Bitter Pills:Medicines & The Third World Poor | Page 252

9

Dr. Balasubramanian, Technology Division, UNCTAD, Provisional Summary Record of the
Sixth Meeting, Committee A discussion on Action Programme on Essential Drugs, ThirtyFifth World Health Assembly (A35/A/SR/6) 11 May 1982, pp.2-3.

10

Mrs. Quiniero, UNIDO, Provisional Summary Record of the Fifth Meeting, Committee A
discussion on the Action Programme of Essential Drugs, Thirty-Fifth World Health Assembly
(A35/A/SR/5) 10 May 1982, pp.2-4.

11

Stenzl, op.cit.,p.226There has been discussion on expanding the Copenhagen operation and
for WHO to cooperate with UNICEF in bulk-purchasing on behalf of Third World governments.

12

WHO, Action Programme on Essential Drugs, Report by the Executive Board Ad Hoc
Committee on Drug Policies on behalf of the Executive Board, Thirty-Fifth World Health
Assembly (A35/7) 1 April 1982.

13

Ibid..Annex 1 "Relevant Health Assembly Resolutions" (WHA31.32)

14

WHO,(A35/7) 1 April 1982,op.cit.

15

Prof. Ofosu-Amaah, Provisional Summary Record of the Fourth Meeting, Committee A
discussion on Action Programme on Essential Drugs, Thirty- Fifth World Health Assembly,
(A35/A/SR/4) 10 May 1982,p.7.

16

Prof. Benhassine, WHO (A35/A/SR/5) 10 May 1982,op.cit.,p.l5. Delegates expressing
disatisfaction with slow progress included France, Netherlands, Mozambique, the Nordic
countries and Bolivia. The West German delegate expressed concern that 4 years had passed
since the adoption of resolution 31.32 with no detailed work plan.

17

WHO,(A35/7) 1 April 1982, p.5 Also Dr. Morck, Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee reported
to delegates: "The Ad-Hoc Committee, at its most recent meeting, in March 1982, had
anticipated that detailed information on the IFPMA offer would be available in time for it
to be distributed to the Health Assembly...That was not the case...As the Director-General
had said in January 'Due appreciation could be expressed only when the Health Assembly
fully understood the extent of the offer and its effect in practical terms'." (WHO (A35/A/SR/4)
10 May 1982, op.cit., pp.2-3.

18

WHO Minute of Executive Board Meeting (Document EB69/SR/9), January 1982.

19

SCRIP. "WHO and Germans Pushing ahead with discussions on World Drug Scheme", 4
June 1977, p.7.

20

International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (IFPMA), "WHO
Action Programme on Essential Drugs", Statement by Dr. Ernst Vischer, President of IFPMA,
to Committee A, Thirty-Fifth World Health Assembly, 10 May 1982.

21

Ibid.

22

Dr.F.S. Antezana, Senior Scientist, Action Programme on Essential Drugs, WHO, Geneva,
in interview with the author, 26 May 1981. Health Action International, "The WHO and the
Pharmaceutical Industry". HA1 briefing paper for the Thirty-Fifth World Health Assembly:
"There was disagreement between WHO and the industry because industry... claimed that
Rwanda's request resembled a 'straightforward tender' and that not all drugs requested were
intended for primary health care. WHO felt that the industry's reasons for turning down the
request from Rwanda were spurious.
"This episode has wider implications, since the WHO seemed unhappy about the industry's
package approach, in which drugs were supplied only if technical services were provided as
well. The Manager of the WHO's Action Programme on Essential Drugs, Dr. W. B. Wanandi,
has been reported as saying that the WHO wanted the industry to quote separately for the
supply of drugs and associated services - since 'the WHO's primary concern was the price of
the actual drugs' . (SCRIP No.592. 20 May 1981, p. 13.) A third reason why the negotiations
faltered is that WHO considered some of the industry's conditions to be unduly restrictive.

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