21.03white pages Final WMA Annual Report 2021 (1)

ANNUAL REPORT
2021
WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
SUMMARY
MESSAGE FROM THE WMA PRESIDENT ……………………………………………………………………2
POLICIES ADOPTED AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2021 – LONDON (ONLINE) …….3
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2021 – LONDON (ONLINE) ………………………………………………………4
WMA IN GLASGOW AT THE CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE (COP 26) ……………..5
VIOLENCE AGAINST HEALTH CARE: GIVING A NEW IMPETUS TO THE UN SECURITY
COUNCIL RESOLUTION 5 YEARS AFTER ITS ADOPTION …………………………………………6
A FURTHER STEP TOWARDS THE ELIMINATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS …………7
THE NEED TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH INTERESTS FROM COMMERCIAL
INTERFERENCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE SCOURGE OF ALCOHOL …………………8
WHO PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TO HEALTH EMERGENCIES ………………….10
COVID-19: MAKE IT THE LAST PANDEMIC ………………………………………………………………..10
WMA SIGNS WHO VACCINE EQUITY DECLARATION ……………………………………………..10
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON VACCINATION …………………………………………………..10
WEBINAR ON SAFEGUARDING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS’ MENTAL HEALTH ……11
WEBINAR “COVID-19 – AN OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE?” …………………………………………11
PUBLIC HEALTH IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE – THE CASE OF COVID-19 …………………11
RE-LAUNCH OF THE POSITIVE PRACTICE ENVIRONMENTS CAMPAIGN WITH NEW
MATERIAL ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12
PUBLIC RELATIONS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………12
MEMBERSHIP …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13
FINANCIAL REPORT ………………………………………………………………………………………………………14
WMA LEADERS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………15
WMA SECRETARIAT ………………………………………………………………………………………………………15
MESSAGE FROM THE WMA PRESIDENT 
D R . H E I D I S T E N S M Y R E N
WMA President
P A G E 0 2 |
As we leave 2021 and enter our third year of the
Covid-19 Pandemic, we are still plagued with
illness, restrictions, quarantines, and constant
testing; and we long for the cherished
normalities of life. But, 2021 has also been a year
of outstanding medical achievement,
developing medicines and implementing
vaccination programs with astonishing speed;
testing and roll-out of medications faster than
ever before seen in human history.
While the hope that vaccines would stop the
pandemic has not come to fruition, the rapid
development and distribution of these
medications have saved us from the worst and
allowed many to regain a bit of freedom.
Vaccine development and distribution have
seen a stunning collaboration of research,
industry, and clinicians to provide the world with
the necessary medicine in record time. Sadly, we
have not produced and/or distributed enough
to serve the world as a whole; many countries
still lack sufficient access to protective vaccines.
And, in many developed countries, leaders have
not been successful in convincing segments of
populations that the vaccines offer significant
overall benefit to their health.
The fact that people would rather pay for fake
vaccination certificates than receive a free
vaccination may provide more telling
information about society than any of our
healthcare statistics. ‘Distrust’ has become a
disease vector, not only allowing the further
spread of the virus but prolonging the
pandemic itself.
For those treating Covid patients, 2021 has been
a year of exhaustion. The onerous burden of the
work, the constant fight for survival, and the
deficit of recovery time have taken a heavy toll
on healthcare personnel worldwide, leaving
many burned out or quitting clinical services
altogether.
Our colleagues in hospitals have paid an
exceptionally high price in the form of grueling
hours, austerity measures, and unreliable supply
chains. WMA will continue to focus on the
pandemic’s hard lessons in order to significantly
improve emergency preparedness.
The World Medical Association has produced
an array of recommendations on emergency
and pandemic preparedness. It is time to
improve our theoretical strategies by adding
the real-world lessons we have gained. We
must be prepared to aid world health care
systems by improving public health structures,
ensuring the necessary surge capacities, and
developing reliable and robust supply chains
and stock-piles of essential healthcare
equipment and medicines. The World Medical
Association must foster more international
cooperation and investments to achieve more
equitable health, Universal Health Coverage,
and a more robust global public health
structure.
The virtual meeting work we are now used to
has been extremely helpful to stay in contact
and to maintain our workstream. However, it
is not a perfect substitute for meeting in
person. At the time of this report, we look
forward to 2022 as a year in which we will try
to recover some of our close international
cooperation. Our Council is planned for a
hybrid meeting as we must expect that travel
and meeting restrictions may still apply in
April, when we want to convene in Paris. I
hope to see as many of my council members
and delegates as possible and to greet them
in person.
W M A D e c l a r a t i o n o n P r i n c i p l e s o f H e a l t h C a r e f o r S p o r t s M e d i c i n e
( r e v i s e d )
W M A S t a t e m e n t i n S u p p o r t o f E n s u r i n g t h e A v a i l a b i l i t y , Q u a l i t y
a n d S a f e t y o f A l l M e d i c i n e s W o r l d w i d e
W M A S t a t e m e n t o n A c c e s s o f W o m e n a n d C h i l d r e n t o H e a l t h C a r e
( r e v i s e d )
W M A S t a t e m e n t o n A c c e s s t o S u r g e r y a n d A n e s t h e s i a C a r e
W M A S t a t e m e n t o n F a m i l y V i o l e n c e ( r e v i s e d )
W M A S t a t e m e n t o n M e d i c a l C a r e f o r M i g r a n t s ( r e v i s e d )
W M A S t a t e m e n t o n M e d i c a l L i a b i l i t y ( r e v i s e d )
W M A S t a t e m e n t o n P h o t o p r o t e c t i o n
W M A S t a t e m e n t o n T r a d e A g r e e m e n t s a n d P u b l i c H e a l t h ( r e v i s e d )
W M A S t a t e m e n t o n W o m e n ’ s R i g h t t o H e a l t h C a r e a n d H o w t h a t
R e l a t e s t o t h e P r e v e n t i o n o f M o t h e r – t o – C h i l d H I V I n f e c t i o n
( r e v i s e d )
W M A R e s o l u t i o n o n C o v i d – 1 9 V a c c i n e s a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l T r a v e l
R e q u i r e m e n t s
W M A R e s o l u t i o n o n O b s e r v e r S t a t u s f o r T a i w a n t o W H O a n d
i n c l u s i o n a s a p a r t i c i p a t i n g p a r t y t o t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l H e a l t h
R e g u l a t i o n s ( I H R ) ( r e v i s e d )
W M A R e s o l u t i o n i n s u p p o r t o f M y a n m a r H e a l t h P e r s o n n e l a n d
C i t i z e n s
W M A R e s o l u t i o n i n s u p p o r t o f t h e C o u n t r i e s w o r s t a f f e c t e d b y t h e
C o v i d – 1 9 C r i s i s
W M A R e s o l u t i o n o n t h e r e p r e s s i o n o f N i c a r a g u a n d o c t o r s
W M A R e s o l u t i o n S u p p o r t i n g t h e R i g h t s o f P a t i e n t s a n d P h y s i c i a n s
i n t h e I s l a m i c R e p u b l i c o f I r a n ( r e v i s e d )
W F M E S t a n d a r d s f o r D i s t r i b u t e d a n d D i s t a n c e L e a r n i n g i n M e d i c a l
E d u c a t i o n ( e n d o r s e d )
Policies adopted at the General Assembly 2021 – London (online)
P O L I C I E S                                     W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
P A G E 0 3 |
Policies reaffirmed by the 217th Council Session (online), Seoul, April 2021 and the
218th Council Session (online), London, October 2021
W M A D e c l a r a t i o n o n L e p r o s y C o n t r o l a r o u n d t h e W o r l d a n d
E l i m i n a t i o n o f D i s c r i m i n a t i o n a g a i n s t p e r s o n s a f f e c t e d b y L e p r o s y
( w i t h m i n o r r e v i s i o n )
W M A R e c o m m e n d a t i o n o n t h e D e v e l o p m e n t o f a M o n i t o r i n g a n d
R e p o r t i n g M e c h a n i s m t o P e r m i t A u d i t o f A d h e r e n c e o f S t a t e s t o
t h e D e c l a r a t i o n o f T o k y o ( w i t h m i n o r r e v i s i o n )
W M A R e s o l u t i o n o n C h i l d S a f e t y i n A i r T r a v e l ( w i t h m i n o r r e v i s i o n )
W M A R e s o l u t i o n o n N o r t h K o r e a n N u c l e a r T e s t i n g ( w i t h m i n o r
r e v i s i o n )
W M A R e s o l u t i o n o n P l a i n P a c k a g i n g o f C i g a r e t t e s ( w i t h m i n o r
r e v i s i o n )
W M A R e s o l u t i o n o n t h e I m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e W H O F r a m e w o r k
C o n v e n t i o n o n T o b a c c o C o n t r o l ( w i t h m i n o r r e v i s i o n )
W M A R e s o l u t i o n o n t h e P r o t e c t i o n o f H e a l t h C a r e F a c i l i t i e s a n d
P e r s o n n e l i n S y r i a ( w i t h m i n o r r e v i s i o n )
President’s Report
Dr. David Barbe, in his written report, said
that despite the Covid-19 pandemic the
WMA leadership had participated in many
conferences addressing various aspects of
the pandemic. Their emphasis had been on
protecting physicians and other healthcare
workers, recognizing the personal risk they
took in carrying out their task of caring for
patients with Covid-19 under very difficult
circumstances. They had also participated
in conferences on equitable distribution of
Covid-19 vaccine, overcoming vaccine
hesitancy, and improving vaccination rates.
P A G E 0 4 |
General Assembly 2021 – London (online)
Chair’s Report
Dr. Montgomery said the last year had
changed all their lives dramatically.
Covid-19 had taken its toll. Among many
other colleagues and friends they had to
mourn was their esteemed colleague and
friend K.K. Aggarwal from India who had
passed away from the disease in May. He
listed some of the many activities the
WMA had engaged in relation to the
pandemic and vaccine equity. He said it
was true that national governments had
an obligation to service their own
population, but “vaccine nationalism” was
not the road to freedom. They had to
share wisdom, knowledge and vaccines.
For the second year in succession, the WMA’s annual General Assembly had to be
organised as a virtual event. London was due to host a week of meetings. Instead, the
Scientific Session, the Council, committee meetings and General Assembly were all
held online over a period of seven days. Two days were set aside for the Scientific
Session in the first week, with the Council meeting starting the second week.
Prof. Chris Whitty – Chief Medical Officer for England – Honored Guest of the WMA General Assembly
E V E N T S                                       W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
Secretary General’s Report
Two emergency issues were raised. The first related to Covid-19 and the fact that citizens of
some countries were experiencing serious complications in travelling, as their vaccinations
were not accepted as proof of full protection. Many countries accepted only a certain set of
vaccines considered as suitable protection, while other vaccines were not recognized. The
Council proposed an emergency resolution calling for an end to this discrimination.
The emergency resolution stated that it should be the effectiveness of the vaccine which
counted, not the authorisation of the vaccine. Governments needed to reconsider their
current rules to allow international meetings to be held. There had been a lot of concern
from colleagues in Asia and Africa who were having big problems in travelling to Europe.
The meeting approved the Resolution.
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Five members of World Medical Association were present at the 26th Conference of
the Parties (COP) of the United Nations on 01-13 November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland,
United Kingdom. Participants included Dr. Ankush Kumar Bansal from the Associate
Members section, Michelle Glekin from the Israeli Medical Association, Dr. Ekpe
Philips Uche from the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Innocent Achanya Otobo Ujah
from the Nigerian Medical Association, and Maira Sudabra from the Latvian Medical
Association and the World Medical Journal.
WMA in Glasgow at the Climate Change Conference (COP 26)
For the first time at a COP meeting, health
was discussed during negotiations between
participating nations and the health sector
had a fixed physical presence at the
meeting. The World Health Organization
placed a pavilion amongst governments and
other organizations where the health sector
provided over 65 educational and panel
sessions for delegation participants,
observers, and other participants. These
sessions were congruent with current WMA
policies such as universal health access,
Protecting the Future Generation’s Right to
Live in a Healthy Environment, Climate
Emergency, and Divestment from Fossil
Fuels.
The WMA Delegation met directly with
national delegations from Nigeria, Bolivia,
Iraq, Pakistan, United States of America,
Norway, Colombia, Philippines, Israel, and
Chile. The goal was five-fold: 1) to discuss the
relationship between climate change and
health, 2) why this relationship is negatively
affecting citizens in that nation today and
how that will likely worsen in the years to
come, 3) review of their National Determined
Contribution (NDC) for mentions of health
and encouragement to include health in
future 5-year revisions of NDC statements, 4)
discussion of the Healthy Climate
Prescription (see below), and 5) including
mention and/or proposed language of
health in high-level negotiations.
While ultimately health was not included in
the final documents or as a priority by
COP26 leadership, there were impassioned
speeches from several delegations and
interest to elevate the importance of health
at COP27 in Egypt.
One of the key written messages of the
WMA delegation and the health sector
representation at the Conference was the
Healthy Climate Prescription. This
document asks government delegations to
take action to meet the Paris Agreement
commitments of stopping warming at the
1.5 C target by further reducing greenhouse
gas emissions (GGE) particularly from high-
income countries, include health in those
plans, transition from fossil fuels to clean
energy, transferring of funds from high-
income to low-income countries towards
mitigation and adaptation, build climate
resilient, low-carbon, sustainable health
systems, and ensure that pandemic
recovery investments support climate
action and reduce social and health
inequities. Approximately 600 organizations
representing 50 million healthcare workers
signed this letter. During the conference,
the WMA Delegation and partners
negotiated with several governments to
formally endorse the document.
The WMA delegation made numerous
contacts with other non-governmental
organizations, universities, and climate
change and health educational programs
for medical students, junior doctors, and
practicing physicians to educate the next
generation of physician researchers, policy
makers, and advocates on the climate
change and health intersection.
While all the goals of the WMA and the
global health sector were not met at
COP26, the future looks promising for
governments to address this #1 public
health threat in the coming years.
A C T I V I T I E S                                 W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
Dr Barbe insisted as well that adequate
accountability mechanisms against
perpetrators of violence, as required in
the Resolution 2286, be effectively
implemented and that a stronger legal
protection for health personnel is
urgently required, as many countries
already do for law-enforcement officers.
Whoever attacks a nurse, physician or
another health personnel must know
that he or she will be severely punished
for it.
Violence against health care: giving a new impetus to the UN Security Council
Resolution 5 years after its adoption
2021 marked the 5th anniversary of the United
Nations Security Council Resolution 2286, by
which its 15 members, supported by more
than 80 countries, condemned attacks and
threats against the wounded and sick, health
and humanitarian personnel, their means of
transport and equipment, as well as hospitals
and other medical facilities. In the Resolution,
the Security Council deplored the long-term
consequences of such attacks for the civilian
populations and health-care systems of the
countries concerned.
Five years after its adoption, numerous reports
attest that violence against health care
remains a reality in all regions of the world
and with the Covid-19 pandemic, the
phenomenon has expanded dramatically.
In an attempt to give a fresh impetus to the
Resolution 2286 and reinvigorate its
implementation, the Permanent Mission of
Norway, the International Committee of the
Red Cross and the Norwegian Red Cross held
a High-Level event on “Protection of Health
care” on 26 May, in the margins of the annual
protection of civilians week of the United
Nations General Assembly. The event was
supported by a number of countries,
international NGOs and other civil society
actors, including the World Medical
Association and the Safeguarding Health in
Conflict Coalition.
The meeting aimed to translate high-level
political engagements on the protection of
health care into concrete actions in countries,
through international cooperation and
dedicated resources.
WMA President David Barbe delivered a
statement calling for urgent action to uphold
the Ethical Principles of Health Care in Times
of Armed Conflict and other Emergencies,
endorsed by civilian and military healthcare
organizations in 2015, and in particular to
protect medical neutrality as an abiding
principles in all circumstances.
P A G E 0 6 |
A C T I V I T I E S                   W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
Other initiatives marked the 5th
anniversary of the 2286 Resolution. To
name just a few:
-Video message by WHO Director-General
on the protection of health care in armed
conflict commemorating the 5th anniversary
of the 2286 Resolution, 5 May 2021
-“Ineffective Past, Uncertain Future – The UN
Security Council’s Resolution on the
Protection of Health Care: A Five-year Review
of Ongoing Violence and Inaction to Stop It”
– A publication by Insecurity Insight/SHCC.
-“Addressing the ongoing violence against
health care in conflict and the covid-19
pandemic”, 24 May 2021, 74th World Health
Assembly Side Event organized by the
Global Health Centre, Safeguarding Health
in Conflict Coalition, the Swiss
Confederation, and the Spanish
Government.
-“Attacks on Healthcare – Five Years of UN
Resolution 2286”, 26th May 2021, webinar
organized by MSF Ireland’s in collaboration
with Irish Red Cross and DSA Ireland.
The entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on 22
January 2021 was considered as a major step forward for peace and planetary health
by International health and humanitarian organizations, including the WMA which
has been emphasizing for years the role of physicians in eliminating nuclear weapons,
given the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that any use of nuclear weapons
would have, and the impossibility of a meaningful health and humanitarian response.
At the initiative of the International
Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear
War (IPPN), the WMA, the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the
International Council of Nurses (ICN), the
international Federation of Medical
Students (IFMSA) and the World Federation
of Public Health Associations (WFPHA)
organized a Global Health Webinar “Entry
into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of
Nuclear Weapons and the Role of Health
Professionals” on 21 January. Dr David Barbe,
WMA President and one of the keynote
speakers, focused his statement on the
ethical duty and responsibilities of the
medical profession to advocate for the
eradication of nuclear weapons.
The event was an opportunity for the
partner organisations to issue a joint
statement welcoming “this first
comprehensive international prohibition of
nuclear weapons, the most damaging
weapons of mass destruction, and the latest
to be comprehensively banned”, insisting on
“the urgent health and humanitarian
imperative” to end nuclear weapons “before
they end humankind and many other
lifeforms”.
In conclusion, the international health and
humanitarian organizations urge “all nations
to seize the opportunity the treaty offers and
sign, ratify and faithfully implement it”.
On 30 September, a virtual forum entitled
“Eliminating the Existential Threat of Nuclear
Weapons” was organized by the
International Physicians for the Prevention of
Nuclear War with the support of the WMA,
ICN, IFMSA and WFPHA.
This high-level meeting brought together
the United Nations Under Secretary General
of Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu,
ICRC President Maurer and the President of
Rotary International Shekhar Mehta, to
discuss the growing danger of nuclear war
and strategies to eliminate these weapons.
If the pandemic context permits, the first
meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the
Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will take
place from 22 to 24 March 2022 at the
United Nations Office in Vienna.
P A G E 0 7 |
A further step towards the elimination of nuclear weapons
A C T I V I T I E S                         W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
same way as civil society stakeholders[1]. One
may indeed wonder how realistic it is to
expect the alcohol industry to take self-
regulatory initiatives to prevent and reduce
the harmful use of alcohol and thus take the
wind out of its own sails.
Ten years later, the WHO Executive Board
notes “with grave concern that, globally, the
harmful use of alcohol causes approximately 3
million deaths every year; and that (…) the
overall burden of disease and injuries
attributable to alcohol consumption remains
unacceptably high”. Agreeing that the global
strategy fell short of expectations, the Board
Member States recognized its “continued
relevance” and decided in February 2020 to
boost the dynamic by requesting the WHO
Director-General, inter alia, “to develop an
action plan (2022-2030) to effectively
implement the Global strategy (…) as a public
health priority, in consultation with Member
States and relevant stakeholders”[1].
In November 2020, WHO secretariat launched
a web based consultation on a working
document for the development of such an
action plan. This lengthy document includes a
first section “Setting the scene” highlighting
the challenges in implementation of the
Strategy. Amongst these, the WHO secretariat
identifies “the influence of powerful
commercial interests in policy-making and
implementation (..). Competing interests
across the whole of government at the
country level, including interests related to the
production and trade of alcohol and
government revenues from alcohol taxation
and sales, often result in policy
[1] WHO Executive Board decision EB146 (14), 7
February 2020
[2] Global strategy to reduce the harmful use
of alcohol, paragraph 18
In 2005, the WMA adopted an important
statement denouncing the global burden
of alcohol on health and calling for
comprehensive national policies to reduce
the global impact of alcohol on health and
society. Since then, WMA’s position has
been updated and completed, culminating
with its WMA Declaration on Alcohol
adopted in 2017, a consolidated broad
policy addressing the root causes of
alcoholism, its devastating impact on
health and recommending targeted and
evidence-based policies, based on a
partnership with health professionals and
other relevant actors. The WMA has always
consistently opposed the involvement of
the alcohol industry in the development of
public health policies to reduce the harmful
use of alcohol, given the conflicting
interests between economic and public
health imperatives.
The 193 Member States of WHO did not
have such a clear-cut opinion on the role of
the alcohol industry when they adopted the
Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of
alcohol in 2010. This strategy, considered as
an historical consensus, provided the first-
ever guidance to both Member States and
to the WHO Secretariat on ways to reduce
the harmful use of alcohol at all levels, with
identified priority areas for global action
and a portfolio of policy options for
implementation at the national level. This
instrument marked a turning point with the
achievement of a global coordinated
approach to address the alcohol burden,
and was as such welcome by the WMA and
the health community. However, notable
reservations were raised on the role of the
economic operators in alcohol production
and trade, considered in the Strategy as
essential” in enhancing global action, in the

The need to protect public health interests from commercial interference in the
fight against the scourge of alcohol

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A C T I V I T I E S                                 W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
very detriment of public health imperatives.
The WMA regrets as well in its comments the
limited attention paid to the health
professionals’ role in documenting and
preventing the harmful use of alcohol.
Stronger and more tangible actions are
required in collaboration with legitimate
partners sharing the same goal to protect
public health interests from commercial
interference.
The draft action plan is still under
consultation. Its final version is expected to be
submitted to the 75th World Health Assembly
in 2022 for consideration.
[1] Working document for development of an
action plan to strengthen implementation of
the Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful
Use of Alcohol, 14th November 2020, p.4
incoherence and the weakening of alcohol
control efforts. (…) General trends towards
deregulation in recent decades have often
resulted in a weakening of alcohol controls,
for the benefit of economic interests and at
the expense of public health and
welfare”[1].
Despite this accurate analysis of the
situation, the proposed action plan
maintains and further develops an explicit
role for the economic operators, with a view
to contribute to the reduction of alcohol
burden or to refrain from acting against the
public health interests. By inviting the same
players for a second round, is WHO not
jeopardizing again the chance of success of
the Global Strategy?
In its written comments submitted in the
framework of the consultation and later
reiterated in its statement delivered on the
occasion of the 3rd WHO Forum on Alcohol,
Drugs and Addictive Behaviours (FADAB) on
22-25 June 2021, the WMA argues that the
proposal included in the plan to pursue a
regular “global dialogue” with the alcohol
industry contradicts the 1st guiding
principle of the Global Strategy whereby
public policies and interventions should be
“guided and formulated by public health
interests and based on clear public health
goals and the best available evidence”. The
WMA emphasizes the necessity to set very
clear boundaries on the scope of action of
the alcohol industry – strictly confined to
their roles as producers, distributors and
marketers of alcohol: any consideration of a
supposedly virtuous role of economic
operators to promote health and combat
the alcohol scourge is inappropriate,
unrealistic and even dangerous, leaving the
door open to commercial intrusion to the
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A C T I V I T I E S                                 W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
A stronger emphasis on health equity by
addressing the problematic of alcohol through
a Social Determinants of Health perspective
and looking at the root causes of alcohol
behaviours.
The recognition of health professionals as key
partners in combatting the harmful use of
alcohol.
The need for legally binding regulatory
instruments at national and international levels
including pertinent regulatory and fiscal
measures to reduce harmful alcohol
consumption.
A health impact assessments of trade
agreements, as a key necessity to protect,
promote and prioritize public health over
commercial interests.
A solid reporting mechanism for the action
plan’s implementation
Other WMA’s recommendations on WHO draft
action plan (2022-2030) to effectively
implement the Global strategy to reduce the
harmful use of alcohol as a public health
priority:
International Health Regulations, which has
aimed to prevent the international spread of
disease since 1969.
Parallel to these meetings WHO hold its
second special session of the World Health
Assembly discussing possible international
instruments on pandemic preparedness and
response. The assembly adopted to develop a
WHO convention, agreement or other
international instrument on pandemic
prevention, preparedness and response
In a first survey at the end of the year WMA
commented the proposed main components
and focus of such an international instrument.
The WMA is following the discussions of the
WHO Working Group on Preparedness and
Response to Health Emergencies, which
analyzes the feasibility and degree of
impact of recommendations for
strengthening pandemic preparedness and
response according to the following
categories: leadership and governance,
systems and tools, financing and equity.
Furthermore, they evaluated the benefits of
developing a WHO convention, agreement
or other international instrument on
pandemic preparedness and response as
an additional tool for WHO beside the
WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies

P A G E 1 0 |
A C T I V I T I E S                                 W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
WMA together with WHPA participated in
focus group discussions of the Independent
Panel to hear experiences, reflections, and
suggestions from frontline health
professionals about the impact of COVID-19
on their work and health, how they have been
coping with it, and what need to change for
future pandemics for the national and
international systems to better support them.
The Independent Panel for Pandemic
Preparedness & Response examined over
an 8-month period why COVID-19 became a
global health and socio-economic crisis and
published a report with its findings and
recommendations for action to curb the
COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure that any
future infectious disease outbreak does not
become another catastrophic pandemic.
COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic
administered in every country by World
Health Day on 7 April stands as a symbol of
hope for overcoming both the pandemic and
the inequalities that lie at the root of so many
global health challenges.
The Vaccine Equity Declaration can be found
here.
The WMA has signed the WHO Vaccine
Equity Declaration calling on all countries
to work together in solidarity to ensure that
the vaccination of health workers and older
people would be carried out in all countries
within the first 100 days of the year 2021.
This call on countries and companies to
ensure that COVID-19 vaccines would be
WMA signs WHO Vaccine Equity Declaration
International Symposium on Vaccination
WMA, the German Medical Association and
the Pontifical Academy for Life collaborated
to promote vaccine equity and confront
vaccine hesitancy by organising an
International Symposium on Vaccination at
the beginning of July 2021. Recognizing the
urgency of these issues and the essential
role international and cross-sectoral
collaborations can play in advancing these
causes, these 3 organisations joined forces to
demand that all relevant stakeholders
exhaust all efforts to ensure equitable global
access to vaccines and confront vaccine
hesitancy by sending a clear message about
the safety and necessity of vaccines and
counteracting vaccine myths and
disinformation. Read more here.
Webinar on Safeguarding Health Professionals’ Mental Health
response to rising demands, staffing shortages
and diminishing resources.
In addition, mental health stresses have been
rising during the COVID-19 pandemic. This
webinar , organised by WMA together, with
WHA and IHF, brought together a range of
experts in mental health and the workforce to
better understand what the issues are and
how we can all work together to support our
workforce and look after ourselves. A
recording can be accessed here.
Like most people, health professionals
experience illness and have family
obligations and other commitments
outside their professional lives that can
affect their mental health. Unlike most
people, however, health professionals are
also exposed to a particular mix of
occupational pressures that can pose
additional risks to their mental well-being.
Rates of poor mental health in health
professionals appear to be increasing in
P A G E 1 1 |
A C T I V I T I E S                                 W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
The WMA together, with WHA and IHF,
organized a webinar entitled COVID-19 – An
occupational disease? featuring a panel of
experts from the field discussing the
challenges faced by health professionals and
the importance of providing positive practice
environments to safeguard the health and
well-being of workers. A recording can be
accessed here.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to put a
strain on health professionals and other
healthcare workers and ongoing funding
and further recognition and assistance is
required to ensure the workforce is
supported. COVID-19 should be recognized
as an occupational disease, which can lead
to reporting on deaths and infections,
better risk assessment, standards set and
compensation for those who die or are
affected by COVID-19.
Webinar “COVID-19 – An occupational disease?”
Dr. David O. Barbe in his role as WMA’s president meeting Pope
Francis and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical
Academy for Life
Copyright: Vatican Media
The Pontifical Academy for Life invited the
WMA to a conference in Rome under the
title “Public Health in Global Perspective –
The Case of Covid-19” on September 27 – 28
2021. WMA President Dr David Barbe held a
presentation on the “Pandemic in the
Physician Perspective”. The Conference
focused on the ethical ramifications of the
pandemic, including challenges, failures
and the need for changes and
development in the field of equity (e.g.
vaccine distribution) as well as ecology.
Presentations and debate were approached
from a multicultural and multireligious
perspective.
Public Health in Global Perspective – The Case of Covid-19
The conference provided also an
opportunity for an audience with the Holy
Father, Pope Francis which Dr Barbe and
the WMA Secretary General Dr Otmar
Kloiber attended.
That’s why WMA together with WHPA and IHF
are urging health professionals, managers,
governments, policy and decision-makers, and
community leaders, to Stand Up For Positive
Practice Environments.
Health professionals need health care
information to feel empowered, build
professional self-worth, learn, diagnose,
educate the public and patients, and to save
lives. As part of the re-launch of the Positive
Practice Environment Campaign (PPE) new
posters and factsheets on health care
information for health professionals were
developed in English, French and Spanish. All
posters, factsheets and brochures are
available for free on the website.
The World Health Organization estimates a
shortage of 18 million health workers by
2030, leading to poorer health outcomes
and health worker well-being. The reasons
are complex. A prevailing reason, however,
is the poor quality of healthcare work
environments that are undermining health
service delivery and driving health
professionals away from their caregiving
role and country.
Positive Practice Environments – health care
settings that support excellence and decent
work conditions – have the power to attract
and retain staff, provide quality patient care
and strengthen the health sector as a
whole.
Re-launch of the Positive Practice Environments campaign with new material
P A G E 1 2 |
C A M P A I G N S                             W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
2 5 . 0 2 . 2 0 2 2 : M e d i c a l n e u t r a l i t y m u s t
b e o b s e r v e d i n U k r a i n e
2 4 . 0 2 . 2 0 2 2 : W o r l d d o c t o r s d e p l o r e
R u s s i a n a g g r e s s i o n i n U k r a i n e
0 8 . 0 2 . 2 0 2 2 : W M A C o n d e m n s
E t h i o p i a ’ s H u m a n i t a r i a n C r i s i s
0 2 . 1 2 . 2 0 2 1 : G l o b a l P h y s i c i a n s
C o n d e m n C o n t i n u i n g V a c c i n e
I n e q u i t y
1 1 . 1 1 . 2 0 2 1 : T u r k i s h a u t h o r i t i e s u r g e d
t o e n s u r e f a i r t r i a l o f p h y s i c i a n
1 8 . 1 0 . 2 0 2 1 : W M A G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y
1 6 . 1 0 . 2 0 2 1 : W o r l d M e d i c a l
A s s o c i a t i o n C a l l s F o r A c t i o n o n F a k e
M e d i c i n e s
1 5 . 1 0 . 2 0 2 1 : P h y s i c i a n s F a c i n g P r i s o n
T h r e a t G a i n G l o b a l S u p p o r t
1 5 . 1 0 . 2 0 2 1 : G e n d e r I n e q u a l i t y i n
H e a l t h C a r e M u s t E n d , s a y s W M A
1 5 . 1 0 . 2 0 2 1 : M e s s a g e o f A p p r e c i a t i o n
t o P h y s i c i a n s i n t h e i r F i g h t A g a i n s t
C o v i d – 1 9
1 2 . 1 0 . 2 0 2 1 : W M A C a l l s F o r E n d t o
C o v i d T r a v e l D i s c r i m i n a t i o n
2 8 . 0 9 . 2 0 2 1 : R a b i e s , a s e r i o u s o n e
h e a l t h p r o b l e m s a y v e t e r i n a r i a n s
a n d p h y s i c i a n s
3 1 . 0 8 . 2 0 2 1 : P h y s i c i a n l e a d e r s c a l l f o r
e n d t o r e p r e s s i o n a g a i n s t h e a l t h
p r o f e s s i o n a l s
0 2 . 0 7 . 2 0 2 1 : W o r l d M e d i c a l
A s s o c i a t i o n , G e r m a n M e d i c a l
A s s o c i a t i o n a n d P o n t i f i c a l A c a d e m y
f o r L i f e c o l l a b o r a t e t o p r o m o t e
v a c c i n e e q u i t y a n d c o n f r o n t v a c c i n e
h e s i t a n c y
0 1 . 0 7 . 2 0 2 1 : W M A c a l l s f o r r e l e a s e o f
d e a t h s e n t e n c e p h y s i c i a n
0 3 . 0 5 . 2 0 2 1 : P h y s i c i a n s C o d e o f
E t h i c s U p d a t e d
2 3 . 0 4 . 2 0 2 1 : W M A c a l l s f o r g l o b a l
s o l i d a r i t y i n c o m b a t i n g C O V I D
WMA has issued an important number of press releases in support of its members and
each time a human rights violation from the health sector was brought to its attention.
The press releases are available on the WMA website and have been communicated on
the WMA social media channels and in the newsletter.
Public Relations
Constituent Membership
The physicians of this world are typically
represented by the national and territorial
medical associations of their own regions.
Such associations are broadly representative
of the physicians of their country by virtue of
their membership, with their voting
membership being limited to physicians and
medical students. They are not subject or
directed by any office or agency of
government.
Advantages
1. Recognition and acceptance as a member
of an international organization such as the
WMA lends the power of a global
community to a National Medical
Association (NMA). This underlines the
importance and relevance of the NMA.
2. The WMA is in official relations with United
Nations agencies such as the World Health
Organization, which gives NMAs and
Associate Members access to these
international bodies.
The WMA currently has a total of 115
members as of October 2021. There is a
detailed membership list on the WMA
website.
M E M B E R S H I P                               W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
Associate Membership Advantages
Associate membership is limited to
physicians (as defined in the WMA Bylaws)
and medical students who are properly
enrolled in a recognised medical school,
who have applied for such membership and
who have paid the amount of dues
prescribed for such members. Associate
membership is available to such individual
physicians and medical students whether or
not their National Medical Association is a
Constituent Member of the World Medical
Association.
1. The privilege of attending and participating
in WMA annual assemblies.
2. Introductions to professional leaders in your
field and opportunities to visit medical and
health institutions abroad.
3. Information on medical meetings abroad.
4. A service department which will assist you
in meeting your colleagues both at home and
abroad. 
5. A membership certificate for display,
6. WMA secretariat consultation, service and
small meeting center. 
7. Preferred access to the WMA Education
Portal for Continuing Medical Education and
Continuing Professional Development.
8. Publications of the World Medical
Association.
9. Access to the internal discussion
documents on policy development.  
WMA currently has more than 1300 active
Associate Members as of April 2021.
The registration page is available on the
WMA website.
P A G E 1 3 |
3. By participating in debates with colleagues
from all over the world, NMAs and Associate
Members have the opportunity to collaborate
on ethical guidance and leadership in health
care.
4.Information and knowledge can be sourced
from the WMA, which can contribute to the
optimal efficacy of NMAs and individual
physicians.
5. NMAs and Associate Members can make
use of the WMA’s products and services.
P A G E   1 4 |  
BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER
FOR THE YEARS 2020 AND 2019
F I N A N C I A L R E P O R T                   W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
 INCOME STATEMENT FOR THE YEARS
2020 AND 2019
P A G E   1 5 |  
Dr. Julia TAINIJOKI-SEYER
Medical Advisor
Clarisse DELORME
Advocacy Advisor
Yoonsun PARK (Sunny)
Head of Operations
Magda MIHAILA
Communication and
Information Manager
WMA SECRETARIAT
      W H O W E A R E                   W M A 2 0 2 1 A N N U A L R E P O R T
Roderic DENNETT
Spanish Translator
Anne-Marie DELAGE
Office Secretary
Marie Ferreira
Technical Assistant
Radhia SMAALI
Maintenance
Marielle Guirlet
responsible for WMA electronic/paper archives.
WMA LEADERS
In 2021, the WMA Secretariat was joined by two new
colleagues.
Ms Marielle Guirlet who has been working with the
WMA as a consultant since 2014 on the WMA
electronic/paper archives. She is French and obtained
her PhD in Atmospheric Sciences in 1997 in France and
Master of Science HES-SO on Information Science in
Geneva, she specialized in data curation and
preservation, and information architecture, which
perfectly fits to her position at the WMA. The WMA
team welcomed her in May 2021 as a part-time
member of staff.
Ms Marie Ferreira de Oliveira joined the WMA team in May
2021 in the position “Technical Assistant”, due to the
departure of Ms Marie Isabelle Pin-Harry after her 2,5-year
excellent contribution at the WMA Secretariat. Marie
Ferreira de Oliveira is French and she obtained her Master,
specialized in Hospitality Revenue Management in France.
Before joining WMA team, she worked in a five-start hotel
in France and from her academic and working experience,
more value and expertise is added to the WMA team as
she takes care of facility maintenance and relationships
with our tenants and contractors. She also assists the
WMA Associate Membership.
13, ch. du Levant, CIB – Bâtiment A, 01210,

Ferney-Voltaire, France
Phone: +33 4 50 40 75 75 
Fax: +33 4 50 40 59 37
wma@wma.net
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