Oggi l'OMS risponde alle voci critiche che sospettano che le decisioni vengano prese sotto l'influenza dell'industria farmaceutica.
L'OMS spiega che da sempre collabora con l'industria farmaceutica per ragioni legittime. Interventi incl. gli antivirali, vaccini, test diagnostici etc. hanno un ruolo molto importante per ridurre l'impatto di una pandemia d'influenza sulla salute pubblica. Le compagnie Pharmaceutical companies have an essential role in this regard and the WHO works with them to achieve their goals for public health.
For conflicts of interest are inevitable in any relationship between an agency that works with public health and industry working with the purpose of producing profits, many security measures are applied.
Outside experts who advise the WHO must submit a statement that lists your professional and financial interests that could compromise the impartiality their advice. There are procedures to identify, investigate and determine potential conflicts of interest and then are taken appropriate measures such as exclusion from participation in an expert meeting.
International Health Regulations which were adopted by WHO Member States in 2005 and which became law in 2007 provide mechanisms to coordinate the international response to emergencies affecting the public health, such as that caused by the H1N1 pandemic virus.
Following the "International Health Regulations," a committee to advise the Director-General of emergencies on issues such as the declaration of an emergency on public health around the mondo, la necessità di aumentare il livello di allerta pandemica dopo la diffusione del virus H1N1 etc. La decisione finale spetta al direttore generale dell'OMS, guidato dai consigli del comitato.
Anche i membri del Emergency Committee vengono selezionati in modo molto trasparente e tutti gli stati membri sono coinvolti nella loro nomina. Le raccomandazioni del Emergency Committee vengono immediatemente rese pubbliche nel sito web dell'OMS, insieme alle decisioni del direttore generale.
Anche per le raccomandazioni riguardo i vaccini, l'OMS viene consigliata da un gruppo di esperti, il Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE). Anche ai membri del SAGE viene richiesta la dichiarazione degli interessi professionali and financial services. The names of the members of SAGE are published on the WHO website, where there are also reports of meetings and declarations of conflicts of interest.
Failure to declare conflicts of interest are taken very seriemente by WHO and are immediately investigated.
The WHO says that the criticisms are understandable but unfounded. The public perception about the current pandemic of H1N1, as well as the national pandemic plans, were marked by a 5-year observation of avian influenza H5N1 is highly lethal, which had been considered by many to be the most likely next pandemic virus. A pandemic caused by a virus that is lethal to 60% of people who contract it fortunately very different from the reality of the current pandemic.
E 'was a problem to address the public perception about a virus that is much less dangerous. Criticism of WHO or the scientific advisers, due to the discrepancy between expected and what actually happened, are understandable but unwarranted.
The WHO has always emphasized that the impact of pandemic influenza is moderate and has often reminded the doctors, the public and the media that the majority of patients experience a mild illness with guarizione complete within a week, even without medicine .
Although the influenza virus is notoriously unpredictable, it is hoped that the impact remains moderate until the end of pandemic.
Source: WHO use of advisory bodies in responding to the influenza pandemic
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