WHO

Oxfam congratulated Dr Tedros on his appointment as new Director-General of the World Health Organization today and warned that determined leadership was needed to tackle health inequalities around the world

Ahead of the 65th World Health Assembly (WHA), taking place in Geneva next week, International agency Oxfam has warned that the fundamental role of the World Health Organization (WHO) as the leading agency for global health is at risk because it has suffered from a severe financial crisis and related heavy staff losses.

New Oxfam report: The proliferation of substandard medicines in poor countries is being used by rich countries as an excuse to tighten intellectual property rules, boosting the profits of large pharmaceutical companies while making it harder for poor people to get access to the medicines they need.

Poor-quality, or “substandard”, medicines threaten patients and public health in developing countries.

The World Health Organization’s World Health Report 2010, launched in Berlin today, reveals that out-of-pocket payments are by far the greatest obstacle to achieving universal health care. But all countries - no matter how poor - can take immediate steps to increase investments in health.

The World Health Organization should encourage greater competition between drug companies to ensure poor countries can afford to stockpile medicines effective against swine flu, Oxfam will tell the World Health Assembly this week.