RESOLUTIONS AND DECISIONS
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EB120.R21
Health technologies
The Executive Board, Having considered the report on essential health technologies,1 RECOMMENDS to the Sixtieth World Health Assembly the adoption of the following resolution:2 The Sixtieth World Health Assembly, Having considered the report on health technologies; Recognizing that health technologies equip health-care providers with tools that are indispensable for effective and efficient prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation and attainment of internationally agreed health-related development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration; Understanding that health technologies represent an economic as well as a technical challenge to the health systems of many Member States, and concerned about the waste of resources resulting from inappropriate investments in health technologies that do not meet highpriority needs, are incompatible with existing infrastructures, are irrationally or incorrectly used, or do not function efficiently; Acknowledging the need for Member States and donors to contain burgeoning costs by establishing priorities in the selection and acquisition of health technologies on the basis of their impact on the burden of disease, and to ensure the effective use of resources through proper planning, assessment, acquisition and management, 1. URGES Member States: (1) to collect, verify, update and exchange information on health technologies as an aid to their prioritization of needs and allocation of resources; (2) to formulate as appropriate national strategies and plans for the establishment of systems for the assessment, procurement and management of health technologies; (3) to draw up national guidelines for good manufacturing and regulatory practices, to establish surveillance systems and other measures to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medical devices; (4) to establish where necessary regional and national institutes of health technology, and to collaborate and build partnerships with health-care providers, industry, patients’ associations and professional, scientific and technical organizations; 2. REQUESTS the Director-General:
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Document EB120/13. See Annex 3 for the financial and administrative implications for the Secretariat of this resolution.
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EXECUTIVE BOARD, 120TH SESSION
(1) to work with interested Member States and WHO collaborating centres on the development, in a transparent and evidence-based way, of guidelines and tools, including norms and standards, relating to health technologies; (2) to provide support to Member States where necessary in establishing mechanisms to assess national needs for health technologies and to assure their availability and use; (3) to provide technical guidance and support to Member States where necessary in implementing policies on health technologies; (4) to work jointly with other organizations of the United Nations system, international organizations, academic institutions and professional bodies in order to provide support to Member States in the prioritization, selection and use of health technologies; (5) to report on implementation of this resolution to the Sixty-second World Health Assembly. (Thirteenth meeting, 29 January 2007)