This briefing paper outlines the steps for implementing the WHO's Good Governance for Medicines programme, which aims to tackle corruption in the pharmaceutical sector
This paper focuses on the values approach for promoting ethical practices in the governance and management of pharmaceuticals within ministries of health. It recognises the need to coordinate and integrate such endeavours with existing legislative efforts to establish a legal framework and ethical infrastructure that adequately address the problem of corruption within the context of each country. The paper is a working draft for field testing and revision
In this editorial, the author comments on the feasibility of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy of the World Health Organization aimed at serving the poor. He analyses the reasons behind the failure of IMCI strategy to reach the poor. According to the author, IMCI failed due to several faults in its implementation including its initiation in well-off areas, a horizontal approach, and bad financial infrastructure of the poor regions
Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 84(10)
This is a report on some of the findings of a global survey on eHealth carried out by the Global Observatory for eHealth (GOe), concerning the needs for eHealth tools and services. The survey found that WHO Member States would welcome an active involvement of WHO in the development of generic eHealth tools, while particularly non-OECD members would benefit form guidance on eHealth issues. It also found that needs vary even among OECD countries, and that existing eHealth tools and services should be better known. The report recommends that WHO should actively intervene in the provision of generic tools (eg, drug registries, patient record systems, health professional directories), facilitate access to existing tools, promote knowledge exchange, provide eHealth information and promote eLearning programmes
This handbook outlines the role of pharmacists in the context of greater availability of a complex range of medicines and suggests good pharmacy practices. Effective pharmaceutical care entails a patient-centred approach that should encourage adherence to prescribed medicines, through a close relationship between patient and pharmacist and follow-up on health outcomes. 'Adherence to long-term therapy for chronic conditions in developed countries averages 50%, with even lower rates for developing countries'. The handbook looks at pharmacists and patient care both from a policy and from a practical perspective
This report looks at neglected tropical diseases. These diseases particularly affect poor and disadvantaged people with limited access to health services and have a low profile and status in public health priorities. Despite the challenges involved, some progress has been made through interventions around particular diseases in certain countries. This report highlights some of those successes
The purpose of these guidelines is to help managers of national health services to implement the new Global Strategy in their own countries. They will help managers to choose which activities can be carried out at the primary health care level and for which aspects of care patients will have to be referred. They suggest a greater emphasis on the assessment of disability at diagnosis, so that those at particular risk can be recognised and managed appropriately. They also cover prevention of disability, rehabilitation, recording and reporting and programme management. The French version of the guidelines is an unofficial translation
This is a summary and recommendations from an international consultation co-convened by the WHO departments of Gender, Women and Health (GWH) and of HIV & AIDS to identify and review promising strategies or good practices to support women who may fear or experience violence as a consequence of HIV testing and/or HIV status disclosure; and develop recommendations to guide programmes and policies related to HIV testing and counselling, in light of current strategies to expand access to these and related services
This report summarises the findings of the transparency assessments carried out in the first four countries participating in the WHO-initiated Good Governance for Medicines Project, which offers a technical support package for tackling unethical issues in the public pharmaceutical sector. It provides a comprehensive picture of the level of transparency and potential vulnerability to corruption in three essential functions of the public pharmaceutical sector - registration, selection and procurement of medicines. The methodology provides both qualitative and quantitative information. In each country two national investigators collected data, conducting a series of interviews with carefully selected key informants
"This manual provides practical advice to road safety practitioners on how to achieve a much higher proportion of users of two-wheeled vehicles wearing helmets. It follows on from the World report on road traffic injury prevention, which described evidence that setting and enforcing mandatory helmet use is an effective intervention for reducing injuries and fatalities among two-wheeler users. The manual is one of a series of documents produce by an informal consortium (WHO, the Global Road Safety Partnership, the World Bank, and the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society) that aims to provide guidance to countries on how to implement some of the recommendations identified within the World Report, and thus improve their overall road safety record"
This report examines the implications for children's development and mental health of malnutrition and reduced psychosocial stimulation. It looks at how to promote positive child development, prevention strategies, combined nutrition and stimulation programmes and the benefit of such programmes being community or home-based