Bitter Pills:Medicines & The Third World Poor | Page 253

Chapter 10
The industry's insistence on near-monopoly conditions suggested it was in effect bidding for
preferential supply terms in exchange for technical cooperation."
23

Dr. Braga, WHO (A35/A/SR/5) 10 May 1982, op.cit., p.7.

24

For example: Dr. Annandale (Samoa): "That dialogue between WHO and industry did not
appear to have made much progress and the small developing countries could not afford to
wait indefinitely." Mr. Rahman (Bangladesh) hoped that suitable mechanisms could be worked
out without hampering progress towards self-reliance and without jeopardising the interests
of individual developing countries as regards their own needs and choice." Also Dr. Quamina
(Trinidad & Tobago), Prof. Benhassine (Algeria), Dr. Sikkel (Netherlands), Prof. Lacronique
(France). But others like the West German delegate argued that the scheme would not inhibit
local production because it was only a first step. WHO Provisional Summary Records,
(A35/A/SR/4-5-6) op.cit. 25 'Catalyst ' expression used by Chilean and Cuban delegates,
WHO (A35/A/SR4-5-6), op.cit.

26

Action Programme on Essential Drugs, text of Resolution adopted May 1982, Third Report
of Committee A (A35/4O) 14 May 1982. No specific mention is made of continuing dialogue
with industry.

27

Dr. Borgono (Chile), WHO (A35/A/SR/5) 10 May 1982,op.cit.,p.2.

28

Text of Dr. Sikkel's intervention in Committee A. Also recorded in WHO (A35/A/SR/5)
op.cit., pp.14-15.

29

WHO, International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, Geneva, 1981.

30

-

31

Dr. J. Bryant, quoted in Minutes of 15th Executive Board Mecling EB69/SR/15)21 January
1981, p.6.

32

Prof. Hayes, quoted in Provisional Summary Record, Committee A (A35/A/SR/5) op.cit.,
p.10.

33

-

WHO, " Draft resolution proposed by the delegations of Algeria, Bahrain, Congo, Greece,
India, Kuwait, Mozambique, Norway, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and Sweden."
(A35/A/)Conf.Paper No.2) Agenda Item 24, 11 May 1982.
Text of resolution adopted in WHO Third Paper of Committee A (A35/4O) op.cil.

Dr. J. Bryant quoted in SCRIP No. 697,31 May 1982. Also reported assaying "If the
international industry can be seen to be addressing the criticisms of its marketing practices
and cooperates in the essential drugs list, he believes a WHO marketing code could be
held off".
Dr. C.E. Koop (US Surgeon General) "praised the assembly for having avoided divisive
discussions of a WHO pharmaceutical code similar to the code on the marketing of breast
milk substitutes...the United States believes it is inappropriate for the WHO to get involved
in commercial marketing codes". (From: "World Health Assembly Gives Impetus to
WHO Programs", EURG-1, Press Release, Geneva, 14 May 1982.)

34

In 1976 out of total OECD drug exports to developing countries four-fifths came from 5
countries: France (17.6%) West Germany (17.1 %) USA (17%) UK (15.6%) and Switzerland
(11.9%)

35

Office of Health Economics, George Teeling-Smith and Nicholas Wells (ed.) Medicines for
the Year 2000, a Symposium held at the Royal College of Physicians, London, September
1978, 1979, p.89.

36

The Medicines Act
to exports", HMSO.

37

DavidA. Kay, The International Regulation of Pharmaceutical Drugs, A Report to the National
Science Foundation on the application of International Regulatory Techniques to
Scientific/Technical Problems, The American Society of International Law, 1976.

1968, Section 48, " P o s t p o n e m e n t of restrictions in relation

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