World Health Assembly appeals for more aid to health strategies of developing countries.

World Health Assembly appeals for more aid to health strategies of developing countries

The World Health Assembly at its thirty-ninth session (Geneva, 5-16 May) called for action to improve health strategies of developing countries and to combat drug abuse, tobacco use and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) eqidemic.

Delegates representing most of the 166 member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed support for the WHO "Global Strategy for Health for All by the Year 2000' and appealed to developed countries and international organizations and agencies to assist developing countries with their national

health strategies.

The appeal, contained in a resolution adopted on 15 May, was made in view of the "widespread economic crisis which had resulted in a fall in living standards in many countries and provoked serious unemployment and formidable austerity policies', which in some countries resulted in substantial cuts in health care. The crisis, particularly in developing countries, had been aggravated by the persistent rise in the foreign debt and deterioration of the balances of trade', and endangered the possibility of reaching the goal of health for all by the year 2000.

Among the other resolutions adopted at the two-week session was one urging continued collaboration by WHO members to control AIDS. WHO was asked to co-operate with countries to study the problem and set up national and collective programmes to prevent and control of the disease.

Tobacco smoking and tobacco use in all forms was incompatible with the attainment of health for all by the year 2000, and Assembly declared, calling for a global public health approach and action to combat the tobacco pandemic. Other United Nations organizations were asked to support WHO in all ways possible within their fields of competence to help stem the spread of tobacco-induced diseases by protecting the health of non-smokers on their premises. The Director-General of WHO, Dr. Halfdan Mahler, was asked to ensure that WHO played an effective global advocacy role with regard to tobacco and health issues.

In response to the dramatic increase of serious health and social problems related to the abuse of narcotic and psychotropic substances, the Assembly urged member States to further develop national prevention and treatment programmes. WHO was asked to formulate a plan of action aimed at controlling health problems related to drug abuse, and it was suggested that the...