national preparedness plans and programs to enhance 
compliance.  The United States strongly supported the 
resolution, and offered amendments to strengthen it.  The 
final consensus resolution recognized the containment of 
microbiological agents and toxins in laboratories as critical 
to prevent disease outbreaks.  The resolution also requested 
the WHO Director-General to provide support to Member States 
to enhance lab biosafety, and keep them apprised of relevant 
WHO Guidelines and Manuals. 
 
The WHO's role in UN Reform and Harmonization 
of Operational Development Activities 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
14.  Switzerland, with strong support from the Nordic 
countries, proposed a resolution entitled "United Nations 
reform process and WHO's role to harmonize operational 
development activities at country level."  USDel took part in 
a drafting group that concluded a text to acknowledge the UN 
reform process and activities under way, encourage the 
participation of the WHO Secretariat in cooperation and 
coordination among UN entities at country level and as a part 
of the UN Development Group, and urge the WHO Secretariat and 
donor countries to use the "Triennial comprehensive policy of 
operational activities for development of the United Nations 
system" (UNGA res 59/250) as well as the recent Paris (2005) 
and Rome (2003) Declarations on aid effectiveness and 
harmonization to guide their actions at the country level. 
 
Achievement of the Health-Related 
Development Goals of the Millennium Declaration 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
15.  Member States introduced two resolutions under this 
agenda item: Working Towards Universal Coverage of Maternal, 
Newborn, and Child Health Interventions; and Accelerating the 
Achievement of the Internationally Agreed Health-Related 
Development Goals, Including Those Contained in the 
Millennium Declaration.  USDel actively participated in the 
drafting groups for these two resolutions to increase the 
commitment and activities of the Member States and the WHO 
Director-General toward achieving the internationally agreed 
health-related development goals.  Both resolutions were 
particularly long and contentious, in particular with respect 
to references to sexual and reproductive health and rights, 
which were originally unacceptable to the U.S. USDel secured 
the necessary changes. 
 
Health Action in Relation to Crises and Disasters 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
16.  The Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of December 26, 
2004, elevated the importance of this agenda item during the 
WHA.  USDel voiced its support for the WHO Secretariat to 
help its Member States prepare for crises, and stressed the 
need for the WHO staff to focus on where it can maximize its 
technical competency and resources.  The WHA adopted the 
resolution on Health Action in Crises and Disasters from the 
January 2005 Session of the WHO Executive Board, with 
Particular Emphasis on Earthquakes and Tsunamis of 26 
December 2004, with minor amendments proposed from the Thai 
and Indian delegations to strengthen information systems, 
integrate risk-reduction planning, develop post-crisis health 
impact assessment, improve collaboration with local and 
international expertise, and strengthen mental health 
response during health crises and disasters. 
 
Sustainable Financing for Tuberculosis 
Prevention and Control 
-------------------------------------- 
 
17.  Member States acknowledged the importance of preventing 
and controlling tuberculosis.  USDel recognized the important 
role played by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, 
and Malaria and by the Stop TB Partnership in efforts against 
tuberculosis.  USDel also stressed the need to work towards 
expanded access to tuberculosis treatment for persons with 
HIV infections, and to address the growing problem of 
drug-resistant tuberculosis.  Many delegations, including 
Thailand, Swaziland, India, and Uganda, proposed changes from 
the floor to the resolution from the January 2005 Executive 
Board.  The final resolution calls on Member States, to 
integrate, strengthen and collaborate existing tuberculosis 
programs to provide access to a universal standard of care 
based on diagnosis, treatment, and reporting consistent with 
the DOTS strategy.  It also called for the WHO 
Director-General to better coordinate WHO activities with 
other stakeholders and promote various tuberculosis programs, 
including programs to address the growing problems of 
multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and co-infection with HIV. 
 
 
Malaria 
------- 
 
18.  Member States reviewed the WHO Secretariat's Report on 
Malaria and the proposed resolution from the January 2005 
Session of the WHO Executive Board to combat the continued 
burden of malaria.  USDel urged continued leadership and 
vigilance to avoid shortages in artemisinin-based combination 
therapy; recognized the important resources made available 
through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and 
Malaria and Roll Back Malaria; called on the governments 
where artemisinin is produced to expand its availability; and 
supported indoor residual household insecticide spraying as 
an effective intervention for malaria control.  Many 
delegations, including Mexico, Iraq, Thailand, Japan, and 
Jamaica proposed changes from the floor to the Executive 
Board resolution.  These changes included urging Member 
States to ensure financial sustainability, achieve community 
participation in vector control, and to encourage private- 
and public-sector collaboration at all levels. 
 
19.  In the debate, the Africa group discussed detailed 
strategies to reflect the needs of the African countries, 
including artemisinin-based therapy, indoor insecticide 
spraying, new technologies for treatment and diagnosis, and 
human resources recruitment and retention. 
 
Smallpox 
-------- 
20.   A number of Member States expressed their support for 
the WHO Global Smallpox Vaccine Reserve, and backed the 
continued retention of smallpox virus in its two 
WHO-sanctioned repositories in the United States and Russia 
until necessary research is complete, although some countries 
(e.g. China, South Africa, Canada, Tonga, Cuba, India, and 
Iran) discussed the need to destroy Variola virus stocks at a 
pre-determined date. 
 
Reading from a text prepared by a non-governmental 
organization, the South African Health Minister called for a 
resolution to demand the immediate destruction of the 
authorized virus stocks; only Zimbabwe seconded the idea, but 
neither country circulated a text. Comment: After several 
years of little discussion on smallpox at the WHA, the 
interventions from Member States this year indicate a need 
for the U.S. Government to undertake an aggressive diplomatic 
campaign, with the participation of scientists from HHS and 
back up from scientists from the U.S. Department of Defense, 
to remind governments why the continued specter of 
bio-terrorism makes the retention of the Variola virus in its 
authorized repositories for ongoing research so critical. A 
key aspect of this effort will be close coordination with the 
Russian Federation, and HHS officials have already had 
discussions with their colleagues in the Russian Ministry of 
Health on the subject during Secretary Leavitt's June 2005 
trip to Moscow. End Comment. 
 
The WHA approved a number of recommendations forwarded from 
the November 2004 meeting of the WHO Advisory Committee on 
Variola Virus Research, supported by the United States and 
Russia, that the U.S. scientists had sought for several 
years. The most important concerns permission for authorized 
scientists to insert green-fluorescent protein into the 
smallpox virus, which will facilitate the screening of 
pharmaceutical compounds for activity against Variola in the 
search for new, more effective anti-viral drugs. The Assembly 
accepted the decision of the Director-General to send back to 
the Advisory Committee for further work the subject of 
genetic modification of the Variola virus (through inserting 
it into other orthopox viruses). Comment: The WHA's decision 
to accept all but one of the Advisory Committee's 
recommendations was a major victory, and should help 
accelerate progress on the WHO-approved research agenda. End 
Comment. 
 
Poliomyelitis 
------------- 
 
21.  Member States took the floor to highlight their 
commitment to the global eradication of polio, and expressed 
continued appreciation for the 15-year effort of the WHO 
Secretariat, along with HHS, the United Nations Children's 
 
SIPDIS 
Fund (UNICEF), and Rotary International's involvement to 
achieve the goal of a polio-free world.  Many Member States 
discussed the need for synchronized and coordinated 
immunization campaigns and surveillance to enable polio 
eradication.  At present, six endemic countries remain: 
Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Niger, Afghanistan, and Egypt.  In 
addition, Sudan, Mali, Chad, Central African Republic, 
Burkina Faso, and Cote d'Ivoire have re-established 
transmission of wild polio virus, and Yemen, Indonesia, and 
Ethiopia are experiencing a recent surge of polio infections 
spread by returning pilgrims from the Hajj in Mecca, Saudi 
Arabia.  The Assembly noted the Report on Poliomyelitis and 
closed this agenda item. 
 
Draft Global Immunization Strategy 
---------------------------------- 
 
22.  The WHO and UNICEF agreed to develop a Global 
Immunization Strategy for 2006-2015, and both agencies sought 
commitments from Member States and other stakeholders to 
support the document.  The resolution on this topic urges 
Member States to adopt the Global Immunization Vision and 
Strategy, meet immunization targets expressed in the UN 
General Assembly Special Session on Children in 2002, and to 
ensure immunization remains a priority on the national health 
agendas of the WHO Member States. 
 
Antimicrobial Resistance 
------------------------ 
 
23. The WHA grappled with the reality that misuse of 
medicines has precipitated pathogens' resistance to 
antimicrobial agents.  USDel to the January 2005 Session of 
the Executive Board co-sponsored the resolution on 
Antimicrobial Resistance.  During the WHA, USDel  stressed 
the need to contain and combat antimicrobial resistance, and 
the need for the WHO Secretariat to focus on measurable, 
sustainable, and practical ways to increase appropriate and 
optimal use of medications, while building stronger and more 
effective health systems.  A drafting group discussed this 
resolution, which the WHA adopted with amendments. 
 
Infant and Young Child Nutrition 
-------------------------------- 
 
24.  Several countries brought a resolution before the 57th 
WHA in 2004 to address the issue of infant and young child 
nutrition, in particular the presence of Enterobacter 
sakazakii in powdered infant formula.  The WHA agreed to 
submit the issue for consideration at the 115th Session of 
the Executive Board in January 2005, where an open-ended 
working group and lengthy negotiations produced a resolution 
for the consideration of the 58th WHA.  At the 58th WHA, many 
delegations participated in the drafting group to revise the 
resolution from the Executive Board.  USDel stressed the 
importance of the orthodox Codex Alimentarius Commission 
processes to develop data-driven international standards 
guidelines and related texts in the area of foods, nutrition, 
and food labeling.  After lengthy and impassioned 
negotiations, this resolution, with amendments, was adopted 
by consensus. 
 
Cancer Prevention and Control 
----------------------------- 
 
25.  The WHA considered a resolution on cancer control to 
call for increased national and international efforts to 
reduce the incidence and mortality of cancer.  Numerous 
changes to the resolution forwarded from the January 2005 
Executive Board emanated from the floor, during the WHA, to 
urge Member States to promote palliative care, research and 
priority setting in this area, and for the WHO Secretariat to 
provide technical support, better collaborate with its 
partners and agencies (e.g. International Agency for Research 
on Cancer), and promote research and development in cancer 
prevention and control.  The WHA adopted the resolution, with 
amendments, by consensus. 
 
Disability, Including Prevention, 
Management, and Rehabilitation 
--------------------------------- 
 
26.  Originally an informational item, the 115th Session of 
the Executive Board generated a resolution on disability, 
including prevention, management, and rehabilitation for the 
58th WHA to consider.  Many changes emanated from the floor 
during the WHA to increase awareness for specific risk 
factors, conditions or disease that can cause disability; 
recognize the International Classification of Functioning, 
Disability, and Health (ICF); implement appropriate services, 
including counseling programs; and when appropriate, research 
and promote studies to better understand the incidence and 
prevalence of disabilities as well as the most effective 
measures to prevent disabilities. 
 
Public Health Problems Caused by Harmful Use of Alcohol 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
27.  The Nordic countries, led by Iceland, introduced a 
resolution on the public health problems caused by the 
harmful use of alcohol at the 115th Session of the WHO 
Executive Board, which the Board adopted by consensus after 
difficult negotiations.  Many delegations proposed changes to 
the resolution during the WHA.  In particular, the Thai 
Delegation proposed to recognize the WHO Secretariat's Report 
and its recommended ten "best practices" by adding a footnote 
to the resolution.  The U.S. Government did not believe this 
Report and its recommendations were well-vetted or 
peer-reviewed.  Extensive negotiations, under the leadership 
of the Executive Board Chairman, David Gunnarsson of Iceland, 
dropped this footnote from the proposed revisions, and the 
WHA adopted by consensus the resolution, with other 
amendments, including a preambular paragraph that makes the 
first reference to religious traditions the WHA has made in 
recent memory. 
 
International Plan of Action on Aging 
------------------------------------- 
 
28.  The United States was a strong supporter of the 
International Plan of Action on Aging, and introduced the 
Strengthening Active and Healthy Aging resolution in the 
115th Session of the Executive Board.  A few amendments to 
the resolution emanated from the floor at the WHA to urge 
making additional human and financial resources available to 
the aging population. 
Social Health Insurance 
----------------------- 
 
29.   The 115th Session of the Executive Board in January 
2005 forwarded to the WHA a resolution on social health 
insurance.  Most of the delegations present did not share the 
U.S. desire to recognize privately financed health coverage, 
and proposed approximately twenty-five changes to the 
Executive Board resolution to, among other things, promote 
universal, state-financed coverage; general taxation; and 
limits on fee-for-service mechanisms.  USDel proposed a 
number of substantive changes in response, and a drafting 
group attempted to reconcile the differences.  At the 
drafting group, delegations agreed to withdraw all 
amendments, and the WHA adopted the original EB resolution, 
with an additional operative paragraph for the WHO 
Secretariat to report on the outstanding issues raised by 
 
SIPDIS 
Member States.  Comment: During the drafting group, Thailand, 
Kenya and Venezuela were the countries that held out the 
longest for their proposed amendments to the resolution. 
Venezuela took the opportunity to accuse the United States of 
"blockading" the resolution and engaging in "anti-democratic" 
behavior. End Comment. 
 
 
eHealth 
------- 
 
30.  The United States supported the resolution on eHealth 
that came from the January 2005  Executive Board.  It was a 
balanced effort to promote international, multi-sectoral 
collaboration, and it reflects initial efforts to integrate 
eHealth technologies in public health systems and services. 
Delegations proposed a number of amendments to the resolution 
at the WHA to promote respect for privacy and confidentiality 
and expand the use of electronic information and telemedicine 
infrastructure.  In addition, Member States requested the 
Secretariat to list, with budgetary implications, all 
 
SIPDIS 
proposed activities the WHO Secretariat will undertake. 
 
Ministerial Summit on Health Research 
------------------------------------- 
 
31.  Few Ministers of Health or Research attended the Mexico 
City Summit in November 2004, which was Director-General 
Lee's consolation prize to the medical research community for 
having canceled the proposed World Health Report on research 
in 2003.  Many delegations  expressed dissatisfaction with 
the Mexico Statement on Health Research and did not consider 
it to be a consensus document.  A drafting group proposed 
changes to acknowledge and consider the recommendations 
rather than endorse or implement them, and recommended the 
WHO to examine its role and expertise in health research and 
to ensure that future ministerial summits will be first 
approved by the World Health Assembly. 
 
Implementation of Resolutions 
----------------------------- 
 
32.  This agenda item included progress reports on iodine 
deficiency disorders, comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS, 
traditional medicine, World Report on Violence and Health, 
international chemicals management, international migration 
of health personnel, and promotion of healthy lifestyles. 
Two resolutions, Sustaining the Elimination of Iodine 
Deficiency Disorders, and International Migration of Health 
Personnel: a Challenge for Health Systems in Developing 
Countries, emanated at the 58th WHA, which adopted them with 
minor changes. 
Moley