FIFTY-FIFTH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Agenda item 13.3
WHA55.11 18 May 2002
Health and sustainable development The Fifty-fifth World Health Assembly, Having considered the report on the World Summit on Sustainable Development;1 Recalling Principle 1 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, namely, “Human beings are at the center of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature” and Chapter 6 on health of Agenda 21, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992); Welcoming the report of the WHO Commission on Macroeconomics and Health2 and noting the references to the resources needed to scale up the coverage of essential interventions to achieve desired health outcomes; Recognizing that sustainable development aims at improving the quality of life of all the world’s present generation, without compromising that of future generations; Further recognizing that achieving this objective requires integrated action towards economic growth; the assurance that no individual or nation is denied the opportunity to benefit from development; management and conservation of natural resources; protection of the environment; and social development; Aware that these pillars are mutually supportive, creating synergy for sustainable development and good health; Bearing in mind the contribution that poverty reduction makes to health, and health to sustainable poverty reduction; that sustainable global and local environments make to health; and that viable health services uniquely make to sustainable development; Aware of the need for a comprehensive approach to health and of the intersectoral nature of health problems and solutions;
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Document A55/7. Macroeconomics and health: investing in health for economic development. Geneva, World Health Organization,
2001.
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Noting with concern that, despite much social and economic progress, health continues to be severely compromised in many countries by inadequacies in the implementation of required measures in all areas of sustainable development, 1. URGES Member States: (1) to address the link between health and sustainable development at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002); (2) to provide timely and effective support to the health programme as envisaged in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as a means of achieving sustainable development in Africa, and to similar initiatives in other regions; (3) to reaffirm internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration; (4) to implement the United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and internationally and regionally agreed targets for the reduction of the disease burden; (5) to encourage countries in development to prepare and implement sustainable strategies to reduce poverty and to include in such strategies plans to address the unacceptable burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases; (6) to encourage developed countries that have not done so to make concrete efforts towards the target of allocating 0.7% of GNP as official development assistance to developing countries; (7) to apply the 20:20 principle whereby not less than 20% of official development assistance and not less than 20% of countries’ own budgets are allocated to social sector spending; (8) to dedicate funds for health research, particularly for development of new drugs and vaccines for preventing and treating diseases of poverty; (9) to adopt policies that create healthy workplaces, protect workers’ health and, consistent with national and international law, prevent transfer of hazardous equipment, processes and materials; 2. REQUESTS the Director-General: (1) to provide support to countries to implement strategies and interventions to achieve the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, and scale up their efforts in health to the level required; (2) to provide technical support to countries to frame policies and to implement national commitments and action plans that promote consumption patterns at individual and national levels that are sustainable and health promoting; (3) to accelerate development of an action plan to address the ethical recruitment and distribution of skilled health-care personnel, and the need for sound national policies and strategies for the training and management of human resources for health;
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(4) to provide support to countries further to develop effective disease surveillance and health information systems; (5) to provide support to countries to establish and strengthen on the basis of a multisectoral approach existing programmes of action, to empower people to protect and promote their health and well-being; (6) to report to the Fifty-sixth World Health Assembly on the World Summit on Sustainable Development and on progress made in implementing this resolution.
Ninth plenary meeting, 18 May 2002 A55/VR/9 = = =
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FIFTY-FIFTH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Agenda item 13.3
WHA55.11 Corr.1 28 May 2002
Health and sustainable development CORRIGENDUM Paragraph 1(6) should read as follows (corrections indicated in bold): (6) to encourage developed countries that have not done so to make concrete efforts towards the target of allocating 0.7% of GNP as official development assistance to developing countries and 0.15% to 0.20% of GNP of developed countries to least developed countries, as reconfirmed at the Third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, and to encourage developing countries to build on progress achieved in ensuring that official development assistance is used effectively to help achieve development goals and targets.
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