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Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
The
World
Medical
Association,
Inc.
Version
History
©
The
World
Medical
Association,
Inc.
Version
2010,
Vancouver;
Printed
in
March
2011
Version
2011,
Montevideo;
Printed
in
December
2011
• Replacements
Code
Short
Title
D-‐2000-‐01-‐2010
by
D-‐2000-‐01-‐2011
Prison
Conditions
on
TB
(amended
in
2011)
S-‐1988-‐01-‐2005
by
R-‐1988-‐01-‐2005
Correction
of
misclassified
document
type
S-‐1988-‐05-‐2007
by
S-‐1988-‐05-‐2011
Tobacco
Products
Health
Hazards
(amended
in
2011)
S-‐1996-‐05-‐2006
Replacement
due
to
typo
in
the
footer
S-‐1997-‐01-‐2007
Correction
(in
2007
it
was
reaffirmed,
not
amended)
S-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
Correction
of
typo
in
the
header
• Additions
of
the
policies
newly
adopted
by
the
62nd
WMA
General
Assembly,
Montevideo,
Uruguay,
October
2011
D-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
Disaster
Preparedness
D-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
End-‐of-‐Life
Medical
Care
D-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
Leprosy
Control
S-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
Chronic
Disease
S-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
Monitoring
Tokyo
Declaration
S-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
Protection
and
Integrity
of
Medical
Personnel
S-‐2011-‐04-‐2011
Social
Determinants
of
Health
S-‐2011-‐05-‐2011
Social
Media
R-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
Adequate
Pain
Treatment
R-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
Bahrain
R-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
Economic
Embargoes
and
Health
R-‐2011-‐04-‐2011
Independence
of
Medical
Associations
Version
2012,
Bangkok;
Printed
in
October
2012
• Additions
of
the
resolutions
newly
adopted
by
the
191st
WMA
Council
Session,
Prague,
Czech
Republic,
April
2012
Code
Short
Title
CR-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
Danger
in
Health
Care
in
Syria
and
Bahrain
CR-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
Professional
Autonomy
and
Self-‐Regulation
in
Turkey
CR-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
Autonomy
of
Professional
Orders
in
West
Africa
• Replacements
D-‐2002-‐04-‐2002
by
D-‐2002-‐04-‐2012
Advanced
Technology
(amended
in
2012)
S-‐1956-‐01-‐2006
by
S-‐1956-‐01-‐2012
Armed
Conflict
(amended
in
2012)
R-‐2002-‐05-‐2002
by
R-‐2002-‐05-‐2012
Abuse
of
Psychiatry
(amended
in
2012)
• Removals
of
the
policies
rescinded
and
archived
by
the
63rd
WMA
General
Assembly,
Bangkok,
Thailand,
October
2012
R-‐2002-‐03-‐2002
Health
Care
Services
in
Afghanistan
R-‐2002-‐04-‐2002
Pan
American
Health
Organization
• Additions
of
the
policies
newly
adopted
by
the
63rd
WMA
General
Assembly,
Bangkok,
Thailand,
October
2012
S-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
Electronic
Cigarettes
S-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
Collective
Action
by
Physicians
S-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
Forced
and
Coerced
Sterilisation
S-‐2012-‐04-‐2012
Organ
and
Tissue
Donation
S-‐2012-‐05-‐2012
Prioritisation
of
Immunisation
S-‐2012-‐06-‐2012
Violence
in
the
Health
Sector
R-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
Minimum
Price
for
Alcohol
R-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
Plain
Packaging
of
Cigarettes
R-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
Capital
Punishment
R-‐2012-‐04-‐2012
Professor
Cyril
Karabus
Version
2013-‐1,
Bali;
Printed
in
April
2013
• Additions
of
the
resolutions
newly
adopted
by
the
194th
WMA
Council
Session,
Bali,
Indonesia,
April
2013
Code
Short
Title
CR-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
Professor
Cyril
Karabus
CR-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
Criminalisation
of
Medical
Practice
CR-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
Standardisation
in
Medical
Practice
and
Patient
Safety
• Replacements
D-‐1981-‐02-‐1999
by
D-‐1981-‐02-‐2010
Correction
(in
2010
it
was
reaffirmed,
not
amended)
S-‐2003-‐02-‐2003
by
S-‐2003-‐02-‐2013
Living
Wills
(reaffirmed
in
2013)
R-‐2002-‐01-‐2002
by
R-‐2002-‐01-‐2013
Euthanasia
(reaffirmed
in
2013)
R-‐2003-‐01-‐2003
by
R-‐2003-‐01-‐2013
Annual
Medical
Ethics
Day
(reaffirmed
in
2013)
Version
2013-‐2,
Fortaleza;
Printed
in
February
2014
• Replacements
Code
Short
Title
S-‐2003-‐01-‐2003
by
S-‐2003-‐01-‐2013
Forensic
Investigations
of
the
Missing
(amended
in
2013)
R-‐2002-‐06-‐2002
by
R-‐2002-‐06-‐2013
Women’s
Right
to
Health
Care
(amended
in
2013)
• Removals
of
the
policies
rescinded
and
archived
by
the
64th
WMA
General
Assembly,
Fortaleza,
Brazil,
October
2013
R-‐2003-‐04-‐2003
SARS
• Additions
of
the
policies
newly
adopted
by
the
64th
WMA
General
Assembly,
Fortaleza,
Brazil,
October
2013
S-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
Fungal
Disease
S-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
Human
Papillomavirus
Vaccination
S-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
Natural
Variations
of
Human
Sexuality
S-‐2013-‐04-‐2013
Victims
of
Torture
S-‐2013-‐05-‐2013
Death
Penalty
R-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
Criminalisation
of
Medical
Practice
R-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
Healthcare
Situation
in
Syria
R-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
Prohibition
of
Chemical
Weapons
R-‐2013-‐04-‐2013
Standardisation
in
Medical
Practice
and
Patient
Safety
R-‐2013-‐05-‐2013
Support
of
the
AMB
Version
2014-‐1,
Tokyo;
Printed
in
June
2014
• Replacements
Code
Short
Title
R-‐2004-‐01-‐2004
by
R-‐2004-‐01-‐2014
WFME
(reaffirmed
in
2014)
Version
2014-‐2,
Durban;
Printed
in
January
2015
• Replacements
D-‐2002-‐01-‐2003
by
D-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
Biological
Weapons
(reaffirmed
in
2012)
D-‐2002-‐03-‐2002
by
D-‐2002-‐03-‐2012
Patient
Safety
(reaffirmed
in
2012)
S-‐2002-‐01-‐2002
by
S-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
Safe
Injections
in
Health
Care
(amended
in
2012)
S-‐2002-‐02-‐2002
by
S-‐2002-‐02-‐2012
Self-‐Medication
(reaffirmed
in
2012)
S-‐2003-‐03-‐2003
by
S-‐2003-‐03-‐2014
International
Migration
of
Health
Workers
(amended
in
2014)
S-‐2004-‐03-‐2004
by
S-‐2004-‐03-‐2014
Water
and
Health
(amended
in
2014)
R-‐2002-‐02-‐2002
by
R-‐2002-‐02-‐2012
Female
Foeticide
(reaffirmed
in
2012)
R-‐2003-‐03-‐2003
by
R-‐2003-‐03-‐2014
Non-‐Commercialization
of
Human
Reproductive
Material
(amended
in
2014)
• Removals
of
the
policies
rescinded
and
archived
by
the
66th
WMA
General
Assembly,
Durban,
South
Africa,
October
2014
S-‐2004-‐01-‐2004
Health
Emergencies
Communication
&
Coordination
• Additions
of
the
policies
newly
adopted
by
the
65th
WMA
General
Assembly,
Durban,
South
Africa,
October
2014
D-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
Protection
of
Healthcare
Workers
S-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
Aesthetic
Treatment
S-‐2014-‐02-‐2014
Air
Pollution
S-‐2014-‐03-‐2014
Solitary
Confinement
R-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
Ebola
Viral
Disease
R-‐2014-‐02-‐2014
Migrant
Workers’
Health
and
Safety
in
Qatar
R-‐2014-‐03-‐2014
Ebola
Virus
• Additions
(Missed
in
the
previous
versions)
CR-‐2003-‐01-‐2003
Law
and
Ethics
Version
2015-‐1,
Oslo;
Printed
in
June
2015
• Addition
of
the
resolution
newly
adopted
by
the
200th
WMA
Council
Session,
Oslo,
Norway,
April
2015
Code
Short
Title
CR-‐2015-‐01-‐2015
Trade
Agreements
and
Public
Health
• Replacements
Code
Short
Title
D-‐1981-‐01-‐2005
by
D-‐1981-‐01-‐2015
Lisbon
(Patient’s
Rights)
(reaffirmed
in
2015)
D-‐1987-‐01-‐2005
by
D-‐1987-‐01-‐2015
Euthanasia
(reaffirmed
in
2015)
D-‐1989-‐01-‐2005
by
D-‐1989-‐01-‐2015
Hong
Kong
(Elderly
Abuse)
(reaffirmed
in
2015)
S-‐2005-‐02-‐2005
by
S-‐2005-‐02-‐2015
Drug
Substitution
(reaffirmed
in
2015)
S-‐2005-‐04-‐2005
by
S-‐2005-‐04-‐2015
Medical
Liability
Reform
(reaffirmed
in
2015)
R-‐1988-‐01-‐2005
by
R-‐1988-‐01-‐2015
Academic
Sanctions
or
Boycotts
(reaffirmed
in
2015)
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
PREFACE
Before World War II came to an end, a number of medical associations gathered in Lon-
don to reinvent the approach to international collaboration among the world’s physicians.
The old model, represented by the pre-war “Association Professionnelle Internationale des
Médecins” (APIM), would no longer meet the needs of the post-war medical profession.
It was time to create something new.
After only two years of preparation, 27 national medical associations met in Paris on Sep-
tember 18th, 1947 for the inauguration of a new global physicians’ association, the World
Medical Association (WMA). The lead-up to this first Assembly was paralleled by the
Nuremberg trial against Nazi doctors, which was a key driver of the mission focus of the
new WMA. This terrible episode in the history of medicine dictated that the organization
must seek to become the authoritative voice on global standards for medical ethics and
professional conduct, rather than focus solely on protecting the interests of the profession.
Effectively coordinating an international organization was anything but easy in the late
1940s. There was no internet, e-mail, mobile phones, personal computers, fax, or even
photocopiers. For many physicians, attending the Assembly required a cross-continental,
multi-day journey across a deeply scarred planet, by train and ship and only in exceptional
circumstances by plane. Yet the commitment of these founding WMA members to their
vision was even greater than the challenges they faced in achieving it. That vision, and the
accompanying goals, ideals, and unity of purpose, are as relevant today as they were during
those early days. They are now ours to carry on.
The WMA Handbook of Policies is evidence that the engagement of the world medical
profession does, in fact, persist. The WMA now is bigger, stronger and more active then
ever before, and our Handbook is the product of physicians coming together for more than
half a century to provide ethical guidance, moral support and practical advice to help their
colleagues serve their patients to the best of their ability. From the Declaration of Geneva,
often referred to as the “Modern Hippocratic Oath” to the Declaration of Helsinki advising
physicians doing medical research on human subjects, to the Declaration of Tokyo prohi-
biting physicians from participating in torture and degrading treatment − to mention just a
few of WMA’s landmark policies − the guidance provided by the WMA is as necessary
now as it has ever been.
There are many other policies in this world dealing with physician conduct, many of
which try to be “modern”, “easily readable” and “politically correct”. The WMA has never
capitulated against the “Zeitgeist”, but has stood firm with its values, the most important
of which are caring, ethics and science.
Sir William Osler said: “The most important thing is caring, so do it first, for the caring
physicians best inspires hope and trust.” Hope and trust are the basis for any treatment. A
physician who cannot generate trust will face more challenges than the one who receives
the trust of the patients. A patient with hope is far better off than one without.
World
Medical
Association
But caring must go hand-in-hand with medical ethics and proper conduct. Physicians are
often confronted with questions of life and death, resource allocations, and dual loyalties
when serving a single patient and at the same time respecting the needs of a community or
population. The questions are often too difficult and the problems too burdensome for one
person alone. We are far away from having answers for all such questions, but for many,
the WMA can provide the ethical guidance that protects patients, supports physicians, and
duly considers the interests of the communities and populations they both belong to.
Finally, science is what distinguishes medicine from well-intended kindness. In medicine,
quality care and ethical conduct cannot be separated from sound science. Still, despite our
sincere and continual quest for increased scientific knowledge, understanding and solu-
tions, we will never be protected from all mistakes. Therefore, practicing the science of
medicine with faithful adherence to clear ethical guidance is the best we can do.
This new handbook*
provides a good part of this guidance. It is proof of our continued
engagement with our colleagues in the different parts of this world and our commitment to
our patients, wherever and whoever they may be. It is a living document and the WMA
will continue to improve and expand it, in service to the profession and the health of those
we serve as physicians.
J. Edward Hill Otmar Kloiber
Chairman of Council Secretary General
Wonchat Subchaturas
President 2010-2011
*
The World Medical Association is most grateful to the Korean Medical Association for
seconding Ms. Seongmi LEE to the WMA Office at Ferney-Voltaire, providing valuable
help in putting this collection of policies together.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
Chronological
Order
D-‐1948-‐01-‐2006
D-‐1949-‐01-‐2006
D-‐1964-‐01-‐2013
D-‐1968-‐01-‐2006
D-‐1970-‐01-‐2006
D-‐1975-‐01-‐2006
D-‐1981-‐01-‐2015
D-‐1981-‐02-‐2010
D-‐1983-‐01-‐2006
D-‐1987-‐01-‐2015
D-‐1989-‐01-‐2015
D-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
D-‐1997-‐01-‐2009
D-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
D-‐1998-‐01-‐2009
D-‐2000-‐01-‐2011
D-‐2002-‐01-‐2013
D-‐2002-‐02-‐2002
D-‐2002-‐03-‐2012
D-‐2002-‐04-‐2012
D-‐2008-‐01-‐2008
D-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
-‐
Chronological
Order
-‐
DECLARATIONS
Declaration
of
Geneva
……………………………………………………………………………….
International
Code
of
Medical
Ethics
……………………………………………………………
Declaration
of
Helsinki
-‐
Ethical
Principles
for
Medical
Research
involving
Human
Subjects
…………….
Declaration
of
Sydney
on
the
Determination
of
Death
and
the
Recovery
of
Organs
………………………
Declaration
of
Oslo
on
Therapeutic
Abortion
………………………………………………..
Declaration
of
Tokyo
with
guidelines
for
Medical
Doctors
concerning
Torture
and
Other
Cruel,
Inhuman
or
Degrading
Treatment
or
Punishment
in
relation
to
Detention
and
Imprisonment
……………………………
Declaration
of
Lisbon
on
the
Rights
of
the
Patient
…………………………………………
Declaration
on
Principles
of
Health
Care
for
Sports
Medicine
…………………………
Declaration
of
Venice
on
Terminal
Illness
……………………………………………………..
Declaration
on
Euthanasia
………………………………………………………………………….
Declaration
of
Hong
Kong
on
the
Abuse
of
the
Elderly
…………………………………..
Declaration
of
Malta
on
Hunger
Strikers
………………………………………………………
Declaration
on
Guidelines
for
Continuous
Quality
Improvement
in
Health
Care
………………………………………
Declaration
of
Hamburg
concerning
Support
for
Medical
Doctors
Refusing
to
Participate
in,
or
to
Condone,
the
Use
of
Torture
or
Other
Forms
of
Cruel,
Inhuman,
or
Degrading
Treatment
………………………………………………………….
Declaration
of
Ottawa
on
Child
Health
…………………………………………………………
Declaration
of
Edinburgh
on
Prison
Conditions
and
the
Spread
of
Tuberculosis
and
Other
Communicable
Diseases
…………………………………………………………
Declaration
of
Washington
on
Biological
Weapons
………………………………………..
Declaration
on
Ethical
Considerations
regarding
Health
Databases
………………….
Declaration
on
Patient
Safety
………………………………………………………………………
Declaration
on
Medical
Ethics
and
Advanced
Technology
………………………………
Declaration
of
Seoul
on
Professional
Autonomy
and
Clinical
Independence
……………………………………………………………………………
Declaration
of
Delhi
on
Health
and
Climate
Change
………………………………………
Table
of
Contents
D-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
D-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
D-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
D-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
D-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
S-‐1956-‐01-‐2012
S-‐1983-‐01-‐2005
S-‐1984-‐01-‐2006
S-‐1984-‐02-‐1984
S-‐1985-‐01-‐2005
S-‐1988-‐02-‐2006
S-‐1988-‐04-‐2006
S-‐1988-‐05-‐2011
S-‐1989-‐01-‐2006
S-‐1990-‐01-‐2006
S-‐1990-‐04-‐2006
S-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
S-‐1992-‐01-‐2006
S-‐1992-‐05-‐2007
S-‐1992-‐06-‐2015
S-‐1993-‐01-‐2005
S-‐1993-‐02-‐2005
S-‐1993-‐03-‐2006
S-‐1994-‐01-‐2006
S-‐1995-‐02-‐2006
S-‐1995-‐04-‐2006
S-‐1996-‐01-‐2008
S-‐1996-‐02-‐2010
S-‐1996-‐03-‐2006
Declaration
of
Madrid
on
Professionally-‐led
Regulation
…………………………………
Declaration
of
Montevideo
on
Disaster
Preparedness
and
Medical
Response
…………………………………………………………………………………
Declaration
on
End-‐of-‐Life
Medical
Care
………………………………………………………
Declaration
on
Leprosy
Control
around
the
World
and
Elimination
of
Discrimination
against
persons
affected
by
Leprosy
……………..
Declaration
on
the
Protection
of
Health
Care
Workers
in
Situations
of
Violence
………………………………………………………………………..
STATEMENTS
Regulations
in
Time
of
Armed
Conflict
and
Other
Situations
of
Violence
………….
Statement
on
Boxing
………………………………………………………………………………….
Statement
on
Child
Abuse
and
Neglect
………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Freedom
to
Attend
Medical
Meetings
…………………………………….
Statement
on
Non-‐Discrimination
in
Professional
Membership
and
Activities
of
Physicians
…………………………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Access
to
Health
Care
…………………………………………………………….
Statement
on
the
Role
of
Physicians
in
Environmental
Issues
…………………………
Statement
on
Health
Hazards
of
Tobacco
Products
and
Tobacco-‐Derived
Products
……………………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Animal
Use
in
Biomedical
Research
…………………………………………
Statement
on
Injury
Control
……………………………………………………………………….
Statement
on
Traffic
Injury
…………………………………………………………………………
Statement
on
Adolescent
Suicide
………………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Alcohol
and
Road
Safety
………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Noise
Pollution
……………………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Physician-‐Assisted
Suicide
………………………………………………………
Statement
on
Body
Searches
of
Prisoners
…………………………………………………….
Statement
on
Professional
Responsibility
for
Standards
of
Medical
Care
………….
Statement
on
Female
Genital
Mutilation
……………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Patient
Advocacy
and
Confidentiality
………………………………………
Statement
on
Medical
Ethics
in
the
Event
of
Disasters
…………………………………..
Statement
on
Ethical
Issues
concerning
Patients
with
Mental
Illness
……………….
Statement
on
Physicians
and
Public
Health
…………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Resistance
to
Antimicrobial
Drugs
…………………………………………..
Statement
on
Family
Violence
…………………………………………………………………….
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
Chronological
Order
S-‐1996-‐04-‐2007
S-‐1996-‐05-‐2006
S-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
S-‐1997-‐01-‐1997
S-‐1998-‐01-‐2008
S-‐1998-‐02-‐2010
S-‐1999-‐01-‐2009
S-‐1999-‐02-‐2010
S-‐2000-‐01-‐2006
S-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
S-‐2002-‐02-‐2012
S-‐2003-‐01-‐2013
S-‐2003-‐02-‐2013
S-‐2003-‐03-‐2014
S-‐2003-‐04-‐2008
S-‐2004-‐02-‐2009
S-‐2004-‐03-‐2014
S-‐2005-‐01-‐2005
S-‐2005-‐02-‐2015
S-‐2005-‐03-‐2009
S-‐2005-‐04-‐2015
S-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
S-‐2006-‐02-‐2006
S-‐2006-‐03-‐2006
S-‐2006-‐04-‐2006
S-‐2006-‐05-‐2006
S-‐2006-‐06-‐2006
Statement
on
Family
Planning
and
the
Right
of
a
Woman
to
Contraception
……..
Statement
on
Weapons
of
Warfare
and
Their
Relation
to
Life
and
Health
………..
Statement
on
the
Licensing
of
Physicians
Fleeing
Prosecution
for
Serious
Criminal
Offences
………………………………………………………………………
Proposal
for
a
United
Nations
Rapporteur
on
the
Independence
and
Integrity
of
Health
Professionals
……………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Nuclear
Weapons
………………………………………………………………….
Statement
on
Medical
Care
for
Refugees,
including
Asylum
Seekers,
Refused
Asylum
Seekers
and
Undocumented
Migrants,
and
Internally
Displaced
Persons
…………………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Patenting
Medical
Procedures
………………………………………………..
Statement
on
the
Relationship
between
Physicians
and
Pharmacists
in
Medical
Therapy
……………………………………………………………………………….
Statement
on
Human
Organ
Donation
and
Transplantation
……………………………
Statement
on
Safe
Injections
in
Health
Care
…………………………………………………
Statement
on
Self-‐Medication
…………………………………………………………………….
Statement
on
Forensic
Investigations
of
the
Missing
…………………………………….
Statement
on
Advance
Directives
(“Living
Wills”)
………………………………………….
Statement
on
the
Ethical
Guidelines
for
the
International
Migration
of
Health
Workers
…………………………………………………………………………………….
Statement
on
Violence
and
Health
………………………………………………………………
Statement
concerning
the
Relationship
between
Physicians
and
Commercial
Enterprises
……………………………………..
Statement
on
Water
and
Health
………………………………………………………………….
Statement
on
Reducing
the
Global
Impact
of
Alcohol
on
Health
and
Society
…….
Statement
on
Drug
Substitution
………………………………………………………………….
Statement
on
Genetics
and
Medicine
…………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Medical
Liability
Reform
………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Assisted
Reproductive
Technologies
………………………………………..
Statement
on
Avian
and
Pandemic
Influenza
………………………………………………..
Statement
on
HIV/AIDS
and
the
Medical
Profession
………………………………………
Statement
on
Medical
Education
…………………………………………………………………
Statement
on
The
Physician’s
Role
in
Obesity
……………………………………………….
Statement
on
the
Responsibilities
of
Physicians
in
Preventing
and
Treating
Opiate
and
Psychotropic
Drug
Abuse
………………………………………….
Table
of
Contents
S-‐2007-‐01-‐2007
S-‐2007-‐02-‐2007
S-‐2008-‐01-‐2008
S-‐2008-‐02-‐2008
S-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
S-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
S-‐2009-‐03-‐2009
S-‐2009-‐04-‐2009
S-‐2010-‐01-‐2010
S-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
S-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
S-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
S-‐2011-‐04-‐2011
S-‐2011-‐05-‐2011
S-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
S-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
S-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
S-‐2012-‐04-‐2012
S-‐2012-‐05-‐2012
S-‐2012-‐06-‐2012
S-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
S-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
S-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
S-‐2013-‐04-‐2013
S-‐2013-‐05-‐2013
S-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
S-‐2014-‐02-‐2014
S-‐2014-‐03-‐2014
Statement
on
Human
Tissue
for
Transplantation
…………………………………………..
Statement
on
the
Ethics
of
Telemedicine
……………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Reducing
Dietary
Sodium
Intake
……………………………………………..
Statement
on
Reducing
the
Global
Burden
of
Mercury
…………………………………..
Statement
on
Conflict
of
Interest
………………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Embryonic
Stem
Cell
Research
………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Inequalities
in
Health
…………………………………………………………….
Statement
on
Guiding
Principles
for
the
Use
of
Telehealth
for
the
Provision
of
Health
Care
……………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Environmental
Degradation
and
Sound
Management
of
Chemicals
…………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
the
Global
Burden
of
Chronic
Disease
……………………………………..
Recommendation
on
the
Development
of
a
Monitoring
and
Reporting
Mechanism
to
permit
Audit
of
Adherence
of
States
to
the
Declaration
of
Tokyo
………………………………………
Statement
on
the
Protection
and
Integrity
of
Medical
Personnel
in
Armed
Conflicts
and
Other
Situations
of
Violence
…………………………………
Statement
on
Social
Determinants
of
Health
………………………………………………..
Statement
on
the
Professional
and
Ethical
Usage
of
Social
Media
…………………..
Statement
on
Electronic
Cigarettes
and
Other
Electronic
Nicotine
Delivery
Systems
…………………………………………….
Statement
on
the
Ethical
Implications
of
Collective
Action
by
Physicians
…………
Statement
on
Forced
and
Coerced
Sterilisation
……………………………………………
Statement
on
Organ
and
Tissue
Donation
……………………………………………………
Statement
on
the
Prioritisation
of
Immunisation
………………………………………….
Statement
on
Violence
in
the
Health
Sector
by
Patients
and
Those
Close
to
Them
……………………………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
Fungal
Disease
Diagnosis
and
Management
…………………………….
Statement
on
Human
Papillomavirus
Vaccination
…………………………………………
Statement
on
Natural
Variations
of
Human
Sexuality
……………………………………
Statement
on
the
Right
to
Rehabilitation
of
Victims
of
Torture
………………………
Statement
on
the
United
Nations
Resolution
for
a
Moratorium
on
the
Use
of
the
Death
Penalty
………………………………………………………………………
Statement
on
Aesthetic
Treatment
…………………………………………………………..
Statement
on
the
Prevention
of
Air
Pollution
and
Vehicle
Emissions
………………
Statement
on
Solitary
Confinement
……………………………………………………………
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
Chronological
Order
R-‐1981-‐01-‐2008
R-‐1988-‐01-‐2015
R-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
R-‐1997-‐03-‐2008
R-‐1998-‐03-‐2009
R-‐1998-‐04-‐2009
R-‐1998-‐05-‐2008
R-‐1999-‐01-‐1999
R-‐2002-‐01-‐2013
R-‐2002-‐02-‐2012
R-‐2002-‐05-‐2012
R-‐2002-‐06-‐2013
R-‐2003-‐01-‐2013
R-‐2003-‐02-‐2007
R-‐2003-‐03-‐2014
R-‐2003-‐04-‐2003
R-‐2004-‐01-‐2014
R-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
R-‐2006-‐02-‐2006
R-‐2006-‐03-‐2006
R-‐2006-‐04-‐2006
R-‐2006-‐05-‐2006
R-‐2007-‐01-‐2007
R-‐2007-‐02-‐2007
R-‐2008-‐01-‐2008
R-‐2008-‐02-‐2008
R-‐2008-‐03-‐2008
RESOLUTIONS
Resolution
on
Physician
Participation
in
Capital
Punishment
…………………………..
Resolution
on
Academic
Sanctions
or
Boycotts
……………………………………………..
Resolution
on
Economic
Embargoes
and
Health
……………………………………………
Resolution
on
Access
of
Women
and
Children
to
Health
Care
and
the
Role
of
Women
in
the
Medical
Profession
………………………………………….
Resolution
on
Improved
Investment
in
Public
Health
…………………………………….
Resolution
on
the
Medical
Workforce
………………………………………………………….
Resolution
supporting
the
Ottawa
Convention
……………………………………………..
Resolution
on
the
Inclusion
of
Medical
Ethics
and
Human
Rights
in
the
Curriculum
of
Medical
Schools
World-‐wide
………………..
Resolution
on
Euthanasia
…………………………………………………………………………..
Resolution
on
Female
Foeticide
…………………………………………………………………..
Resolution
on
Political
Abuse
of
Psychiatry
…………………………………………………..
Resolution
on
the
Women’s
Right
to
Health
Care
and
How
that
Relates
to
the
Prevention
of
Mother-‐to-‐Child
HIV
Infection
…………
Resolution
on
the
Designation
of
an
Annual
Medical
Ethics
Day
……………………..
Resolution
on
the
Responsibility
of
Physicians
in
the
Denunciation
of
Acts
of
Torture
or
Cruel,
Inhuman
or
Degrading
Treatment
……………………….
Resolution
on
the
Non-‐Commercialization
of
Human
Reproductive
Material
……………………………………………………………….
Resolution
on
SARS
(Severe
Acute
Respiratory
Syndrome)
……………………………..
Resolution
on
WFME
Global
Standards
for
Quality
Improvement
of
Medical
Education
……………………………………………..
Resolution
on
Medical
Assistance
in
Air
Travel
……………………………………………..
Resolution
on
Child
Safety
in
Airline
Travel
…………………………………………………..
Resolution
on
Combating
HIV/AIDS
……………………………………………………………..
Resolution
on
North
Korean
Nuclear
Testing
………………………………………………..
Resolution
on
Tuberculosis
…………………………………………………………………………
Resolution
on
Health
and
Human
Rights
Abuses
in
Zimbabwe
………………………..
Resolution
in
Support
of
the
Medical
Associations
in
Latin
America
and
the
Caribbean
…………………………………………………………
Resolution
on
The
Economic
Crisis:
Implications
for
Health
…………………………….
Resolution
on
Poppies
for
Medicine
Project
for
Afghanistan
…………………………..
Resolution
on
Collaboration
Between
Human
and
Veterinary
Medicine
…………..
Table
of
Contents
R-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
R-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
R-‐2009-‐03-‐2009
R-‐2010-‐01-‐2010
R-‐2010-‐02-‐2010
R-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
R-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
R-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
R-‐2011-‐04-‐2011
R-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
R-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
R-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
R-‐2012-‐04-‐2012
R-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
R-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
R-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
R-‐2013-‐04-‐2013
R-‐2013-‐05-‐2013
R-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
R-‐2014-‐02-‐2014
R-‐2014-‐03-‐2014
CR-‐2003-‐01-‐2003
CR-‐2005-‐01-‐2005
CR-‐2005-‐02-‐2005
CR-‐2005-‐03-‐2005
CR-‐2005-‐04-‐2005
CR-‐2005-‐05-‐2005
Emergency
Resolution
on
Legislation
against
Abortion
in
Nicaragua
………………..
Resolution
supporting
the
Rights
of
Patients
and
Physicians
in
the
Islamic
Republic
of
Iran
………………………………
Resolution
on
Task
Shifting
from
the
Medical
Profession
……………………………….
Resolution
on
Drug
Prescription
………………………………………………………………….
Resolution
on
Violence
against
Women
and
Girls
………………………………………….
Resolution
on
the
Access
to
Adequate
Pain
Treatment
………………………………….
Resolution
on
Bahrain
………………………………………………………………………………..
Resolution
reaffirming
the
WMA
Resolution
on
Economic
Embargoes
and
Health
……………………………………………………………
Resolution
on
Independence
of
Medical
Associations
……………………………………
Resolution
on
a
Minimum
Price
for
Alcohol
………………………………………………….
Resolution
on
Plain
Packaging
of
Cigarettes
………………………………………………….
Resolution
to
reaffirm
the
WMA’s
Prohibition
of
Physician
Participation
in
Capital
Punishment
……………………………………………………………………………….
Resolution
in
Support
of
Professor
Cyril
Karabus
……………………………………………
Resolution
on
Criminalisation
of
Medical
Practice
………………………………………….
Resolution
on
the
Healthcare
Situation
in
Syria
……………………………………………..
Resolution
on
the
Prohibition
of
Chemical
Weapons
………………………………………
Resolution
on
Patient
Safety
and
Standardisation
in
Medical
Practice
………………
Resolution
in
Support
of
the
Brazilian
Medical
Association
……………………………..
Resolution
on
Ebola
Viral
Disease
…………………………………………………………………
Resolution
on
Migrant
Workers’
Health
and
Safety
in
Qatar
……………………………
Resolution
on
Unproven
Therapy
and
the
Ebola
Virus
…………………………………….
COUNCIL
RESOLUTIONS
Council
Resolution
on
the
Relation
of
Law
and
Ethics
…………………………………….
Council
Resolution
on
Chronic
Non-‐Communicable
Diseases
………………………….
Council
Resolution
on
the
Healthcare
Skills
Drain
………………………………………….
Council
Resolution
on
Genocide
in
Darfur
…………………………………………………….
Council
Resolution
on
Observer
Status
for
Taiwan
to
the
World
Health
Organization
and
Inclusion
as
Participating
Party
to
the
International
Health
Regulations
…………………………………………………..
Council
Resolution
on
Implementation
of
the
WHO
Framework
Convention
on
Tobacco
Control
……………………………………
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
Chronological
Order
*
Code
explanation
(sorting
criteria):
D-‐1948-‐01-‐2006
Year
of
last
action
Serial
number
Year
of
adoption
Document
type
D:
Declarations
/
S:
Statements
/
R:
Resolutions
/
CR:
Council
Resolutions
Council
Resolution
in
Support
of
the
Bolivian
Medical
Association
…………………..
Council
Resolution
on
Organ
Donation
in
China
…………………………………………….
Council
Resolution
supporting
the
Preservation
of
International
Standards
of
Medical
Neutrality
………………………………………….
Council
Resolution
on
Prohibition
of
Physician
Participation
in
Torture
……………………………………………………………
Council
Resolution
on
Danger
in
Health
Care
in
Syria
and
Bahrain
…………………..
Council
Resolution
on
Threats
to
Professional
Autonomy
and
Self-‐Regulation
in
Turkey
……………………………………………………………………….
Council
Resolution
on
the
Autonomy
of
Professional
Orders
in
West
Africa
…….
Council
Resolution
on
Professor
Cyril
Karabus
………………………………………………
Council
Resolution
on
Criminalisation
of
Medical
Practice
………………………………
Council
Resolution
on
Standardisation
in
Medical
Practice
and
Patient
Safety
………………………………………………………..
Council
Resolution
on
Trade
Agreements
and
Public
Health
…………………………..
CR-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
CR-‐2006-‐02-‐2006
CR-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
CR-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
CR-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
CR-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
CR-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
CR-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
CR-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
CR-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
CR-‐2015-‐01-‐2015
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
Order
by
Short
Title
R-‐2002-‐05-‐2012
R-‐1988-‐01-‐2015
S-‐1988-‐02-‐2006
R-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
S-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
D-‐2002-‐04-‐2012
S-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
S-‐2014-‐02-‐2014
R-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
S-‐1992-‐01-‐2006
S-‐2005-‐01-‐2005
S-‐1989-‐01-‐2006
R-‐2003-‐01-‐2013
S-‐1996-‐01-‐2008
S-‐1956-‐01-‐2012
S-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
CR-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
S-‐2006-‐02-‐2006
R-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
D-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
S-‐1993-‐01-‐2005
CR-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
S-‐1983-‐01-‐2005
R-‐1981-‐01-‐2008
R-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
S-‐1984-‐01-‐2006
D-‐1998-‐01-‐2009
R-‐2006-‐02-‐2006
S-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
-‐
Order
by
Short
Title
-‐
[A]
Abuse
of
Psychiatry
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Academic
Sanctions
or
Boycotts
…………………………………………………………………………………
Access
to
Health
Care
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Adequate
Pain
Treatment
………………………………………………………………………………………….
Adolescent
Suicide
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Advanced
Technology
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Aesthetic
Treatment
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Air
Pollution
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Air
Travel
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Alcohol
and
Road
Safety
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Alcohol
on
Health
and
Society
……………………………………………………………………………………
Animal
Use
in
Biomedical
Research
…………………………………………………………………………….
Annual
Medical
Ethics
Day
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Antimicrobial
Resistance
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Armed
Conflict
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Assisted
Reproductive
Technologies
……………………………………………………………………………
Autonomy
of
Professional
Orders
in
West
Africa
………………………………………………………….
Avian
and
Pandemic
Influenza
…………………………………………………………………………………….
[B]
Bahrain
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Biological
Weapons
(Washington)
……………………………………………………………………………….
Body
Searches
of
Prisoners
………………………………………………………………………………………..
Bolivian
Medical
Association
………………………………………………………………………………………
Boxing
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
[C]
Capital
Punishment
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Capital
Punishment
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Child
Abuse
and
Neglect
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Child
Health
(Ottawa)
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Child
Safety
in
Airline
Travel
………………………………………………………………………………………
Chronic
Disease
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
Order
by
Short
Title
CR-‐2005-‐01-‐2005
D-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
S-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
S-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
S-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
CR-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
R-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
R-‐1999-‐01-‐1999
CR-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
S-‐2013-‐05-‐2013
D-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
R-‐2003-‐02-‐2007
D-‐1975-‐01-‐2006
D-‐1968-‐01-‐2006
S-‐2008-‐01-‐2008
D-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
S-‐1994-‐01-‐2006
CR-‐2005-‐02-‐2005
R-‐2010-‐01-‐2010
S-‐2005-‐02-‐2015
R-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
R-‐2014-‐03-‐2014
R-‐2008-‐01-‐2008
R-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
R-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
D-‐2000-‐01-‐2011
D-‐1989-‐01-‐2015
S-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
S-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
D-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
S-‐2010-‐01-‐2010
S-‐1988-‐04-‐2006
D-‐1987-‐01-‐2015
R-‐2002-‐01-‐2013
Chronic
Non-‐Communicable
Diseases
…………………………………………………………………………
Climate
Change
(Delhi)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Collective
Action
by
Physicians
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Conflict
of
Interest
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Criminal
Offences
and
Licensing
…………………………………………………………………………………
Criminalisation
of
Medical
Practice
…………………………………………………………………………….
Criminalisation
of
Medical
Practice
…………………………………………………………………………….
Curriculum
of
Medical
Schools
World-‐wide
………………………………………………………………….
[D]
Danger
in
Health
Care
in
Syria
and
Bahrain
………………………………………………………………….
Death
Penalty
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Delhi
(Climate
Change)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Denunciation
of
Acts
of
Torture
………………………………………………………………………………….
Detention
and
Imprisonment
(Tokyo)
………………………………………………………………………….
Determination
of
Death
(Sydney)
………………………………………………………………………………..
Dietary
Sodium
Intake
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
Disaster
Preparedness
(Montevideo)
…………………………………………………………………………..
Disasters
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Drain
of
Healthcare
Skills
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Drug
Prescription
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Drug
Substitution
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
[E]
Ebola
Viral
Disease
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ebola
Virus
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Economic
Crisis
……………………………………………………………………………………………
-‐01-‐2008
Economic
Embargoes
and
Health
……………………………………………………………………
-‐02-‐2007
Economic
Embargoes
and
Health
[Revised]
…………………………………………………………………..
Edinburgh
(Prison
Conditions
on
TB)
……………………………………………………………………………
Elderly
Abuse
(Hong
Kong)
………………………………………………………………………………
01-‐2005
Electronic
Cigarettes
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Embryonic
Stem
Cell
Research
……………………………………………………………………….
-‐02-‐2009
End-‐of-‐Life
Medical
Care
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Environmental
Degradation
…………………………………………………………………………..
-‐01-‐2010
Environmental
Issues
……………………………………………………………………………………
-‐04-‐2006
Euthanasia
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
01-‐2005
Euthanasia
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
-‐01-‐2002
Table
of
Contents
S-‐1996-‐02-‐2010
R-‐2002-‐02-‐2012
S-‐1993-‐02-‐2005
S-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
S-‐2003-‐01-‐2013
S-‐1984-‐02-‐1984
S-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
S-‐2005-‐03-‐2009
D-‐1948-‐01-‐2006
CR-‐2005-‐03-‐2005
D-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
R-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
D-‐2002-‐02-‐2002
D-‐1964-‐01-‐2008
R-‐2006-‐03-‐2006
S-‐2006-‐03-‐2006
D-‐1989-‐01-‐2015
S-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
R-‐2007-‐01-‐2007
S-‐2007-‐01-‐2007
D-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
R-‐2011-‐04-‐2011
S-‐2009-‐03-‐2009
S-‐1990-‐01-‐2006
S-‐2003-‐03-‐2014
R-‐1998-‐03-‐2009
R-‐2007-‐02-‐2007
CR-‐2003-‐01-‐2003
R-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
D-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
[F]
Family
Violence
……………………………………………………………………………………………
-‐02-‐2010
Female
Foeticide
………………………………………………………………………………………….
-‐02-‐2002
Female
Genital
Mutilation
…………………………………………………………………………..
S-‐02-‐2005
Forced
and
Coerced
Sterilisation
………………………………………………………………………………..
Forensic
Investigations
of
the
Missing
…………………………………………………………….
-‐01-‐2003
Freedom
to
Attend
Medical
Meetings
…………………………………………………………
84-‐02-‐1984
Fungal
Disease
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
[G]
Genetics
and
Medicine
………………………………………………………………………………….
03-‐2009
Geneva
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
-‐01-‐2006
Genocide
in
Darfur
……………………………………………………………………………………….
-‐03-‐2005
[H]
Hamburg
(Refusing
Torture)
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Healthcare
Situation
in
Syria
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Health
Databases
………………………………………………………………………………………….
02-‐2002
Helsinki
(Medical
Research
involving
Human
Subjects)
…………………………………………………..
HIV/AIDS
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
03-‐2006
HIV/AIDS
and
the
Medical
Profession
……………………………………………………………..
-‐03-‐2006
Hong
Kong
(Elderly
Abuse)
………………………………………………………………………………………….
Human
Papillomavirus
Vaccination
…………………………………………………………………………….
Human
Rights
Abuses
in
Zimbabwe
………………………………………………………………..
-‐01-‐2007
Human
Tissue
for
Transplantation
………………………………………………………………….
-‐01-‐2007
Hunger
Strikers
(Malta)
……………………………………………………………………………….
D-‐01-‐2006
[
I
]
Independence
of
Medical
Associations
………………………………………………………………………..
Inequalities
in
Health
…………………………………………………………………………………..
S03-‐2009
Injury
Control
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
S-‐2006
International
Migration
of
Health
Workers
…………………………………………………………………..
Investment
in
Public
Health
…………………………………………………………………………..
-‐03-‐2009
[
L
]
Latin
American
and
the
Caribbean
Medical
Associations
…………………………………..
-‐02-‐2007
Law
and
Ethics
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Legislation
against
Abortion
in
Nicaragua
………………………………………………………..
-‐01-‐2009
Leprosy
Control
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
Order
by
Short
Title
D-‐1981-‐01-‐2015
S-‐2003-‐02-‐2013
D-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
D-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
S-‐2006-‐04-‐2006
D-‐1949-‐01-‐2006
S-‐2005-‐04-‐2015
CR-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
D-‐1964-‐01-‐2013
R-‐1998-‐04-‐2009
S-‐2008-‐02-‐2008
R-‐2014-‐02-‐2014
R-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
S-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
D-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
S-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
S-‐1992-‐05-‐2007
R-‐2003-‐03-‐2014
S-‐1985-‐01-‐2015
R-‐2006-‐04-‐2006
S-‐1998-‐01-‐2008
S-‐2006-‐05-‐2006
S-‐2006-‐06-‐2006
S-‐2012-‐04-‐2012
S-‐2000-‐01-‐2006
CR-‐2006-‐02-‐2006
D-‐1998-‐01-‐2009
R-‐1998-‐05-‐2008
S-‐1999-‐01-‐2009
S-‐1993-‐03-‐2006
D-‐2002-‐03-‐2012
Lisbon
(Patient’s
Rights)
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Living
Wills
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
-‐02-‐2003
[M]
Madrid
(Professionally-‐led
Regulation)
………………………………………………………………………..
Malta
(Hunger
Strikers)
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Medical
Education
………………………………………………………………………………………..
-‐01-‐2006
Medical
Ethics
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
-‐01-‐2006
Medical
Liability
Reform
……………………………………………………………………………….
-‐04-‐2005
Medical
Neutrality
………………………………………………………………………………………..
01-‐2009
Medical
Research
involving
Human
Subjects
(Helsinki)
………………………………………
-‐01-‐2008
Medical
Workforce
………………………………………………………………………………………
-‐04-‐2009
Mercury
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
-‐02-‐2008
Migrant
Workers’
Health
and
Safety
in
Qatar
……………………………………………………………….
Minimum
Price
for
Alcohol
………………………………………………………………………………………..
Monitoring
Tokyo
Declaration
……………………………………………………………………………………
Montevideo
(Disaster
Preparedness)
…………………………………………………………………………..
[N]
Natural
Variations
of
Human
Sexuality
………………………………………………………………………..
Noise
Pollution
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
-‐05-‐2007
Non-‐Commercialization
of
Human
Reproductive
Material
…………………………………
-‐03-‐2003
Non-‐Discrimination
in
Professional
Membership
………………………………………………
01-‐2005
Nuclear
Testing
in
North
Korea
………………………………………………………………………
-‐04-‐2006
Nuclear
Weapons
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
-‐2008
[O]
Obesity
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
S-‐03-‐2006
Opiate
and
Psychotropic
Drug
Abuse
……………………………………………………………..
-‐04-‐2006
Organ
and
Tissue
Donation
………………………………………………………………………………………..
Organ
Donation
and
Transplantation
……………………………………………………………
S-‐01-‐2006
Organ
Donation
in
China
……………………………………………………………………………….
-‐02-‐2006
Ottawa
(Child
Health)
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Ottawa
Convention
………………………………………………………………………………………
-‐05-‐2008
[P]
Patenting
Medical
Procedures
……………………………………………………………………….
-‐01-‐2009
Patient
Advocacy
and
Confidentiality
…………………………………………………………….
S-‐03-‐2006
Patient
Safety
………………………………………………………………………………………………
-‐03-‐2002
Table
of
Contents
D-‐1981-‐01-‐2015
S-‐1995-‐02-‐2006
S-‐2004-‐02-‐2009
S-‐1999-‐02-‐2010
R-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
R-‐2008-‐02-‐2008
S-‐2012-‐05-‐2012
D-‐2000-‐01-‐2011
D-‐2008-‐01-‐2008
CR-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
S-‐1996-‐03-‐2006
D-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
R-‐2012-‐04-‐2012
CR-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
R-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
S-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
S-‐1995-‐04-‐2006
D-‐1997-‐01-‐2009
S-‐1998-‐02-‐2010
D-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
S-‐1996-‐04-‐2007
R-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
S-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
R-‐2003-‐04-‐2003
S-‐2002-‐02-‐2012
D-‐2008-‐01-‐2008
S-‐2011-‐04-‐2011
S-‐2011-‐05-‐2011
S-‐2014-‐03-‐2014
D-‐1981-‐02-‐2010
CR-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
R-‐2013-‐04-‐2013
S-‐1992-‐06-‐2015
Patient’s
Rights
(Lisbon)
………………………………………………………………………………
D-‐01-‐2005
Patients
with
Mental
Illness
…………………………………………………………………………..
-‐02-‐2006
Physicians
and
Commercial
Enterprises
…………………………………………………………
S-‐02-‐2009
Physicians
and
Pharmacists
in
Medical
Therapy
……………………………………………..
S-‐02-‐2010
Plain
Packaging
of
Cigarettes
……………………………………………………………………………………..
Poppies
for
Medicine
Project
for
Afghanistan
……………………………………………….
R-‐02-‐2008
Prioritisation
of
Immunisation
…………………………………………………………………………………….
Prison
Conditions
on
TB
(Edinburgh)
……………………………………………………………….
-‐01-‐2000
Professional
Autonomy
and
Clinical
Independence
(Seoul)
…………………………………
01-‐2008
Professional
Autonomy
and
Self-‐regulation
in
Turkey
……………………………………………………
Professional
Responsibility
……………………………………………………………………………….
S-‐2006
Professionally-‐led
Regulation
(Madrid)
………………………………………………………………..
-‐2009
Professor
Cyril
Karabus
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Professor
Cyril
Karabus
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Prohibition
of
Chemical
Weapons
……………………………………………………………………………….
Protection
and
integrity
of
Medical
Personnel
………………………………………………………………
Public
Health
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
-‐04-‐2006
[Q]
Quality
Improvement
in
Health
Care
……………………………………………………………
D-‐01-‐2009
[R]
Refugees’
Medical
Care
…………………………………………………………………………………
-‐02-‐2010
Refusing
Torture
(Hamburg)
…………………………………………………………………………..
-‐02-‐2007
Right
of
Woman
on
Family
Planning
……………………………………………………………..
S-‐04-‐2007
Rights
of
Patients
and
Physicians
in
Iran
………………………………………………………….
-‐02-‐2009
[S]
Safe
Injections
in
Health
Care
………………………………………………………………………
S-‐01-‐2002
SARS
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
03-‐04-‐2003
Self-‐Medication
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
-‐02-‐2002
Seoul
(Professional
Autonomy
and
Clinical
Independence)
…………………………………………….
Social
Determinants
of
Health
……………………………………………………………………………………
Social
Media
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Solitary
Confinemnet
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sports
Medicine
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
-‐02-‐1999
Standardisation
in
Medical
Practice
and
Patient
Safety
…………………………………………………
Standardisation
in
Medical
Practice
and
Patient
Safety
…………………………………………………
Suicide
Physician-‐Assisted
………………………………………………………………………….
92-‐06-‐2005
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
Order
by
Short
Title
Support
of
the
AMB
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Sydney
(Determination
of
Death)
………………………………………………………………………………..
[T]
Taiwan’s
Observer
Status
to
the
WHO
…………………………………………………………….
-‐04-‐2005
Task
Shifting
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
-‐03-‐2009
Telehealth
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
S-‐04-‐2009
Telemedicine
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
-‐02-‐2007
Terminal
Illness
(Venice)
………………………………………………………………………………..
-‐01-‐2006
Therapeutic
Abortion
…………………………………………………………………………………….
01-‐2006
Tobacco
Products
Health
Hazards
………………………………………………………………….
-‐05-‐2007
Tobacco-‐WHO
FCTC
……………………………………………………………………………………..
-‐05-‐2005
Tokyo
(Detention
and
Imprisonment)
………………………………………………………………………….
Torture
-‐
Prohibition
of
Physician
Participation
………………………………………………
9-‐02-‐2009
Trade
Agreements
and
Public
Health
…………………………………………………………………………..
Traffic
Injury
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
-‐04-‐2006
Tuberculosis
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
05-‐2006
[U]
UN
Rapporteur
on
the
Independence
and
Integrity
of
Health
Professionals
………………..
-‐2007
[V]
Venice
(Terminal
Illness)
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Veterinary
Medicine
……………………………………………………………………………………..
03-‐2008
Victims
of
Torture
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Violence
against
Women
and
Girls
……………………………………………………………………..
-‐2010
Violence
and
Health
……………………………………………………………………………………..
-‐04-‐2003
Violence
and
Health
Sector
………………………………………………………………………………………..
[W]
Washington
(Biological
Weapons)
……………………………………………………………………………….
Water
and
Health
………………………………………………………………………………………..
S03-‐2004
Weapons
of
Warfare
…………………………………………………………………………………..
S-‐05-‐2006
WFME
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
R-‐01-‐2004
Women
and
Children
to
Health
Care
…………………………………………………………………..
-‐2008
Women’s
Right
to
Health
Care
…………………………………………………………………………………….
R-‐2013-‐05-‐2013
D-‐1968-‐01-‐2006
CR-‐2005-‐04-‐2005
R-‐2009-‐03-‐2009
S-‐2009-‐04-‐2009
S-‐2007-‐02-‐2007
D-‐1983-‐01-‐2006
D-‐1970-‐01-‐2006
S-‐1988-‐05-‐2011
CR-‐2005-‐05-‐2005
D-‐1975-‐01-‐2006
CR-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
CR-‐2015-‐01-‐2015
S-‐1990-‐04-‐2006
R-‐2006-‐05-‐2006
S-‐1997-‐01-‐1997
D-‐1983-‐01-‐2006
R-‐2008-‐03-‐2008
S-‐2013-‐04-‐2013
R-‐2010-‐02-‐2010
S-‐2003-‐04-‐2008
S-‐2012-‐06-‐2012
D-‐2002-‐01-‐2003
S-‐2004-‐03-‐2014
S-‐1996-‐05-‐2006
R-‐2004-‐01-‐2014
R-‐1997-‐03-‐2008
R-‐2002-‐06-‐2013
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐1948-‐01-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
GENEVA
Adopted by the 2nd
General Assembly of the World Medical Association,
Geneva, Switzerland, September 1948
and amended by the 22nd
World Medical Assembly, Sydney, Australia, August 1968
and the 35th
World Medical Assembly, Venice, Italy, October 1983
and the 46th
WMA General Assembly, Stockholm, Sweden, September 1994
and editorially revised by the 170th
WMA Council Session,
Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2005
and the 173rd
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2006
AT THE TIME OF BEING ADMITTED AS A MEMBER OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION:
I SOLEMNLY PLEDGE to consecrate my life to the service of humanity;
I WILL GIVE to my teachers the respect and gratitude that is their due;
I WILL PRACTISE my profession with conscience and dignity;
THE HEALTH OF MY PATIENT will be my first consideration;
I WILL RESPECT the secrets that are confided in me, even after the patient has died;
I WILL MAINTAIN by all the means in my power, the honour and the noble traditions of
the medical profession;
MY COLLEAGUES will be my sisters and brothers;
I WILL NOT PERMIT considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin,
gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any
other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient;
I WILL MAINTAIN the utmost respect for human life;
I WILL NOT USE my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even
under threat;
I MAKE THESE PROMISES solemnly, freely and upon my honour.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1949-‐01-‐2006
WMA
INTERNATIONAL
CODE
OF
MEDICAL
ETHICS
Adopted by the 3rd
General Assembly of the World Medical Association,
London, England, October 1949
and amended by the 22nd
World Medical Assembly, Sydney, Australia, August 1968
and the 35th
World Medical Assembly, Venice, Italy, October 1983
and the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
DUTIES
OF
PHYSICIANS
IN
GENERAL
A PHYSICIAN SHALL always exercise his/her independent professional judgment and
maintain the highest standards of professional conduct.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL respect a competent patient’s right to accept or refuse treatment.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL not allow his/her judgment to be influenced by personal profit or
unfair discrimination.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL be dedicated to providing competent medical service in full pro-
fessional and moral independence, with compassion and respect for human dignity.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL deal honestly with patients and colleagues, and report to the
appropriate authorities those physicians who practice unethically or incompetently or who
engage in fraud or deception.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL not receive any financial benefits or other incentives solely for
referring patients or prescribing specific products.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL respect the rights and preferences of patients, colleagues, and
other health professionals.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL recognize his/her important role in educating the public but
should use due caution in divulging discoveries or new techniques or treatment through
non-professional channels.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL certify only that which he/she has personally verified.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL strive to use health care resources in the best way to benefit
patients and their community.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL seek appropriate care and attention if he/she suffers from mental
or physical illness.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL respect the local and national codes of ethics.
D-‐1949-‐01-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Medical
Ethics
DUTIES
OF
PHYSICIANS
TO
PATIENTS
A PHYSICIAN SHALL always bear in mind the obligation to respect human life.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL act in the patient’s best interest when providing medical care.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL owe his/her patients complete loyalty and all the scientific re-
sources available to him/her. Whenever an examination or treatment is beyond the physi-
cian’s capacity, he/she should consult with or refer to another physician who has the neces-
sary ability.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL respect a patient’s right to confidentiality. It is ethical to disclose
confidential information when the patient consents to it or when there is a real and im-
minent threat of harm to the patient or to others and this threat can be only removed by a
breach of confidentiality.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL give emergency care as a humanitarian duty unless he/she is
assured that others are willing and able to give such care.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL in situations when he/she is acting for a third party, ensure that
the patient has full knowledge of that situation.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL not enter into a sexual relationship with his/her current patient or
into any other abusive or exploitative relationship.
DUTIES
OF
PHYSICIANS
TO
COLLEAGUES
A PHYSICIAN SHALL behave towards colleagues as he/she would have them behave
towards him/her.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL NOT undermine the patient-physician relationship of colleagues
in order to attract patients.
A PHYSICIAN SHALL when medically necessary, communicate with colleagues who are
involved in the care of the same patient. This communication should respect patient confi-
dentiality and be confined to necessary information.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1964-‐01-‐2013
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
HELSINKI
-‐
ETHICAL
PRINCIPLES
FOR
MEDICAL
RESEARCH
INVOLVING
HUMAN
SUBJECTS
-‐
Adopted by the 18th
WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, June 1964
and amended by the:
29th
WMA General Assembly, Tokyo, Japan, October 1975
35th
WMA General Assembly, Venice, Italy, October 1983
41st
WMA General Assembly, Hong Kong, September 1989
48th
WMA General Assembly, Somerset West, Republic of South Africa, October 1996
52nd
WMA General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland, October 2000
53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington DC, USA, October 2002
(Note of Clarification added)
55th
WMA General Assembly, Tokyo, Japan, October 2004
(Note of Clarification added)
59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Republic of Korea, October 2008
64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
PREAMBLE
1. The World Medical Association (WMA) has developed the Declaration of Helsinki as
a statement of ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects,
including research on identifiable human material and data.
The Declaration is intended to be read as a whole and each of its constituent para-
graphs should be applied with consideration of all other relevant paragraphs.
2. Consistent with the mandate of the WMA, the Declaration is addressed primarily to
physicians. The WMA encourages others who are involved in medical research in-
volving human subjects to adopt these principles.
GENERAL
PRINCIPLES
3. The Declaration of Geneva of the WMA binds the physician with the words, “The
health of my patient will be my first consideration,” and the International Code of
Medical Ethics declares that, “A physician shall act in the patient’s best interest when
providing medical care.”
4. It is the duty of the physician to promote and safeguard the health, well-being and
rights of patients, including those who are involved in medical research. The physi-
cian’s knowledge and conscience are dedicated to the fulfilment of this duty.
D-‐1964-‐01-‐2013
⏐
Fortaleza
Medical
Rsearch
involving
Human
Subjects
(Helsinki)
5. Medical progress is based on research that ultimately must include studies involving
human subjects.
6. The primary purpose of medical research involving human subjects is to understand
the causes, development and effects of diseases and improve preventive, diagnostic
and therapeutic interventions (methods, procedures and treatments). Even the best
proven interventions must be evaluated continually through research for their safety,
effectiveness, efficiency, accessibility and quality.
7. Medical research is subject to ethical standards that promote and ensure respect for all
human subjects and protect their health and rights.
8. While the primary purpose of medical research is to generate new knowledge, this
goal can never take precedence over the rights and interests of individual research
subjects.
9. It is the duty of physicians who are involved in medical research to protect the life,
health, dignity, integrity, right to self-determination, privacy, and confidentiality of
personal information of research subjects. The responsibility for the protection of
research subjects must always rest with the physician or other health care pro-
fessionals and never with the research subjects, even though they have given consent.
10. Physicians must consider the ethical, legal and regulatory norms and standards for
research involving human subjects in their own countries as well as applicable
international norms and standards. No national or international ethical, legal or
regulatory requirement should reduce or eliminate any of the protections for research
subjects set forth in this Declaration.
11. Medical research should be conducted in a manner that minimises possible harm to
the environment.
12. Medical research involving human subjects must be conducted only by individuals
with the appropriate ethics and scientific education, training and qualifications. Re-
search on patients or healthy volunteers requires the supervision of a competent and
appropriately qualified physician or other health care professional.
13. Groups that are underrepresented in medical research should be provided appropriate
access to participation in research.
14. Physicians who combine medical research with medical care should involve their
patients in research only to the extent that this is justified by its potential preventive,
diagnostic or therapeutic value and if the physician has good reason to believe that
participation in the research study will not adversely affect the health of the patients
who serve as research subjects.
15. Appropriate compensation and treatment for subjects who are harmed as a result of
participating in research must be ensured.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1964-‐01-‐2013
RISKS,
BURDENS
AND
BENEFITS
16. In medical practice and in medical research, most interventions involve risks and
burdens.
Medical research involving human subjects may only be conducted if the importance
of the objective outweighs the risks and burdens to the research subjects.
17. All medical research involving human subjects must be preceded by careful assess-
ment of predictable risks and burdens to the individuals and groups involved in the
research in comparison with foreseeable benefits to them and to other individuals or
groups affected by the condition under investigation.
Measures to minimise the risks must be implemented. The risks must be continuously
monitored, assessed and documented by the researcher.
18. Physicians may not be involved in a research study involving human subjects unless
they are confident that the risks have been adequately assessed and can be satis-
factorily managed.
When the risks are found to outweigh the potential benefits or when there is con-
clusive proof of definitive outcomes, physicians must assess whether to continue,
modify or immediately stop the study.
VULNERABLE
GROUPS
AND
INDIVIDUALS
19. Some groups and individuals are particularly vulnerable and may have an increased
likelihood of being wronged or of incurring additional harm.
All vulnerable groups and individuals should receive specifically considered protec-
tion.
20. Medical research with a vulnerable group is only justified if the research is responsive
to the health needs or priorities of this group and the research cannot be carried out in
a non-vulnerable group. In addition, this group should stand to benefit from the
knowledge, practices or interventions that result from the research.
SCIENTIFIC
REQUIREMENTS
AND
RESEARCH
PROTOCOLS
21. Medical research involving human subjects must conform to generally accepted
scientific principles, be based on a thorough knowledge of the scientific literature,
other relevant sources of information, and adequate laboratory and, as appropriate,
animal experimentation. The welfare of animals used for research must be respected.
22. The design and performance of each research study involving human subjects must be
clearly described and justified in a research protocol.
D-‐1964-‐01-‐2013
⏐
Fortaleza
Medical
Rsearch
involving
Human
Subjects
(Helsinki)
The protocol should contain a statement of the ethical considerations involved and
should indicate how the principles in this Declaration have been addressed. The pro-
tocol should include information regarding funding, sponsors, institutional affilia-
tions, potential conflicts of interest, incentives for subjects and information regarding
provisions for treating and/or compensating subjects who are harmed as a conse-
quence of participation in the research study.
In clinical trials, the protocol must also describe appropriate arrangements for post-
trial provisions.
RESEARCH
ETHICS
COMMITTEES
23. The research protocol must be submitted for consideration, comment, guidance and
approval to the concerned research ethics committee before the study begins. This
committee must be transparent in its functioning, must be independent of the
researcher, the sponsor and any other undue influence and must be duly qualified. It
must take into consideration the laws and regulations of the country or countries in
which the research is to be performed as well as applicable international norms and
standards but these must not be allowed to reduce or eliminate any of the protections
for research subjects set forth in this Declaration.
The committee must have the right to monitor ongoing studies. The researcher must
provide monitoring information to the committee, especially information about any
serious adverse events. No amendment to the protocol may be made without con-
sideration and approval by the committee. After the end of the study, the researchers
must submit a final report to the committee containing a summary of the study’s find-
ings and conclusions.
PRIVACY
AND
CONFIDENTIALITY
24. Every precaution must be taken to protect the privacy of research subjects and the
confidentiality of their personal information.
INFORMED
CONSENT
25. Participation by individuals capable of giving informed consent as subjects in medical
research must be voluntary. Although it may be appropriate to consult family mem-
bers or community leaders, no individual capable of giving informed consent may be
enrolled in a research study unless he or she freely agrees.
26. In medical research involving human subjects capable of giving informed consent,
each potential subject must be adequately informed of the aims, methods, sources of
funding, any possible conflicts of interest, institutional affiliations of the researcher,
the anticipated benefits and potential risks of the study and the discomfort it may
entail, post-study provisions and any other relevant aspects of the study. The potential
subject must be informed of the right to refuse to participate in the study or to with-
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1964-‐01-‐2013
draw consent to participate at any time without reprisal. Special attention should be
given to the specific information needs of individual potential subjects as well as to
the methods used to deliver the information.
After ensuring that the potential subject has understood the information, the physician
or another appropriately qualified individual must then seek the potential subject’s
freely-given informed consent, preferably in writing. If the consent cannot be expressed
in writing, the non-written consent must be formally documented and witnessed.
All medical research subjects should be given the option of being informed about the
general outcome and results of the study.
27. When seeking informed consent for participation in a research study the physician
must be particularly cautious if the potential subject is in a dependent relationship
with the physician or may consent under duress. In such situations the informed
consent must be sought by an appropriately qualified individual who is completely
independent of this relationship.
28. For a potential research subject who is incapable of giving informed consent, the
physician must seek informed consent from the legally authorised representative.
These individuals must not be included in a research study that has no likelihood of
benefit for them unless it is intended to promote the health of the group represented
by the potential subject, the research cannot instead be performed with persons
capable of providing informed consent, and the research entails only minimal risk and
minimal burden.
29. When a potential research subject who is deemed incapable of giving informed con-
sent is able to give assent to decisions about participation in research, the physician
must seek that assent in addition to the consent of the legally authorised representa-
tive. The potential subject’s dissent should be respected.
30. Research involving subjects who are physically or mentally incapable of giving con-
sent, for example, unconscious patients, may be done only if the physical or mental
condition that prevents giving informed consent is a necessary characteristic of the
research group. In such circumstances the physician must seek informed consent
from the legally authorised representative. If no such representative is available and if
the research cannot be delayed, the study may proceed without informed consent
provided that the specific reasons for involving subjects with a condition that renders
them unable to give informed consent have been stated in the research protocol and
the study has been approved by a research ethics committee. Consent to remain in the
research must be obtained as soon as possible from the subject or a legally authorised
representative.
31. The physician must fully inform the patient which aspects of their care are related to
the research. The refusal of a patient to participate in a study or the patient’s decision
to withdraw from the study must never adversely affect the patient-physician
relationship.
D-‐1964-‐01-‐2013
⏐
Fortaleza
Medical
Rsearch
involving
Human
Subjects
(Helsinki)
32. For medical research using identifiable human material or data, such as research on
material or data contained in biobanks or similar repositories, physicians must seek
informed consent for its collection, storage and/or reuse. There may be exceptional
situations where consent would be impossible or impracticable to obtain for such
research. In such situations the research may be done only after consideration and
approval of a research ethics committee.
USE
OF
PLACEBO
33. The benefits, risks, burdens and effectiveness of a new intervention must be tested
against those of the best proven intervention(s), except in the following circums-
tances:
Where no proven intervention exists, the use of placebo, or no intervention, is accept-
able; or
Where for compelling and scientifically sound methodological reasons the use of any
intervention less effective than the best proven one, the use of placebo, or no inter-
vention is necessary to determine the efficacy or safety of an intervention
and the patients who receive any intervention less effective than the best proven one,
placebo, or no intervention will not be subject to additional risks of serious or
irreversible harm as a result of not receiving the best proven intervention.
Extreme care must be taken to avoid abuse of this option.
POST-‐TRIAL
PROVISIONS
34. In advance of a clinical trial, sponsors, researchers and host country governments
should make provisions for post-trial access for all participants who still need an
intervention identified as beneficial in the trial. This information must also be dis-
closed to participants during the informed consent process.
RESEARCH
REGISTRATION
AND
PUBLICATION
AND
DISSEMINATION
OF
RESULTS
35. Every research study involving human subjects must be registered in a publicly
accessible database before recruitment of the first subject.
36. Researchers, authors, sponsors, editors and publishers all have ethical obligations with
regard to the publication and dissemination of the results of research. Researchers
have a duty to make publicly available the results of their research on human subjects
and are accountable for the completeness and accuracy of their reports. All parties
should adhere to accepted guidelines for ethical reporting. Negative and inconclusive
as well as positive results must be published or otherwise made publicly available.
Sources of funding, institutional affiliations and conflicts of interest must be declared
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1964-‐01-‐2013
in the publication. Reports of research not in accordance with the principles of this
Declaration should not be accepted for publication.
UNPROVEN
INTERVENTIONS
IN
CLINICAL
PRACTICE
37. In the treatment of an individual patient, where proven interventions do not exist or
other known interventions have been ineffective, the physician, after seeking expert
advice, with informed consent from the patient or a legally authorised representative,
may use an unproven intervention if in the physician’s judgement it offers hope of
saving life, re-establishing health or alleviating suffering. This intervention should
subsequently be made the object of research, designed to evaluate its safety and effi-
cacy. In all cases, new information must be recorded and, where appropriate, made
publicly available.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐1968-‐01-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
SYDNEY
ON
THE
DETERMINATION
OF
DEATH
AND
THE
RECOVERY
OF
ORGANS
Adopted by the 22nd
World Medical Assembly, Sydney, Australia, August 1968
and amended by the 35th
World Medical Assembly, Venice, Italy, October 1983
and the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
Determination of death can be made on the basis of the irreversible cessation of all func-
tions of the entire brain, including the brain stem, or the irreversible cessation of circula-
tory and respiratory functions. This determination will be based on clinical judgment ac-
cording to accepted criteria supplemented, if necessary, by standard diagnostic proce-
dures and made by a physician.
Even without intervention, cell, organ and tissue activity in the body may continue tempo-
rarily after a determination of death. Cessation of all life at the cellular level is not a nec-
essary criterion for determination of death.
The use of deceased donor organs for transplantation has made it important for physicians
to be able to determine when mechanically-supported patients have died.
After death has occurred, it may be possible to maintain circulation to the organs and tis-
sues of the body mechanically. This may be done to preserve organs and tissues for trans-
plantation.
Prior to post-mortem transplantation, the determination that death has occurred shall be
made by a physician who is in no way immediately involved in the transplantation proce-
dure.
Following determination of death, all treatment and resuscitation attempts may be ceased
and donor organs may be recovered, provided that prevailing requirements of consent and
other relevant ethical and legal requirements have been fulfilled.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1970-‐01-‐2006
WMA
DECLARATION
ON
THERAPEUTIC
ABORTION
Adopted by the 24th
World Medical Assembly, Oslo, Norway, August 1970
and amended by the 35th
World Medical Assembly, Venice, Italy, October 1983
and the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
1. The WMA requires the physician to maintain respect for human life.
2. Circumstances bringing the interests of a mother into conflict with the interests of her
unborn child create a dilemma and raise the question as to whether or not the preg-
nancy should be deliberately terminated.
3. Diversity of responses to such situations is due in part to the diversity of attitudes
towards the life of the unborn child. This is a matter of individual conviction and con-
science that must be respected.
4. It is not the role of the medical profession to determine the attitudes and rules of any
particular state or community in this matter, but it is our duty to attempt both to en-
sure the protection of our patients and to safeguard the rights of the physician within
society.
5. Therefore, where the law allows therapeutic abortion to be performed, the procedure
should be performed by a physician competent to do so in premises approved by the
appropriate authority.
6. If the physician’s convictions do not allow him or her to advise or perform an abor-
tion, he or she may withdraw while ensuring the continuity of medical care by a quali-
fied colleague.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐1975-‐01-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
TOKYO
-‐
GUIDELINES
FOR
PHYSICIANS
CONCERNING
TORTURE
AND
OTHER
CRUEL,
INHUMAN
OR
DEGRADING
TREATMENT
OR
PUNISHMENT
IN
RELATION
TO
DETENTION
AND
IMPRISONMENT
-‐
Adopted by the 29th
World Medical Assembly, Tokyo, Japan, October 1975
and editorially revised by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France,
May 2005
and the 173rd
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2006
PREAMBLE
It is the privilege of the physician to practise medicine in the service of humanity, to
preserve and restore bodily and mental health without distinction as to persons, to comfort
and to ease the suffering of his or her patients. The utmost respect for human life is to be
maintained even under threat, and no use made of any medical knowledge contrary to the
laws of humanity.
For the purpose of this Declaration, torture is defined as the deliberate, systematic or
wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting alone or
on the orders of any authority, to force another person to yield information, to make a
confession, or for any other reason.
DECLARATION
1. The physician shall not countenance, condone or participate in the practice of torture
or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading procedures, whatever the offense of
which the victim of such procedures is suspected, accused or guilty, and whatever the
victim’s beliefs or motives, and in all situations, including armed conflict and civil
strife.
2. The physician shall not provide any premises, instruments, substances or knowledge
to facilitate the practice of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or to diminish the ability of the victim to resist such treatment.
3. When providing medical assistance to detainees or prisoners who are, or who could
later be, under interrogation, physicians should be particularly careful to ensure the
confidentiality of all personal medical information. A breach of the Geneva Conven-
tions shall in any case be reported by the physician to relevant authorities.
Divonne-‐les-‐Bains
⏐
D-‐1975-‐01-‐2006
Detention
and
Imprisonment
(Tokyo)
The physician shall not use nor allow to be used, as far as he or she can, medical know-
ledge or skills, or health information specific to individuals, to facilitate or otherwise
aid any interrogation, legal or illegal, of those individuals.
4. The physician shall not be present during any procedure during which torture or any
other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment is used or threatened.
5. A physician must have complete clinical independence in deciding upon the care of a
person for whom he or she is medically responsible. The physician’s fundamental role
is to alleviate the distress of his or her fellow human beings, and no motive, whether
personal, collective or political, shall prevail against this higher purpose.
6. Where a prisoner refuses nourishment and is considered by the physician as capable
of forming an unimpaired and rational judgment concerning the consequences of such
a voluntary refusal of nourishment, he or she shall not be fed artificially. The decision
as to the capacity of the prisoner to form such a judgment should be confirmed by at
least one other independent physician. The consequences of the refusal of nourish-
ment shall be explained by the physician to the prisoner.
7. The World Medical Association will support, and should encourage the international
community, the National Medical Associations and fellow physicians to support, the
physician and his or her family in the face of threats or reprisals resulting from a
refusal to condone the use of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐1981-‐01-‐2015
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
LISBON
ON
THE
RIGHTS
OF
THE
PATIENT
Adopted by the 34th
World Medical Assembly, Lisbon, Portugal,
September/October 1981
and amended by the 47th
WMA General Assembly, Bali, Indonesia, September 1995
and editorially revised by the 171st
WMA Council Session, Santiago, Chile, October 2005
and reaffirmed by the 200th
WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015
PREAMBLE
The relationship between physicians, their patients and broader society has undergone
significant changes in recent times. While a physician should always act according to his/
her conscience, and always in the best interests of the patient, equal effort must be made to
guarantee patient autonomy and justice. The following Declaration represents some of
the principal rights of the patient that the medical profession endorses and promotes.
Physicians and other persons or bodies involved in the provision of health care have a joint
responsibility to recognize and uphold these rights. Whenever legislation, government
action or any other administration or institution denies patients these rights, physicians
should pursue appropriate means to assure or to restore them.
PRINCIPLES
1. Right to medical care of good quality
a. Every person is entitled without discrimination to appropriate medical care.
b. Every patient has the right to be cared for by a physician whom he/she knows to
be free to make clinical and ethical judgements without any outside interference.
c. The patient shall always be treated in accordance with his/her best interests. The
treatment applied shall be in accordance with generally approved medical princi-
ples.
d. Quality assurance should always be a part of health care. Physicians, in parti-
cular, should accept responsibility for being guardians of the quality of medical
services.
e. In circumstances where a choice must be made between potential patients for a
particular treatment that is in limited supply, all such patients are entitled to a fair
selection procedure for that treatment. That choice must be based on medical cri-
teria and made without discrimination.
Patient’s
Right
(Lisbon)
Oslo
⏐
D-‐1981-‐01-‐2015
f. The patient has the right to continuity of health care. The physician has an obli-
gation to cooperate in the coordination of medically indicated care with other
health care providers treating the patient. The physician may not discontinue treat-
ment of a patient as long as further treatment is medically indicated, without
giving the patient reasonable assistance and sufficient opportunity to make alter-
native arrangements for care.
2. Right to freedom of choice
a. The patient has the right to choose freely and change his/her physician and hospi-
tal or health service institution, regardless of whether they are based in the private
or public sector.
b. The patient has the right to ask for the opinion of another physician at any stage.
3. Right to self-determination
a. The patient has the right to self-determination, to make free decisions regarding
himself/herself. The physician will inform the patient of the consequences of his/
her decisions.
b. A mentally competent adult patient has the right to give or withhold consent to
any diagnostic procedure or therapy. The patient has the right to the information
necessary to make his/her decisions. The patient should understand clearly what
is the purpose of any test or treatment, what the results would imply, and what
would be the implications of withholding consent.
c. The patient has the right to refuse to participate in research or the teaching of
medicine.
4. The unconscious patient
a. If the patient is unconscious or otherwise unable to express his/her will, informed
consent must be obtained whenever possible, from a legally entitled represen-
tative.
b. If a legally entitled representative is not available, but a medical intervention is
urgently needed, consent of the patient may be presumed, unless it is obvious and
beyond any doubt on the basis of the patient’s previous firm expression or con-
viction that he/she would refuse consent to the intervention in that situation.
c. However, physicians should always try to save the life of a patient unconscious
due to a suicide attempt.
5. The legally incompetent patient
a. If a patient is a minor or otherwise legally incompetent, the consent of a legally
entitled representative is required in some jurisdictions. Nevertheless the patient
must be involved in the decision-making to the fullest extent allowed by his/her
capacity.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐1981-‐01-‐2015
⏐
World
Medical
Association
b. If the legally incompetent patient can make rational decisions, his/her decisions
must be respected, and he/she has the right to forbid the disclosure of information
to his/her legally entitled representative.
c. If the patient’s legally entitled representative, or a person authorized by the pa-
tient, forbids treatment which is, in the opinion of the physician, in the patient’s
best interest, the physician should challenge this decision in the relevant legal or
other institution. In case of emergency, the physician will act in the patient’s best
interest.
6. Procedures against the patient’s will
Diagnostic procedures or treatment against the patient’s will can be carried out only in
exceptional cases, if specifically permitted by law and conforming to the principles of
medical ethics.
7. Right to information
a. The patient has the right to receive information about himself/herself recorded
in any of his/her medical records, and to be fully informed about his/her health
status including the medical facts about his/her condition. However, confidential
information in the patient’s records about a third party should not be given to the
patient without the consent of that third party.
b. Exceptionally, information may be withheld from the patient when there is good
reason to believe that this information would create a serious hazard to his/her
life or health.
c. Information should be given in a way appropriate to the patient’s culture and in
such a way that the patient can understand.
d. The patient has the right not to be informed on his/her explicit request, unless
required for the protection of another person’s life.
e. The patient has the right to choose who, if anyone, should be informed on his/
her behalf.
8. Right to confidentiality
a. All identifiable information about a patient’s health status, medical condition,
diagnosis, prognosis and treatment and all other information of a personal kind
must be kept confidential, even after death. Exceptionally, descendants may have
a right of access to information that would inform them of their health risks.
b. Confidential information can only be disclosed if the patient gives explicit con-
sent or if expressly provided for in the law. Information can be disclosed to other
health care providers only on a strictly « need to know » basis unless the patient
has given explicit consent.
Patient’s
Right
(Lisbon)
Oslo
⏐
D-‐1981-‐01-‐2015
c. All identifiable patient data must be protected. The protection of the data must be
appropriate to the manner of its storage. Human substances from which identifi-
able data can be derived must be likewise protected.
9. Right to health education
Every person has the right to health education that will assist him/her in making
informed choices about personal health and about the available health services. The
education should include information about healthy lifestyles and about methods of
prevention and early detection of illnesses. The personal responsibility of everybody
for his/her own health should be stressed. Physicians have an obligation to participate
actively in educational efforts.
10. Right to dignity
a. The patient’s dignity and right to privacy shall be respected at all times in medical
care and teaching, as shall his/her culture and values.
b. The patient is entitled to relief of his/her suffering according to the current state
of knowledge.
c. The patient is entitled to humane terminal care and to be provided with all avail-
able assistance in making dying as dignified and comfortable as possible.
11. Right to religious assistance
The patient has the right to receive or to decline spiritual and moral comfort including
the help of a minister of his/her chosen religion.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐1981-‐02-‐2010
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
ON
PRINCIPLES
OF
HEALTH
CARE
FOR
SPORTS
MEDICINE
Adopted by the 34th
World Medical Association General Assembly, Lisbon, Portugal,
September/October 1981
and revised by the 39th
World Medical Association General Assembly, Madrid, Spain,
October 1987
and the 45th
World Medical Association General Assembly, Budapest, Hungary,
October 1993
and the 51st
World Medical Association General Assembly, Tel Aviv, Israel, October 1999
and reaffirmed by the 185th
WMA Council Session, Evian-les-Bains, France, May 2010
Considering the involvement of physicians in sports medicine, the WMA recommends the
following ethical guidelines for physicians in order to help meet the needs of athletes, rec-
ognizing special circumstances in which their medical care and health guidance is given.
Consequently,
1. The physician who cares for athletes has an ethical responsibility to recognize the
special physical and mental demands placed upon them by their performance in sports
activities.
2. When the sports participant is a child or an adolescent, the physician must give first
consideration to the participant’s growth and stage of development.
1. The physician must ensure that the child’s state of growth and development, as
well as his or her general condition of health can absorb the rigors of the training
and competition without jeopardizing the normal physical or mental development
of the child or adolescent.
2. The physician must oppose any sports or athletic activity that is not appropriate to
the child’s stage of growth and development or general condition of health. The
physician must act in the best interest of the health of the child or adolescent,
without regard to any other interest or pressure from any other source.
3. When the sports participant is a professional athlete and derives livelihood from that
activity, the physician should pay due regard to the occupational medical aspects
involved.
4. The physician should be aware that the use of doping practices1
by a physician is a
violation of the medical oath and the basic principles of the WMA’s Declaration of
Sports
Medicine
Evian-‐les-‐Bains
⏐
D-‐1981-‐02-‐2010
Geneva, which states: « My patient’s health will always be my first consideration. » The
WMA considers the problem of doping to be a threat to the health of athletes and
young people in general, as well as being in conflict with the principles of medical
ethics. The physician must thus oppose and refuse to administer or condone any such
means or method which is not in accordance with medical ethics, and/or which might
be harmful to the athlete using it, especially:
1. Procedures which artificially modify blood constituents or biochemistry.
2. The use of drugs or other substances whatever their nature and route of adminis-
tration, including central-nervous-system stimulants or depressants and procedures
which artificially modify reflexes.
3. Pharmacological interventions that may induce alterations of will or general men-
tal outlook.
4. Procedures to mask pain or other protective symptoms if used to enable the athlete
to take part in events when lesions or signs are present which make his participa-
tion inadvisable.
5. Measures which artificially change features appropriate to age and sex.
6. Training and taking part in events when to do so would not be compatible with
preservation of the individual’s fitness, health or safety.
7. Measures aimed at an unnatural increase or maintenance of performance during
competition. Doping to improve an athlete’s performance is unethical.
5. The physician should inform the athlete, those responsible for him or her, and other
interested parties, of the consequences of the procedures the physician is opposing,
guard against their use, enlist the support of other physicians and other organizations
with the same aim, protect the athlete against any pressures which might induce him
or her to use these methods and help with supervision against these procedures.
6. The sports physician has the duty to give his or her objective opinion on the athlete’s
fitness or unfitness clearly and precisely, leaving no doubt as to his or her conclu-
sions.
7. In competitive sports or professional sports events, it is the physician’s duty to decide
whether the athlete is medically fit to remain on the field or return to the game. This
decision cannot be delegated to other professionals or to other persons. In the physi-
cian’s absence these individuals must adhere strictly to the instructions he or she has
given them, with priority always being given to the best interests of the athlete’s
health and safety, and not the outcome of the competition.
8. In order to carry out his or her ethical obligations the sports physician must see his or
her authority fully recognized and upheld, particularly wherever it concerns the
health, safety and legitimate interests of the athlete, none of which can be prejudiced
D-‐1981-‐02-‐2010
⏐
Evian-‐les-‐Bains
Sports
Medicine
to favour the interests of any third party whatsoever. These principles and obligations
should be supported by an agreement between the sports physician and the athletic
organization involved, recognizing that the physician is obligated to uphold the ethical
principles determined in national and international statements to which the medical
profession has subscribed and by which it is bound.
9. The sports physician should endeavour to keep the patient’s personal physician fully
informed of facts relevant to his or her treatment. If necessary the sports physician
should collaborate to ensure that the athlete does not exert himself or herself in ways
detrimental to his or her health and does not use potentially harmful techniques to im-
prove performance.
10. In sports medicine, as in all other branches of medicine, professional confidentiality
must be observed. The right to privacy over medical attention the athlete has received
must be protected, especially in the case of professional athletes.
11. The sports doctor must not be party to any contract which obliges him or her to re-
serve particular forms of therapy solely and exclusively for any one athlete or group
of athletes.
12. It is desirable that sports physicians from foreign countries, when accompanying a
team in another country, should enjoy the right to carry out their specific functions.
13. The participation of a sports physician is desirable when sports regulation are being
drawn up.
1
cf, The Olympic Charter Against Doping in Sport and the Lausanne Declaration on Dopping in
Sport adopted by the World Committee on Doping in Sport (February 1999)
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1983-‐01-‐2006
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
VENICE
ON
TERMINAL
ILLNESS
Adopted by the 35th
World Medical Assembly, Venice, Italy, October 1983
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREFACE
1. When addressing the ethical issues associated with end-of-life care, questions regard-
ing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide inevitably arise. The World Medical
Association condemns as unethical both euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. It
should be understood that WMA policy on these issues is fully applicable in the con-
text of this Statement on Terminal Illness.
PREAMBLE
1. When a patient’s medical diagnosis precludes the hope of health being restored or
maintained, and the death of the patient is inevitable, the physician and the patient are
often faced with a complex set of decisions regarding medical interventions. Ad-
vances in medical science have improved the ability of physicians to address many
issues associated with end-of-life care. However, it is an area of medicine that histori-
cally has not received the attention it deserves. While the priority of research to cure
disease should not be compromised, more attention must be paid to developing pallia-
tive treatments and improving the ability of physicians to assess and address the medi-
cal and psychological components of symptoms in terminal illness. The dying phase
must be recognized and respected as an important part of a person’s life. As public
pressure increases in many countries to consider physician assisted suicide and eutha-
nasia as acceptable options to end suffering in terminal patients, the ethical imperative
to improve palliative treatment in the terminal phase of life comes into sharp focus.
2. The World Medical Association recognizes that attitudes and beliefs toward death and
dying vary widely from culture to culture and among different religions. In addition,
many palliative and life-sustaining measures require technologies and/or financial
resources that are simply not available in many places. The approach to medical care
of the terminally ill will be influenced significantly by these factors, and thus at-
tempting to developing detailed guidelines on terminal care that can be universally
applied is neither practical nor wise. Therefore, the World Medical Association arti-
culates the following core principles to assist physicians and National Medical As-
sociations with decision-making related to terminal care.
D-‐1983-‐01-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Terminal
Illness
(Venice)
PRINCIPLES
1. The duty of physicians is to heal, where possible, to relieve suffering and to protect
the best interests of their patients. There shall be no exception to this principle even in
the case of incurable disease.
2. In the care of terminal patients, the primary responsibilities of the physician are to
assist the patient in maintaining an optimal quality of life through controlling symp-
toms and addressing psychosocial needs, and to enable the patient to die with dignity
and in comfort. Physicians should inform patients of the availability, benefits and
other potential effects of palliative care.
3. The patient’s right to autonomy in decision-making must be respected with regard to
decisions in the terminal phase of life. This includes the right to refuse treatment and
to request palliative measures to relieve suffering but which may have the additional
effect of accelerating the dying process. However, physicians are ethically prohibited
from actively assisting patients in suicide. This includes administering any treatments
whose palliative benefits, in the opinion of the physician, do not justify the additional
effects.
4. The physician must not employ any means that would provide no benefit for the pa-
tient.
5. Physicians should recognise the right of patients to develop written advance directives
that describe their wishes regarding care in the event that they are unable to commu-
nicate and that designate a substitute decision-maker to make decisions that are not
expressed in the advance directive. In particular, physicians should discuss the pa-
tient’s wishes regarding the approach to life-sustaining interventions as well as pal-
liative measures that might have the additional effect of accelerating death. When-
ever possible, the patient’s substitute decision-maker should be included in these con-
versations.
6. Physicians should endeavour to understand and address the psychosocial needs of
their patients, especially as they relate to patients’ physical symptoms. Physicians
should try to ensure that psychological and spiritual resources are available to patients
and their families to help them deal with the anxiety, fear and grief associated with
terminal illness.
7. The clinical management of pain in terminal patients is of paramount importance in
terms of alleviating suffering. Physicians and National Medical Associations should
promote the dissemination and sharing of information regarding pain management to
ensure that all physicians involved in terminal care have access to best practice guide-
lines and the most current treatments and methods available. Physicians should be
able to pursue clinically appropriate aggressive pain management without undue fear
of regulatory or legal repercussions.
8. National Medical Associations should encourage governments and research institu-
tions to invest additional resources in developing treatments to improve end-of-life
care. Medical school curricula should include the teaching of palliative medical care.
Where it does not exist, the establishment of palliative medicine as a medical special-
ty should be considered.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1983-‐01-‐2006
9. National Medical Associations should advocate for the development of networks
among institutions and organizations involved in palliative care in order to foster com-
munication and collaboration.
10. Physicians may, when the patient cannot reverse the final process of cessation of vital
functions, apply such artificial means as are necessary to keep organs active for trans-
plantation provided that they act in accordance with the ethical guidelines established
in the World Medical Association Declaration of Sydney on the Determination of Death
and the Recovery of Organs.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐1987-‐01-‐2015
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
ON
EUTHANASIA
Adopted by the 39th
World Medical Assembly, Madrid, Spain, October 1987
and reaffirmed by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2005
and reaffirmed by the 200th
WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015
Euthanasia, that is the act of deliberately ending the life of a patient, even at the patient’s
own request or at the request of close relatives, is unethical. This does not prevent the phy-
sician from respecting the desire of a patient to allow the natural process of death to follow
its course in the terminal phase of sickness.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1989-‐01-‐2015
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
HONG
KONG
ON
THE
ABUSE
OF
THE
ELDERLY
Adopted by the 41st
World Medical Assembly, Hong Kong, September 1989
and editorially revised by the 126th
WMA Council Session, Jerusalem, Israel, May 1990
and the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2005
and reaffirmed by the 200th
WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015
Elderly people may suffer pathological problems such as motor disturbances and psychic
and orientation disorders. As a result of such problems, elderly patients may require assis-
tance with their daily activities that can lead to a state of dependence. This may cause their
families and the community to consider them to be a burden and to subsequently limit or
deny care and services.
Abuse or neglect of the elderly can be manifested in a variety of ways: physical, psycho-
logical, financial and/or material, and medical. Variations in the definition of elder abuse
present difficulties in comparing findings on the nature and causes of the problem. A num-
ber of preliminary hypotheses have been proposed on the etiology of elder abuse includ-
ing: dependency on others to provide services; lack of close family ties; family vio-
lence; lack of financial resources; psychopathology of the abuser; lack of community sup-
port, and institutional factors such as low pay and poor working conditions that contribute
to pessimistic attitudes of caretakers.
The phenomenon of elder abuse is becoming increasingly recognized by both medical
facilities and social agencies. The first step in preventing elder abuse and neglect is to in-
crease levels of awareness and knowledge among physicians and other health profes-
sionals. Once high-risk individuals and families have been identified, physicians can parti-
cipate in the primary prevention of maltreatment by making referrals to appropriate com-
munity and social service centres. Physicians may also participate by providing support
and information on high-risk situations directly to patients and their families. At the same
time, physicians should employ care and sensitivity to preserve patient trust and confiden-
tiality, particularly in the case of competent patients.
The World Medical Association therefore adopts the following general principles relating
to abuse of the elderly.
GENERAL
PRINCIPLES
1. The elderly have the same rights to care, welfare and respect as other human beings.
2. Physicians have a responsibility to help prevent the physical and psychological abuse
of elderly patients.
D-‐1989-‐01-‐2005
⏐
Divonne-‐les-‐Bains
Elderly
Abuse
(Hong
Kong)
3. Whether consulted by an aged person directly, a nursing home or the family, phy-
sicians should see that the patient receives the best possible care.
4. If physicians verify or suspect ill treatment, as defined in this statement, they should
discuss the situation with those in charge, be it the nursing home or the family. If ill
treatment is confirmed, or if death is considered to be suspicious, they should report
the findings to the appropriate authorities.
5. To guarantee protection of the elderly in any environment there should be no restric-
tions on their right of free choice of a physician. National Medical Associations should
strive to make certain that such free choice is preserved within the socio-medical sys-
tem.
The World Medical Association also makes the following recommendations to physicians
involved in treating the elderly, and urges all National Medical Associations to publicize
this Declaration to their members and the public.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Physicians involved in treating the elderly should:
• make increased attempts to establish an atmosphere of trust with elderly patients in
order to encourage them to seek medical care when necessary and to feel comfort-
able confiding in the physician;
• provide medical evaluation and treatment for injuries resulting from abuse and/or
neglect;
• attempt to establish or maintain a therapeutic alliance with the family (often the
physician is the only professional who maintains long-term contact with the patient
and the family), while preserving to the greatest extent possible the confidentiality
of the patient;
• report all suspected cases of elder abuse and/or neglect in accordance with local
legislation;
• utilize a multidisciplinary team of caretakers from the medical, social service,
mental health, and legal professions, whenever possible; and
• encourage the development and utilization of supportive community resources that
provide in-home services, respite care, and stress reduction with high-risk families.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
MALTA
ON
HUNGER
STRIKERS
Adopted by the 43rd
World Medical Assembly, St. Julians, Malta, November 1991
and editorially revised by the 44th
World Medical Assembly, Marbella, Spain, September 1992
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
1. Hunger strikes occur in various contexts but they mainly give rise to dilemmas in
settings where people are detained (prisons, jails and immigration detention centres).
They are often a form of protest by people who lack other ways of making their de-
mands known. In refusing nutrition for a significant period, they usually hope to
obtain certain goals by inflicting negative publicity on the authorities. Short-term or
feigned food refusals rarely raise ethical problems. Genuine and prolonged fasting
risks death or permanent damage for hunger strikers and can create a conflict of values
for physicians. Hunger strikers usually do not wish to die but some may be prepared
to do so to achieve their aims. Physicians need to ascertain the individual’s true inten-
tion, especially in collective strikes or situations where peer pressure may be a factor.
An ethical dilemma arises when hunger strikers who have apparently issued clear in-
structions not to be resuscitated reach a stage of cognitive impairment. The principle
of beneficence urges physicians to resuscitate them but respect for individual auto-
nomy restrains physicians from intervening when a valid and informed refusal has
been made. An added difficulty arises in custodial settings because it is not always
clear whether the hunger striker’s advance instructions were made voluntarily and with
appropriate information about the consequences. These guidelines and the background
paper address such difficult situations.
PRINCIPLES
1. Duty to act ethically. All physicians are bound by medical ethics in their professional
contact with vulnerable people, even when not providing therapy. Whatever their role,
physicians must try to prevent coercion or maltreatment of detainees and must protest
if it occurs.
2. Respect for autonomy. Physicians should respect individuals’ autonomy. This can in-
volve difficult assessments as hunger strikers’ true wishes may not be as clear as they
appear. Any decisions lack moral force if made involuntarily by use of threats, peer
pressure or coercion. Hunger strikers should not be forcibly given treatment they re-
fuse. Forced feeding contrary to an informed and voluntary refusal is unjustifiable. Arti-
ficial feeding with the hunger striker’s explicit or implied consent is ethically accept-
able.
D-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Hunger
Strikers
(Malta)
3. ‘Benefit’ and ‘harm’. Physicians must exercise their skills and knowledge to benefit
those they treat. This is the concept of ‘beneficence’, which is complemented by that
of ‘non-maleficence’ or primum non nocere. These two concepts need to be in balance.
‘Benefit’ includes respecting individuals’ wishes as well as promoting their welfare.
Avoiding ‘harm’ means not only minimising damage to health but also not forcing
treatment upon competent people nor coercing them to stop fasting. Beneficence does
not necessarily involve prolonging life at all costs, irrespective of other values.
4. Balancing dual loyalties. Physicians attending hunger strikers can experience a con-
flict between their loyalty to the employing authority (such as prison management)
and their loyalty to patients. Physicians with dual loyalties are bound by the same
ethical principles as other physicians, that is to say that their primary obligation is to
the individual patient.
5. Clinical independence. Physicians must remain objective in their assessments and not
allow third parties to influence their medical judgement. They must not allow them-
selves to be pressured to breach ethical principles, such as intervening medically for
non-clinical reasons.
6. Confidentiality. The duty of confidentiality is important in building trust but it is not
absolute. It can be overridden if non-disclosure seriously harms others. As with other
patients, hunger strikers’ confidentiality should be respected unless they agree to
disclosure or unless information sharing is necessary to prevent serious harm. If
individuals agree, their relatives and legal advisers should be kept informed of the
situation.
7. Gaining trust. Fostering trust between physicians and hunger strikers is often the key
to achieving a resolution that both respects the rights of the hunger strikers and mini-
mises harm to them. Gaining trust can create opportunities to resolve difficult situ-
ations. Trust is dependent upon physicians providing accurate advice and being frank
with hunger strikers about the limitations of what they can and cannot do, including
where they cannot guarantee confidentiality.
GUIDELINES
FOR
THE
MANAGEMENT
OF
HUNGER
STRIKERS
1. Physicians must assess individuals’ mental capacity. This involves verifying that an
individual intending to fast does not have a mental impairment that would seriously
undermine the person’s ability to make health care decisions. Individuals with
seriously impaired mental capacity cannot be considered to be hunger strikers. They
need to be given treatment for their mental health problems rather than allowed to fast
in a manner that risks their health.
2. As early as possible, physicians should acquire a detailed and accurate medical
history of the person who is intending to fast. The medical implications of any exist-
ing conditions should be explained to the individual. Physicians should verify that
hunger strikers understand the potential health consequences of fasting and forewarn
them in plain language of the disadvantages. Physicians should also explain how da-
mage to health can be minimised or delayed by, for example, increasing fluid intake.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
Since the person’s decisions regarding a hunger strike can be momentous, ensuring
full patient understanding of the medical consequences of fasting is critical. Consist-
ent with best practices for informed consent in health care, the physician should en-
sure that the patient understands the information conveyed by asking the patient to
repeat back what they understand.
3. A thorough examination of the hunger striker should be made at the start of the fast.
Management of future symptoms, including those unconnected to the fast, should be
discussed with hunger strikers. Also, the person’s values and wishes regarding medi-
cal treatment in the event of a prolonged fast should be noted.
4. Sometimes hunger strikers accept an intravenous saline solution transfusion or other
forms of medical treatment. A refusal to accept certain interventions must not preju-
dice any other aspect of the medical care, such as treatment of infections or of pain.
5. Physicians should talk to hunger strikers in privacy and out of earshot of all other
people, including other detainees. Clear communication is essential and, where neces-
sary, interpreters unconnected to the detaining authorities should be available and they
too must respect confidentiality.
6. Physicians need to satisfy themselves that food or treatment refusal is the individual’s
voluntary choice. Hunger strikers should be protected from coercion. Physicians can
often help to achieve this and should be aware that coercion may come from the peer
group, the authorities or others, such as family members. Physicians or other health
care personnel may not apply undue pressure of any sort on the hunger striker to sus-
pend the strike. Treatment or care of the hunger striker must not be conditional upon
suspension of the hunger strike.
7. If a physician is unable for reasons of conscience to abide by a hunger striker’s refusal
of treatment or artificial feeding, the physician should make this clear at the outset
and refer the hunger striker to another physician who is willing to abide by the hunger
striker’s refusal.
8. Continuing communication between physician and hunger strikers is critical. Physi-
cians should ascertain on a daily basis whether individuals wish to continue a hunger
strike and what they want to be done when they are no longer able to communicate
meaningfully. These findings must be appropriately recorded.
9. When a physician takes over the case, the hunger striker may have already lost mental
capacity so that there is no opportunity to discuss the individual’s wishes regarding
medical intervention to preserve life. Consideration needs to be given to any advance
instructions made by the hunger striker. Advance refusals of treatment demand res-
pect if they reflect the voluntary wish of the individual when competent. In custodial
settings, the possibility of advance instructions having been made under pressure
needs to be considered. Where physicians have serious doubts about the individual’s
intention, any instructions must be treated with great caution. If well informed and
voluntarily made, however, advance instructions can only generally be overridden if
they become invalid because the situation in which the decision was made has changed
radically since the individual lost competence.
D-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Hunger
Strikers
(Malta)
10. If no discussion with the individual is possible and no advance instructions exist,
physicians have to act in what they judge to be the person’s best interests. This means
considering the hunger strikers’ previously expressed wishes, their personal and cul-
tural values as well as their physical health. In the absence of any evidence of hunger
strikers’ former wishes, physicians should decide whether or not to provide feeding,
without interference from third parties.
11. Physicians may consider it justifiable to go against advance instructions refusing treat-
ment because, for example, the refusal is thought to have been made under duress. If,
after resuscitation and having regained their mental faculties, hunger strikers continue
to reiterate their intention to fast, that decision should be respected. It is ethical to al-
low a determined hunger striker to die in dignity rather than submit that person to re-
peated interventions against his or her will.
12. Artificial feeding can be ethically appropriate if competent hunger strikers agree to it.
It can also be acceptable if incompetent individuals have left no unpressured advance
instructions refusing it.
13. Forcible feeding is never ethically acceptable. Even if intended to benefit, feeding ac-
companied by threats, coercion, force or use of physical restraints is a form of inhu-
man and degrading treatment. Equally unacceptable is the forced feeding of some de-
tainees in order to intimidate or coerce other hunger strikers to stop fasting.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1997-‐01-‐2009
WMA
DECLARATION
ON
GUIDELINES
FOR
CONTINUOUS
QUALITY
IMPROVEMENT
IN
HEALTH
CARE
Adopted by the 49th
World Medical Assembly, Hamburg, Germany, November 1997
and amended by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
PREAMBLE
The purpose of health care is to prevent, diagnose and treat illness and to maintain and to
promote the health of the population. The goal of quality review in health care is conti-
nuous improvement of the quality of services provided for patients and the population, and
of the ways and means of producing these services. The ultimate goal is to improve both
individual patient outcomes and population health.
The obligation to continuously improve one’s professional ability and to rigorously eval-
uate the methods one uses has long been a fundamental tenet of the ethical codes of physi-
cians. According to these codes, a physician must always strive to maintain and increase
his/her knowledge and skills. The physician shall recommend only examinations and treat-
ments that are believed to be effective and appropriate according to the best available evi-
dence-based medicine.
Physicians and health care institutions have an ethical and professional obligation to strive
for continuous quality improvement of services and patient safety. These guidelines are in-
tended to articulate the ethical grounds for these obligations and to strengthen quality re-
view practices.
Ethical guidelines for health care quality improvement matter to all physicians, as well as
to institutions providing health care services for patients, those providing continuous
quality improvement services to assist physicians and organizations, health care payers
and regulators, patients, and every other stakeholder in the health care system.
THE
OBLIGATION
TO
ESTABLISH
STANDARDS
FOR
GOOD
QUALITY
WORK
Professionals, by definition, are responsible for specifying the standards that constitute
good quality in their work and the processes needed for the evaluation of that quality.
Health professionals, therefore, must define high quality health care and determine the
best methods of measuring the quality of care delivered.
D-‐1997-‐01-‐2009
⏐
New
Delhi
Quality
Improvement
in
Health
Care
THE
OBLIGATION
TO
COLLECT
DATA
In order to assess quality of care, it is necessary to obtain reliable data on the patients and
populations served as well as on care processes and outcomes. Patient records, whether
recorded on paper, digitally or in any other way, must be created written and preserved
with care and, with attention to confidentiality requirements. Procedures, decisions and
other matters connected with patients should be recorded in a format that will allow infor-
mation for measuring specific standards to be available on a timely basis when needed.
THE
ROLE
OF
PROFESSIONAL
EDUCATION
Health care professionals should have adequate opportunities to maintain and develop
their knowledge and skills by participating in continuing medical education and/or conti-
nuing professional development. Clinical guidelines based on professional standards for
high quality care should be created and made easily available to those requiring
them. Health care training should include specific instruction in quality improvement
techniques, including opportunities for hands-on practice in measuring and improving
quality. Health care institutions should create quality improvement systems for their own
use and to en-sure that instructions concerning such systems are followed.
Good quality work requires resources. Every effort should be made to make sure that ade-
quate time and economic means are available for quality work.
ATTENTION
TO
INAPPROPRIATE
USE
OF
SERVICES
Inappropriate use of health care services includes overuse, underuse and misuse. Quality
measurement in health care should include a balanced set of measures in all three areas.
Overuse of services occurs when health care services are provided under circumstances in
which the potential for harm exceeds the possible benefit. Physicians can improve quality
by reducing overuse, thus sparing patients the unnecessary risk that results from inappro-
priate health services.
Underuse of services is the failure to provide health care services that would be likely to
produce a favourable outcome for the patient. Physicians should strive to expand the use
of beneficial health care services that are underused.
Misuse of services occurs when an incorrect diagnosis is made or when an appropriate
service has been selected for a correct diagnosis but the patient does not receive the full
potential benefit of the service because of a preventable adverse event. Misuse of services
can be greatly reduced by using risk management and error prevention strategies.
MONITORING
QUALITY:
CLINICAL
AUDITS
Active participation in critical self-evaluation, usually through clinical audit programs, is a
useful mechanism for healthcare professionals, including healthcare administrators and
physicians, and the institutions in which they work, to improve the quality of their work.
External independent examination and accreditation of the institution can also be of use,
when carried out appropriately and with due attention to potential unintended effects.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1997-‐01-‐2009
INTERNAL
AND
EXTERNAL
QUALITY
ASSESSMENT
At the individual level, a physician should continuously update their knowledge and skills
and subject their level of ability to critical self-appraisal.
In organizations, the quality of health care can be assessed by both internal and external
methods.
Health care institutions should create internal quality improvement systems for their own
use and ensure that instructions concerning such systems are followed. These systems
should include continuous conducting of internal clinical peer review, review examination
and treatment methods and their attendant results, tracking of the organization’s ability to
react to quality data, and monitoring of patient feedback.
External quality review initiatives, such as external peer review and audit, should be car-
ried out regularly and with a frequency corresponding to the evolution of the field or when
there is special reason for external assessment. Any review should take into account risk
adjustment of the patient population under consideration.
Whether internal or external, if the results of any quality assessment carry significant op-
portunities for benefit or threats of harms for the organization or individual being assessed,
special attention must be paid to potential unintended and dangerous consequences of such
quality assessments. It is especially important to monitor the results of quality improve-
ment measurement and intervention strategies over time, with attention to their effects on
especially vulnerable patient populations.
Protocols to be used for quality review should be replicable and transparent. Appeals me-
chanisms should be built into the protocols.
CONFIDENTIALITY
OF
PATIENT
RECORDS
Patient records are an invaluable source of data for quality improvement. As with other uses
of individually-identifiable patient based information, consent is usually required from the
patient prior to use. If consent cannot reasonably be obtained, then all attempts should be
made to ensure that medical records are anonymised or pseudonimised for use in quality
improvement efforts. In every case, patient records used for quality improvement must
only be accessible to those who need to see them for the purposes of quality improvement.
CONFIDENTIALITY
OF
PEER
REVIEW
For peer review to be most effective, all parties involved must participate and recognize its
importance. It is recommended that informed voluntary consent be obtained from those to
be reviewed. Within a healthcare team, the work of each physician must be able to be eval-
uated. Information regarding an individual physician’s evaluation should not be pu-blished
without the consent of the physician concerned. It is recommended that consent be ob-
tained prior to publishing information regarding an individual physician’s evaluation.
D-‐1997-‐01-‐2009
⏐
New
Delhi
Quality
Improvement
in
Health
Care
A provider of services may inform his/her patients about the results of quality review.
If reviews are made available to the public, careful monitoring must be undertaken to track
the effects, intended and unintended, of such public reporting of performance data.
ETHICAL
REVIEW
OF
QUALITY
IMPROVEMENT
ACTIVITIES
National codes of medical ethics and ethical principles and guidelines that relate to conti-
nuous quality improvement, audit and clinical review must be followed.
Quality improvement should be an ongoing and integral part of the operations of every
health care organization. As such, the majority of quality improvement projects will not
require specific review by an ethics committee. If there are doubts about specific issues or
if a project poses more than minimal risk compared to the existing processes for care, then
the project should be referred to an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review
board. When such formal ethical review is needed, it should be undertaken by a commit-
tee with members who are knowledgeable about quality improvement techniques.
COMPETENCE
AND
IMPARTIALITY
OF
THE
REVIEWER
Those who conduct performance reviews must be competent in quality improvement tech-
niques and in clinical audit as well as experienced in the clinical field relating to the re-
view. Where medical care is being reviewed, the reviewer should be a physician whose
knowledge and experience is accepted by those being reviewed.
The reviewer should be impartial and independent. Whilst he/she must be aware of the
activities under review, he/she must be objective in the report and base conclusions on
critical evaluation of observation and facts. Commercial or competitive matters should not
be allowed to influence the content of the reviewer’s report.
SEPARATION
OF
QUALITY
REVIEWS
AND
SUPERVISION
BY
AUTHORITIES
Quality improvement of services and of health care systems is a requirement for every
physician and health care institution. It is not supervision of professional activities by au-
thorities and it must be kept independent of this. The results of performance reviews or au-
dits of physician activities should be used by supervising authorities only subject to a se-
parate agreement between them and the physicians concerned unless national legislation
mandates an alternative approach. These activities must be fully cognizant of the local le-
gal framework and must not expose participating physicians to litigation.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
HAMBURG
CONCERNING
SUPPORT
FOR
MEDICAL
DOCTORS
REFUSING
TO
PARTICIPATE
IN,
OR
TO
CONDONE,
THE
USE
OF
TORTURE
OR
OTHER
FORMS
OF
CRUEL,
INHUMAN
OR
DEGRADING
TREATMENT
Adopted by the 49th
WMA General Assembly, Hamburg, Germany, November 1997
and reaffirmed by the 176th
WMA Council Session, Berlin, Germany, May 2007
PREAMBLE
1. On the basis of a number of international ethical declarations and guidelines subs-
cribed to by the medical profession, medical doctors throughout the world are pro-
hibited from countenancing, condoning or participating in the practice of torture or
other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading procedures for any reason.
2. Primary among these declarations are the World Medical Association’s International
Code of Medical Ethics, Declaration of Geneva, Declaration of Tokyo, and Resolu-
tion on Physician Participation in Capital Punishment; the Standing Committee of
European Doctors’ Statement of Madrid; the Nordic Resolution Concerning Physician
Involvement in Capital Punishment; and, the World Psychiatric Association’s Decla-
ration of Hawaii.
3. However, none of these declarations or statements addresses explicitly the issue of
what protection should be extended to medical doctors if they are pressured, called
upon, or ordered to take part in torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment. Nor do these declarations or statements express explicit sup-
port for, or the obligation to protect, doctors who encounter or become aware of such
procedures.
RESOLUTION
1. The World Medical Association (WMA) hereby reiterates and reaffirms the responsi-
bility of the organised medical profession:
i. to encourage doctors to honour their commitment as physicians to serve humanity
and to resist any pressure to act contrary to the ethical principles governing their
dedication to this task;
ii. to support physicians experiencing difficulties as a result of their resistance to any
such pressure or as a result of their attempts to speak out or to act against such in-
human procedures; and,
D-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
⏐
Berlin
Refusing
Torture
(Hamburg)
iii. to extend its support and to encourage other international organisations, as well as
the national member associations (NMAs) of the World Medical Association, to
support physicians encountering difficulties as a result of their attempts to act in
accordance with the highest ethical principles of the profession.
2. Furthermore, in view of the continued employment of such inhumane procedures in
many countries throughout the world, and the documented incidents of pressure upon
medical doctors to act in contravention to the ethical principles subscribed to by the
profession, the WMA finds it necessary:
i. to protest internationally against any involvement of, or any pressure to involve,
medical doctors in acts of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment;
ii. to support and protect, and to call upon its NMAs to support and protect, physi-
cians who are resisting involvement in such inhuman procedures or who are
working to treat and rehabilitate victims thereof, as well as to secure the right to
uphold the highest ethical principles including medical confidentiality;
iii. to publicise information about and to support doctors reporting evidence of tor-
ture and to make known proven cases of attempts to involve physicians in such
procedures; and,
iv. to encourage national medical associations to ask corresponding academic autho-
rities to teach and investigate in all schools of medicine and hospitals the conse-
quences of torture and its treatment, the rehabilitation of the survivors, the docu-
mentation of torture, and the professional protection described in this Declara-
tion.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐1998-‐01-‐2009
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
OTTAWA
ON
CHILD
HEALTH
Adopted by the 50th
World Medical Assembly, Ottawa, Canada, October 1998
and amended by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
PREAMBLE
Science has now proven that to reach their potential, children need to grow up in a place
where they can thrive – spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically and intellectually1
. That
place must have four fundamental elements:
• a safe and secure environment;
• the opportunity for optimal growth and development;
• health services when needed; and
• monitoring & research for evidence-based continual improvement into the future2
.
Physicians know that the future of our world depends on our children: their education,
their employability, their productivity, their innovation, and their love and care for one
another and for this planet. Early childhood experiences strongly influence future develop-
ment including basic learning, school success, economic participation, social citizenry,
and health3
. In most situations, parents and caregivers alone cannot provide strong nur-
turing environments without help from local, regional, national and international organi-
zations1
. Physicians therefore join with parents, and with world leaders to advocate for
healthy children.
The principles of this Declaration apply to all children in the world from birth to 18 years
of age, regardless of race, age, ethnicity, nationality, political affiliation, creed, language,
gender, disease or disability, physical ability, mental ability, sexual orientation, cultural
history, life experience or the social standing of the child or her/his parents or legal guard-
ian. In all countries of the world, regardless of resources, meeting these principles should
be a priority for parents, communities and governments. The United Nations Con-vention
on the Rights of Children (1989) sets out the wider rights of all children and young people,
but those rights cannot exist without health.
GENERAL
PRINCIPLES
1. A place with a safe and secure environment includes:
a. Clean water, air and soil;
b. Protection from injury, exploitation, discrimination and from traditional practices
prejudicial to the health of the child, and
c. Healthy families, homes and communities
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New
Delhi
Child
Health
(Ottawa)
2. A place where a child can have good health and development offers:
a. Prenatal and maternal care for the best possible health at birth
b. Nutrition for proper growth, development and long-term health
c. Early learning opportunities and high quality care at home and in the community
d. Opportunities and encouragement for physical activity
e. Affordable & accessible high quality primary & secondary education
3. A full range of health resources available to all means:
a. The best interests of the child shall be the primary consideration in the provision of
health care;
b. Those caring for children shall have the special training and skills necessary to
enable them to respond appropriately to the medical, physical, emotional and de-
velopmental needs of children & their families
c. Basic health care including health promotion, recommended immunization, drugs
& dental health
d. Mental health care and prompt referral to intervention when problems identified
e. Priority access to drugs for life- or limb-threatening conditions for all mothers and
children
f. Hospitalization only if the care and treatment required cannot be provided at home,
in the community or on an outpatient basis
g. Access to specialty diagnostic and treatment services when needed
h. Rehabilitation services and supports within community
i. Pain management and care and prevention (or minimization) of suffering
j. Informed consent is necessary before initiating any diagnostic, therapeutic, re-
habilitative, or research procedure on a child. In the majority of cases, the consent
shall be obtained from the parent(s) or legal guardian, or in some cases, by ex-
tended family, although the wishes of a competent child should be taken into ac-
count before consent is given.
4. Research4
& monitoring for continual improvement includes:
a. All infants will be officially registered within one month of birth
b. All children will be treated with dignity and respect
c. Quality care is ensured through on-going monitoring of services, including collec-
tion of data, and evaluation of outcomes
d. Children will share in the benefits from scientific research relevant to their needs
e. The privacy of a child patient will be respected
1
Irwin LG, Siddiqi A, Hertzman C. “Early Child Development: A Powerful Equalizer. Final Re-
port”. World Health Organization Commission on the Social Determinants of Health June 2007
2
WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (Closing the Gap in a Generation) 2008
3
Canadian Charter for Child and Youth Health
4
Proposed WMA statement on ethical principles for medical research on child subjects
* Please refer the background document for specific principles.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
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⏐
D-‐2000-‐01-‐2011
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
EDINBURGH
ON
PRISON
CONDITIONS
AND
THE
SPREAD
OF
TUBERCULOSIS
AND
OTHER
COMMUNICABLE
DISEASES
Adopted by the 52nd
World Medical Association General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland,
October 2000
and revised by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
PREAMBLE
Prisoners enjoy the same health care rights as all other people. This includes the right to
humane treatment and appropriate medical care. The standards for the treatment of pri-
soners have been set down in a number of Declarations and Guidelines adopted by various
bodies of the United Nations.
The relationship between physician and prisoner is governed by the same ethical princi-
ples as that between the physician and any other patient. There are specific tensions within
the patient/physician relationship, which do not exist in other settings, in particular the
relationship of the physician with his/her employer, the prison service, and the general
attitude of society to prisoners.
There are also strong public health reasons for reinforcing the importance of these rules.
The high incidence of tuberculosis amongst prisoners in a number of countries reinforces
the need for considering public health as an important element when designing new prison
regimens, and for reforming existing penal and prison systems.
Individuals facing imprisonment are often from the most marginalised sections of society,
may have had limited access to health care before imprisonment, may suffer worse health
that many other citizens and may enter prison with undiagnosed, undetected and untreated
health problems.
Prisons can be breeding grounds for infection. Overcrowding, lengthy confinement within
tightly enclosed, poorly lit, badly heated and consequently poorly ventilated and often hu-
mid spaces are all conditions frequently associated with imprisonment and all of which
contribute to the spread of disease and ill-health. Where these factors are combined with
poor hygiene, inadequate nutrition and limited access to adequate health care, prisons can
represent a major public health challenge.
Keeping prisoners in conditions, which expose them to substantial medical risk, poses a
humanitarian challenge. An infectious prisoner is a risk to other prisoners, prison person-
nel, relatives and other prison visitors and the wider community – not only when the pri-
soner is released, but also because prison bars do not keep Tuberculosis bacilli from
spreading into the outside world. The most effective and efficient way of reducing disease
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Prison
Conditions
on
TB
(Edinburgh)
transmission is to improve the prison environment, by putting together an efficient medi-
cal service that is capable of detecting and treating the disease, and by targeting prison
overcrowding as the most urgent action.
The increase in active Tuberculosis in prison populations and the development within
some of these populations of resistant and especially « multi-drug » and « extremely-drug »
resistant forms of TB, as recognised by the World Medical Association in its Statement on
Drug Treatment of Tuberculosis, is reaching very high prevalence and incidence rates in
prisons in some parts of the world.
Other conditions, such as Hepatitis C and HIV Disease, do not have as high a risk of per-
son-to- person communicability as TB but pose transmission risks from blood to blood
borne spread, or sharing and exchange of body fluids. Overcrowded prison conditions also
promote the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Intravenous drug use will also contri-
bute to the spread of HIV as well as the more contagious Hepatitis B and C. These need
specific solutions that are not dealt with in this statement. However the principles set out
below will also be helpful in reducing the risk from such infective agents.
ACTIONS
REQUIRED
The World Medical Association considers it essential both for public health and humani-
tarian reasons that careful attention is paid to:
1. Protecting the rights of prisoners according to the various UN instruments relating
to conditions of imprisonment. Prisoners should enjoy the same rights as other pa-
tients, as outlined in the WMA Declaration of Lisbon;
2. Not allowing the rights of prisoners to be ignored or invalidated because they have
an infectious illness;
3. Ensuring that the conditions in which detainees and prisoners are kept, whether
they are held during the investigation of a crime, whilst waiting for trial, or as pu-
nishment once sentenced, do not contribute to the development, worsening or trans-
mission of disease.
4. Ensuring that persons being held while going through immigration procedures, are
kept in conditions which do not encourage the spread of disease, although prisons
should not normally be used to house such persons;
5. Ensuring the coordination of health services within and outside prisons to facilitate
continuity of care and epidemiological monitoring of inmate patients when they
are released;
6. Ensuring that prisoners are not isolated, or placed in solitary confinement, as a res-
ponse to their infected status without adequate access to health care and the appro-
priate medical treatment of their infected status;
7. Ensuring that, upon admission to or transfer to a different prison, inmates’ health
status is reviewed within 24 hours of arrival to assure continuity of care;
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8. Ensuring the provision of follow-up treatment for prisoners who, on their release,
are still ill, particularly with TB or any other infectious disease. Because erratic treat-
ments or interruptions of treatment may be particularly hazardous epidemiolo-
gically and to the individual, planning for and providing continuing care are essen-
tial elements of prison health care provision;
9. Recognising that the public health mechanisms, which may in the rarest and most
exceptional cases involve the compulsory detention of individuals who pose a se-
rious risk of infection to the wider community must be efficacious, necessary and
justified, and proportional to the risks posed. Such steps should be exceptional and
must follow careful and critical questioning of the need for such constraints and
the absence of any effective alternative. In such circumstances detention should be
for as short a time as possible and be as limited in restrictions as feasible. There
must also be a system of independent appraisal and periodic review of any such
measures, including a mechanism for appeal by the patients themselves. Wherever
possible alternatives to such detention should be used;
10. This model should be used in considering all steps to prevent cross infection and to
treat existing infected persons within the prison environment.
11. Physicians working in prisons have a duty to report to the health authorities and
professional organisations of their country any deficiency in health care provided
to the inmates and any situation involving high epidemiological risk. NMAs are
obliged to attempt to protect those physicians against any possible reprisals.
12. Physicians working in prisons have a duty to follow national public health guide-
lines, where these are ethically appropriate, particularly concerning the mandatory
reporting of infectious and communicable diseases.
ANNEX
International texts relating to medical care in prisons:
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 4, 9, 10 and 11). Adopted by the United Nations
General Assembly on 16 December 1948.
Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Rules 22-26). Approved by the United
Nations Economic and Social Council on 31 July 1957.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 12). Adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966. Entry into force: 3 January 1976.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Articles 6, 7 and 10). Adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966. Entry into force: 23 March 1976.
Principles of Medical Ethics Relevant to the Protection of Prisoners Against Torture (Principle 1).
Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 1982.
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Conditions
on
TB
(Edinburgh)
Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons Under Any Forms of Detention or
Imprisonment (Principle 24). Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December
1988.
Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners (Article 9). Adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly on 14 December 1990.
United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of Their Liberty (Principles 50-54).
Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 14 December 1990.
WHO Guidelines on HIV Infection and AIDS in Prison. Issued in March 1993, Geneva
(Document WHO/GPA/DIR/93.3).
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D-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
WASHINGTON
ON
BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS
Adopted by the 53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington, DC, USA, October 2002
and editorialiy revised by the 164th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France,
May 2003
and reaffirmed by the 191st
WMA Council Session, Prague, Czech Republic, April 2012
A.
INTRODUCTION
1. The World Medical Association recognizes the growing threat that biological wea-
pons might be used to cause devastating epidemics that could spread internationally.
All countries are potentially at risk. The release of organisms causing smallpox,
plague, anthrax or other diseases could prove catastrophic in terms of the resulting
illnesses and deaths compounded by the panic such outbreaks would generate. At
the same time, there is a growing potential for production of new microbial agents,
as expertise in biotechnology grows and methods for genetic manipulation of
organisms become simpler. These developments are of special concern to medical
and public health professionals because it is they who best know the potential
human suffering caused by epidemic disease and it is they who will bear primary
responsibility for dealing with the victims of biological weapons. Thus, the World
Medical Association believes that medical associations and all who are concerned
with health care bear a special responsibility to lead in educating the public and
policy makers about the implications of biological weapons and to mobilize uni-
versal support for condemning research, development, or use of such weapons as
morally and ethically unacceptable.
2. Unlike the use of nuclear, chemical, and conventional weapons, the consequences
of a biological attack are likely to be insidious. Their impact might continue with
secondary and tertiary transmission of the agent, weeks or months after the initial
epidemic. The consequences of a successful biological attack, especially if the
infection were readily communicable, could far exceed those of a chemical or even
a nuclear event. Given the ease of travel and increasing globalization, an outbreak
anywhere in the world could be a threat to all nations.
3. A great many severe, acute illnesses occurring over a short span of time would
almost certainly overwhelm the capacities of most health systems in both the
developing and industrialized world. Health services throughout the world are
struggling to meet the demands created by HIV/AIDS and antimicrobial-resistant
organisms, the problems created by civil strife, refugees and crowded, unsanitary
urban environments as well as the increased health needs of aging populations.
Coping over a short period of time with large numbers of desperately ill persons
could overwhelm entire health systems.
D-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
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Prague
Biological
Weapons
(Washington)
4. Actions can be taken to diminish the risk of biological weapons as well as the
potentially harmful consequences of serious epidemics whatever their origin. Inter-
national collaboration is needed to build a universal consensus that condemns the
development, production, or use of biological weapons. Programs of surveillance
are needed in all countries for the early detection, identification, and response to
serious epidemic disease; health education and training is needed for professionals,
civic leaders, and the public alike; and collaborative programs of research are
needed to improve disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
5. The proliferation of technology and scientific progress in biochemistry, biotech-
nology, and the life sciences provides the opportunity to create novel pathogens
and diseases and simplified production methods for bioweapons. The technology is
relatively inexpensive and, because production is similar to that used in biological
facilities such as vaccine manufacturing, it is easy to obtain. Capacity to produce
and effectively disperse biological weapons exists globally, allowing extremists
(acting collectively or individually) to threaten governments and endanger peoples
around the world. Nonproliferation and arms control measures can diminish but
cannot completely eliminate the threat of biological weapons. Thus, there is a need
for the creation of and adherence to a globally accepted ethos that rejects the
development and use of biological weapons.
B. STRENGTHENING
PUBLIC
HEALTH
AND
DISEASE
SURVEILLANCE
SYSTEMS
2.
1. A critical component in dealing with epidemic disease is a strong public health
infrastructure. Investment in public health systems will enhance capacity to detect
and to contain expeditiously, rare or unusual disease outbreaks, whether deli-
berately induced or naturally occurring. Core public health functions (disease sur-
veillance and supporting laboratory services) are needed as a foundation for detec-
tion, investigation, and response to all epidemic threats. A more effective global
surveillance program will improve response to naturally occurring infectious dis-
eases and will permit earlier detection and characterization of new or emerging
diseases.
2. It is especially important that physicians be alert to the occurrence of cases or
clusters of unusual infectious diseases, to seek help from infectious disease
specialists in diagnosis, and to report cases promptly to public health authorities.
Because any physician may see only one or a few cases and may not recognize that
an outbreak is occurring, cooperation between primary care physicians and public
health authorities is especially important.
3. Public health officials, dealing with an epidemic, will require the cooperation of
emergency management agencies, law enforcement officials, healthcare facilities,
and a variety of community service organizations. For these different groups to work
together effectively, advance planning will be important. In addition to developing
surveillance activities for early detection and reporting, public health efforts should
be directed toward educating primary caregivers and public health staff about
potential agents that might be used, building laboratory capacity for rapid identifi-
cation of biological agents, providing medical and hospital services as well as
vaccines and drugs to control the epidemic.
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4. C.
ENHANCEMENT
OF
MEDICAL
PREPAREDNESS
AND
RESPONSE
CAPACITY
a.
1. The first indication that a biological weapon may have been disseminated is likely
to be the appearance of patients in the offices of practicing physicians, especially
those in acute care settings. Physicians thus play a critical role in early detection of
an outbreak and must be prepared to recognize and deal with diseases resulting
from the use of biological weapons as well as other infectious disease agents and to
promptly report suspicious illnesses and diseases to public health officials.
2. In the course of an epidemic, physicians will be directly involved with mass patient
care, with mass immunization and antibiotic prophylaxis, with providing informa-
tion to the public, and in a variety of hospital and community efforts to control the
epidemic. Thus, physicians should participate with local and national health
authorities to develop and implement disaster preparedness and response plans for
intentional and natural infectious disease outbreaks.
5. D.
BIOWEAPONS
RESEARCH
AND
MEDICAL
ETHICS
a.
1. Rapid advances in microbiology, molecular biology, and genetic engineering have
created extraordinary opportunities for biomedical research and hold great promise
for improving human health and the quality of life. Better and more rapid diag-
nostic tools, novel vaccines, and therapeutic drugs can be foreseen. At the same
time, there is concern about the possible misuse of research for the development of
more potent biological weapons and the spread of new infectious diseases. It may
be difficult to distinguish legitimate biomedical research from research by un-
scrupulous scientists with the malign purpose of producing more effective biologi-
cal weapons.
2. All who participate in biomedical research have a moral and ethical obligation to
consider the implications of possible malicious use of their findings. Through
deliberate or inadvertent means, genetic modification of microorganisms could
create organisms that are more virulent, are antibiotic-resistant, or have greater
stability in the environment. Genetic modification of microorganisms could alter
their immunogenicity, allowing them to evade natural- and vaccine-induced im-
munity. Advances in genetic engineering and gene therapy may allow modification
of the immune response system of the target population to increase or decrease
susceptibility to a pathogen or disrupt the functioning of normal host genes.
3. Research specifically for the purposes of creating biological weapons is to be
condemned. As scientists and humanitarians, physicians have a societal respon-
sibility to decry scientific research for the development and use of biological wea-
pons and to express abhorrence for the use of biotechnology and information
technologies for potentially harmful purposes.
4. Physicians and medical organizations have important societal roles in demanding a
global prohibition on biological weapons and stigmatizing their use, guarding
against unethical and illicit research, and mitigating civilian harm from use of
biological weapons.
D-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
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Prague
Biological
Weapons
(Washington)
6. E.
RECOMMENDATIONS
a.
1. That the World Medical Association and National Medical Associations world-
wide take an active role in promoting an international ethos condemning the
development, production, or use of toxins and biological agents that have no justi-
fycation for prophylactic, protective, or other peaceful purposes.
2. That the World Medical Association, National Medical Associations and health-
care workers worldwide promote, with the World Health Organization, the United
Nations, and other appropriate entities, the establishment of an international con-
sortium of medical and public health leaders to monitor the threat of biological
weapons, to identify actions likely to prevent bioweapons proliferation, and to
develop a coordinated plan for monitoring the worldwide emergence of infectious
diseases. This plan should address: (a) international monitoring and reporting sys-
tems so as to enhance the surveillance and control of infectious disease outbreaks
throughout the world; (b) the development of an effective verification protocol
under the UN Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention; (c) education of physi-
cians and public health workers about emerging infectious diseases and potential
biological weapons; (d) laboratory capacity to identify biological pathogens; (e)
availability of appropriate vaccines and pharmaceuticals; and (f) financial, tech-
nical, and research needs to reduce the risk of use of biological weapons and other
major infectious disease threats.
3. That the World Medical Association urge physicians to be alert to the occurrence
of unexplained illnesses and deaths in the community and knowledgeable of
disease surveillance and control capabilities for responding to unusual clusters of
diseases, symptoms, or presentations.
4. That the World Medical Association encourage physicians, National Medical
Associations and other medical societies to participate with local, national, and
international health authorities in developing and implementing disaster prepared-
ness and response protocols for acts of bioterrorism and natural infectious disease
outbreaks. These protocols should be used as the basis for physician and public
education.
5. That the World Medical Association urge all who participate in biomedical
research to consider the implications and possible applications of their work and to
weigh carefully in the balance the pursuit of scientific knowledge with their ethical
responsibilities to society.
Handbook
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D-‐2002-‐02-‐2002
WMA
DECLARATION
ON
ETHICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
REGARDING
HEALTH
DATABASES
Adopted by the 53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington, DC, USA, October 2002
1. The right to privacy entitles people to exercise control over the use and disclosure of
information about them as individuals. The privacy of a patient’s personal health in-
formation is secured by the physician’s duty of confidentiality.
2. Confidentiality is at the heart of medical practice and is essential for maintaining trust
and integrity in the patient-physician relationship. Knowing that their privacy will be
respected gives patients the freedom to share sensitive personal information with their
physician.
3. These principles have been incorporated in WMA statements since the WMA was
founded in 1947, in particular by:
1. The Declaration of Lisbon, that states: « The patient’s dignity and right to privacy
shall be respected at all times in medical care and teaching »;
2. The Declaration of Geneva, that requires physicians to « preserve absolute confi-
dentiality on all he knows about his patient even after the patient has died »;
3. The Declaration of Helsinki, that states:
« It is the duty of the physician in medical research to protect the life, health, pri-
vacy, and dignity of the human subject »
« Every precaution should be taken to respect the privacy of the [research] subject,
the confidentiality of the patient’s information and to minimize the impact of the
study on the subject’s physical and mental integrity and on the personality of the
subject »
« In any research on human beings, each potential subject must be adequately in-
formed of the aims, methods, sources of funding, any possible conflicts of in-
terest, institutional affiliations of the researcher, the anticipated benefits and poten-
tial risks of the study and the discomfort it may entail. The subject should be in-
formed of the right to abstain from participation in the study or to withdraw con-
sent to participate at any time without reprisal. After ensuring that the subject has
understood the information, the physician should then obtain the subject’s freely-
given informed consent, preferably in writing »
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DC
Health
Databases
1. The primary purpose of collecting personal health information is the provision of care
to the patient. Increasingly, this information is held in databases. The database might
hold the patient’s health record or specific information from it, for example in the case
of disease registries.
2. Progress in medicine and in health care is contingent upon the conduct of quality
assurance and risk management activities and health and medical research, including
retrospective epidemiological studies, which use information concerning the health of
individuals, communities and societies. Databases are valuable sources of information
for these secondary uses of health information.
3. Care must be taken to ensure that secondary uses of information do not inhibit pa-
tients from confiding information for their own health care needs, exploit their vulner-
ability or inappropriately borrow on the trust that patients invest in their physicians.
4. For the purpose of this statement, the following definitions are used:
1. ‘Personal health information’ is all information recorded with regard to the physical
or mental health of an identifiable individual;
2. A ‘database’ is a system to collect, describe, save, recover and/or use personal
health information from more than one individual whether by manual or electronic
means. This definition does not include information in the clinical record of any
individual patient;
3. ‘De-identified data’ are data in which the link between the patient and the infor-
mation has been broken and cannot be recovered;
4. ‘Consent’ is a person’s voluntarily given permission for an action, based on a sound
understanding of what the action involves and its likely consequences. In some
jurisdictions, the law allows substituted consent to be given on behalf of minors,
on behalf of adults who do not have the capacity to consent for themselves, or on
behalf of deceased persons.
PRINCIPLES
1. These principles apply to all new and existing health databases, including those run or
managed by commercial organisations.
Access
to
information
by
patients
2. Patients have the right to know what information physicians hold about them, in-
cluding information held on health databases. In many jurisdictions, they have a right
to a copy of their health records.
3. Patients should have the right to decide that their personal health information in a
database (as defined in 7.2) be deleted.
4. In rare, limited circumstances, information may be withhold from a patient if it is
likely that disclosure cause serious harm to the patient or another person. Physicians
must be able to justify any decision to withhold information from a patient.
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D-‐2002-‐02-‐2002
Confidentiality
5. All physicians are individually responsible and accountable for the confidentiality of
the personal health information they hold. Physicians must also be satisfied that there
are appropriate arrangements for the security of personal health information when it is
stored, sent or received, including electronically.
6. In addition, medically qualified person(s) should be appointed to act as guardian of a
health database, to have responsibility for monitoring and ensuring compliance with
the principles of confidentiality and security.
7. Safeguards must be in place to ensure that there is no inappropriate or unauthorised
use of or access to personal health information in databases, and to ensure the authen-
ticity of the data. When data is transmitted, there must be arrangements in place to en-
sure that the transmission is secure.
8. Audit systems must keep a record of who has accessed personal health information and
when. Patients should be able to review the audit record for their own information.
Patients’
consent
9. Patients should be informed if their health information is to be stored on a database
and of the purposes for which their information may be used.
10. Patients’ consent is needed if the inclusion of their information on a database involves
disclosure to a third party or would permit access by people other than those involved
in the patients’ care, unless there are exceptional circumstances as described in para-
graph 11.
11. Under certain conditions, personal health information may be included on a database
without consent, for example where this conforms with applicable national law that
conforms to the requirements of this statement, or where ethical approval has been
given by a specially appointed ethical review committee. In these exceptional cases,
patients should be informed about the potential uses of their information, even if they
have no right to object.
12. If patients object to their information being passed to others, their objections must be
respected unless exceptional circumstances apply, for example where this is required
by applicable national law that conforms to the requirements of this statement or nec-
essary to prevent a risk of death or serious harm.
13. Authorization from the guardian of the health database is needed before information
held on databases may be accessed by third parties. Procedures for granting authori-
zation must comply with recognised codes of confidentiality.
14. Approval from a specially appointed ethical review committee must be obtained for
all research using patient data, including for new research not envisaged at the time
the data were collected. An important consideration for the committee in such cases
will be whether patients should be contacted to obtain consent, or whether it is accept-
able to use the information for the new purpose without returning to the patient for
further consent. The committee’s decisions must be in accordance with applicable na-
tional law and conform to the requirements of this statement.
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Health
Databases
15. Data accessed must be used only for the purposes for which authorization has been
given.
16. People who collect, use, disclose or access health information must be subject to an
enforceable duty to keep the information secure.
De-‐identified
data
17. Wherever possible, data for secondary purposes should be de-identified. If this is not
possible, however, the use of data where the patient’s identity is protected by an alias
or code should be used in preference to readily identifiable data.
18. The use of de-identified data does not usually raise issues of confidentiality. Data
about people as individuals, in which they retain a legitimate interest, for example a
case history or photograph, require protection.
Data
integrity
19. Physicians are responsible for ensuring, as far as practicable, that the information they
provide to, and hold on, databases is accurate and up-to-date.
20. Patients who have seen their information and believe there are inaccuracies in it have
the right to suggest amendments and to have their comments appended to the informa-
tion.
Documentation
21. There must be documentation to explain: what information is held and why; what
consent has been obtained from the patients; who may access the data; why, how and
when the data may be linked to other information; and the circumstances in which
data may be made available to third parties.
22. Information to patients about a specific database should cover: consent to the storage
and use of data; rights of access to the data; and rights to have inaccurate data
amended.
Management
23. Procedures for addressing enquiries and complaints must be in place.
24. The person or persons who are accountable for policies, procedures, and to whom
complaints or enquiries can be made must be identified.
Policies
25. National medical associations should cooperate with the relevant health authorities,
ethical authorities and personal data authorities, at national and other appropriate ad-
ministrative levels, to formulate health information policies based on the principles in
this document.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐2002-‐03-‐2012
WMA
DECLARATION
ON
PATIENT
SAFETY
Adopted by the 53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington, DC, USA, October 2002
and reaffirmed by the 191st
WMA Council Session, Prague, Czech Republic, April 2012
PREAMBLE
1.
1. Physicians strive to provide the highest quality health and medical care to patients.
Patient safety is one of the core elements of quality in health and medical care.
2. Progress in medical and allied science and technology has transformed modern
medicine into an advanced and complex health system.
3. Inherent risks have always existed in clinical medicine. Developments in modern
medicine have resulted in new and sometimes greater risks – some avoidable, others
inherent.
4. Physicians should attempt to foresee these risks and manage them in the treatment of
patients.
PRINCIPLES
1.
1. Physicians must ensure that patient safety is always considered during medical
decision-making.
2. Individuals and processes are rarely solely responsible for producing errors. Rather,
separate elements combine and together produce a high-risk situation. Therefore,
there should be a non-punitive culture for confidential reporting healthcare errors that
focuses on preventing and correcting systems failures and not on individual or organi-
zation culpability.
3. A realistic understanding of the risks inherent in modern medicine requires that
physicians must go beyond the professional boundaries of health care and cooperate
with all relevant parties, including patients, to adopt a proactive systems approach to
patient safety.
4. To create such a systems approach, physicians must continuously absorb a wide range
of advanced scientific knowledge and continuously strive to improve medical practice.
5. All information that concerns a patient’s safety must be shared with all relevant
parties, including the patient. However, patient confidentiality must be strictly pro-
tected.
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Prague
Patient
Safety
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
1. Hence, the WMA recommends the following to national medical associations:
1.
1. National medical associations should promote policies on patient safety to all
physicians in their countries;
2. National medical associations should encourage individual physicians, other
health care professionals, patients and other relevant individuals and organiza-
tions to work together to establish systems that secure patient safety;
3. National medical associations should encourage the development of effective
models to promote patient safety through continuing medical education/con-
tinuing professional development;
4. National medical associations should cooperate with one another and exchange
information about adverse events, including errors, their solutions, and « lessons
learned » to improve patient safety.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐2002-‐04-‐2012
WMA
DECLARATION
ON
MEDICAL
ETHICS
AND
ADVANCED
MEDICAL
TECHNOLOGY
Adopted by the 53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington, DC, USA, October 2002
and revised by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
It is essential to balance the benefits and risks for persons inherent in the development and
application of advanced medical technology. Maintaining this balance is entrusted to the
judgment of the physician.
Therefore:
Medical technology should be used to promote health. Patient safety should be fully
considered by the physician in the development and application of medical technology.
In order to foster physicians’ ability to provide appropriate medical care and having
sufficient knowledge of medical technology efforts must be made to ensure the provision
of comprehensive medical education focusing on the safe and effective use and develop-
ment of medical technology.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐2008-‐01-‐2008
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
SEOUL
ON
PROFESSIONAL
AUTONOMY
AND
CLINICAL
INDEPENDENCE
Adopted by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
The World Medical Association, having explored the importance of professional auto-
nomy and physician clinical independence, hereby adopts the following principles:
1. The central element of professional autonomy and clinical independence is the assur-
ance that individual physicians have the freedom to exercise their professional judg-
ment in the care and treatment of their patients without undue influence by outside
parties or individuals.
2. Medicine is a highly complex art and science. Through lengthy training and experi-
ence, physicians become medical experts and healers. Whereas patients have the right
to decide to a large extent which medical interventions they will undergo, they expect
their physicians to be free to make clinically appropriate recommendations.
3. Although physicians recognize that they must take into account the structure of the
health system and available resources, unreasonable restraints on clinical indepen-
dence imposed by governments and administrators are not in the best interests of pa-
tients, not least because they can damage the trust which is an essential component of
the patient-physician relationship.
4. Hospital administrators and third-party payers may consider physician professional
autonomy to be incompatible with prudent management of health care costs. How-
ever, the restraints that administrators and third-party payers attempt to place on cli-
nical independence may not be in the best interests of patients. Furthermore, restraints
on the ability of physicians to refuse demands by patients or their families for inap-
propriate medical services are not in the best interests of either patients or society.
5. The World Medical Association reaffirms the importance of professional autonomy
and clinical independence not only as an essential component of high quality medical
care and therefore a benefit to the patient that must be preserved, but also as an essen-
tial principle of medical professionalism. The World Medical Association therefore
rededicates itself to maintaining and assuring the continuation of professional auto-
nomy and clinical independence in the care of patients.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
DELHI
ON
HEALTH
AND
CLIMATE
CHANGE
Adopted by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
PREAMBLE
The purpose of this document is to provide a response by the WMA on behalf of its mem-
bers to the challenges imposed on health and healthcare systems by climate change.
Although governments and international organizations have the main responsibility for
creating regulations and legislation to mitigate the effects of climate change and to help
their populations adapt to it, the World Medical Association, on behalf of its national me-
dical association members and their physician members, feels an obligation to highlight
the health consequences of climate change and to suggest solutions. The 4th
Assessment
Report of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) contains a full chapter on hu-
man health impacts (AR4 Chapter 8 Human Health1
), including a range of possibilities
regarding the potential effects of climate change. The following introduction includes the
most likely effects of climate change from the IPCC report.
INTRODUCTION
The response of world leaders to the impact that humans are having on climate and the
environment will permanently alter the livability of this planet.
1. The UN International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states “Even the minimum
predicted shifts in climate for the 21st
century are likely to be significant and disrup-
tive” 2
.
1.1. The minimum warming forecast for the next 100 years is more than twice the
0.6° C increase that has occurred since 1900.
1.2. Extra-tropical storm tracks are projected to move toward the poles, with conse-
quent changes in wind, precipitation, and temperature patterns.
1.3. Sea levels have already risen by 10 to 20 cm over pre-industrial averages, and
will continue to rise due to the time scales associated with climate processes
and feedbacks.
1.4. Projections point to continued snow cover contraction, and widespread in-
creases in thaw depth over most permafrost regions, now including Antarctica.
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Climate
Change
(Delhi)
1.5. A future of more severe storms and floods along the world’s increasingly
crowded coastlines is likely.
1.6. Increases in the amounts of precipitation in high latitudes and precipitation de-
creases in most sub-tropical land regions are predicted.
1.7. Regional / local effects may differ but a reduction in potential crop yields is
expected in most tropical / sub-tropical regions – causing further disruptions in
global food supply.
1.8. Salt-water intrusion from rising sea levels will reduce the quality and quantity
of freshwater supplies, and seawater will become more acidic from dissolved
CO2.
1.9. As many as 25% of mammals and 12% of birds may become extinct within the
next few decades. Warmer conditions are altering the ecosystem and human
development is blocking threatened species from migrating.
1.10. Higher temperatures will expand the range of some vector-borne diseases, such
as malaria, which already kills 1 million people annually, mostly children2
.
2. The IPCC authors begin with a review of the evidence and provide the following
information (confidence levels as determined by IPCC in brackets):
2.1. Climate change currently contributes to the global burden of disease and pre-
mature deaths (very high confidence). At this early stage the effects are small
but are projected to progressively increase in all countries and regions.
2.2. Emerging evidence of climate change effects on human health shows that cli-
mate change has (confidence levels in brackets):
2.2.1. Altered the distribution of some infectious disease vectors (medium);
2.2.2. Altered the seasonal distribution of some allergenic pollen species (high);
2.2.3. Increased heat wave related deaths (medium).
3. In their thorough review, the IPCC authors’ project climate change related human
health impacts as follows (confidence levels in brackets):
3.1. Increased malnutrition and consequent disorders, including those relating to
child growth and development (high).
3.2. Increased numbers of people suffering from death, disease and injury from heat
waves, floods, storms, fires and droughts (high).
3.3. Continued change in the range of some infectious disease vectors (high).
3.4. Mixed effects on malaria; in some places the geographical range will contract,
elsewhere the geographical range will expand and the transmission season may
be changed (very high).
Handbook
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Policies
World
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D-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
3.5. Increased burden of diarrheal diseases (medium).
3.6. Increased cardio-respiratory morbidity and mortality associated with ground-
level ozone (high).
3.7. Increased numbers of people at risk of dengue (low).
3.8. Social and health inequalities due to possible desertification, natural disasters,
changes in agriculture, feeding and water policy which will have consequences
on both human health and human resources in health.
4. The authors note that climate change could bring some benefits to health, including
fewer deaths from cold, although these will be outweighed by the negative effects of
rising temperatures worldwide, especially in developing countries (high confidence).
5. The WMA notes that climate change is likely to amplify inequalities in health and
other existing problems within and between countries.
6. Early research suggests that mitigation of the effects of climate change may have a
link with prevention such that mitigation might have significant health benefits for
both individuals and populations3
.
STATEMENT
Given the consequences of global climate change on the health of people throughout the
world, the World Medical Association, on behalf of its national medical association mem-
bers and their physician members supports and commits to the following actions:
1.
ADVOCACY
to
Combat
Global
Warming
1.1. The World Medical Association and National Medical Associations urge na-
tional governments to recognize the serious consequences for health as a result
of climate change and therefore to strive for an intergovernmental agreement in
Copenhagen in December 2009 with the following components:
1.1.1. specific goals for reductions of climate altering emissions (mitigation)
1.1.2. a mechanism to minimize the harms and health inequalities that are
globally associated with climate change (adaptation).
1.1.3. because climate change will exaggerate health disparities, WMA recom-
mends that resources transferred to developing countries for climate
change must include designated funds to support the strengthening of
health systems.
1.2. As a profession, physicians & their medical associations will encourage advo-
cacy for environmental protection, reduction of green house gas production,
sustainable development and green adaptation practices within their commu-
nities, countries/regions, especially for the right of safe water & sewage dispo-
sal for all.
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New
Delhi
Climate
Change
(Delhi)
1.3. As professionals, physicians are encouraged to act within their professional
settings (clinics, hospitals, laboratories etc.) to reduce the environmental impact
of medical activities, & to develop environmentally sustainable professional set-
tings.
1.4. As individuals, physicians will be encouraged to act to minimize their impact
on the environment, reduce their carbon footprint and encourage those around
them to do so.
2.
LEADERSHIP:
Help
people
to
mitigate
climate
damage
&
adapt
to
climate
change
2.1. Support the Millennium Development Goals and commit to work to attain them.
2.2. Support and implement the principles outlined in the WHO Commission on the
Social Determinants of Health report, Closing the Gap in a Generation and in
the World Health Assembly Resolution on climate change and health and work
with WHO and others to ensure implementation of the recommendations.
2.3. Work to create resilience within health systems to ensure that all health care
providers are able to adapt and can fully utilize their capacity to provide care to
those in need.
2.4. Urge local, national and international organizations focused on adaptation, miti-
gation, and development to involve physicians and the healthcare community
to ensure that unanticipated health impacts of development are minimized, while
opportunities for health promotion are maximized.
2.5. Work to improve the ability of patients to adapt to climate change and catastro-
phic weather events by:
2.5.1. encouraging health behaviors that improve overall health;
2.5.2. creating targeted programs designed to address specific exposures;
2.5.3. providing health promotion information and education on self-manage-
ment of the symptoms of climate-associated illness.
3.
EDUCATION
&
CAPACITY
BUILDING
3.1. Build professional awareness of the importance of the environment and global
climate change to personal, community and societal health, and recognize that
universal equitable education improves health capacity for all.
3.2. Physicians have obligations for the health and health care of individual pa-
tients. Collectively, through their national medical associations, and through
WMA they also have obligations and responsibilities for the health of all
people.
3.3. Work with others to educate the general public about the important effects of
climate change on health and the need to both mitigate climate change and
adapt to its effects.
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3.4. Add or strengthen routine health training on environmental health/medicine and
public health for all students in health related disciplines.
3.5. The WMA and NMAs should develop concrete actionable plans/practical steps
as tools for physicians to adopt in their practices; health authorities and govern-
ments should do the same for hospitals and other health facilities.
3.6. Incorporate tools such as a patient environmental impact assessment and en-
courage physicians to evaluate their patients and their families for risk from the
environment and global climate change.
3.7. Advocate that governments undertake community climate change health impact
assessments, widely disseminate the results, and incorporate the results into plan-
ning for mitigation and adaptation.
3.8. Encourage recruitment of physicians for work in public health and all roles in
emergency planning & response to extreme climate change, including the train-
ing of other physicians.
3.9. Urge colleges and universities to develop locally appropriate continuing medi-
cal and public health education on the clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of
new diseases that are introduced into communities as a result of climate change,
and on the management of long-term anxiety and depression that often accom-
pany experiences of disasters.
3.10. Urge governments to provide training for climate-change-related emergency
response to physicians, particularly those living in relatively isolated regions.
3.11. Work with policy makers on the development of concrete actions to be taken to
prevent or reduce the health impact of climate-related emissions, in particular
those initiatives, which will also improve the general health of the population.
This would include initiatives to stop the privatization of water
4.
SURVEILLANCE
AND
RESEARCH
4.1. Work with others, including governments, to address the gaps in research re-
garding climate change and health by undertaking studies to:
4.1.1. describe the patterns of disease that are attributed to climate change, in-
cluding the impacts of climate change on communities and households;
4.1.2. quantify and model the burden of disease that will be caused by global
climate change;
4.1.3. describe the effects of poorly treated wastewater used for irrigation and
4.1.4. describe the most vulnerable populations, the particular health impacts
of climate change on vulnerable populations, & possible new protec-
tions for such populations.
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New
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Climate
Change
(Delhi)
4.2. Advocate for the collection of vital statistics and the removal of barriers to the
registration of births & deaths, in recognition of the special vulnerability of
some populations.
4.3. Report diseases that emerge in conjunction with global climate change, and par-
ticipate in field investigations, as with outbreaks of infectious diseases.
4.4. Support and participate in the development or expansion of surveillance sys-
tems to include diseases caused by global climate change.
4.5. WMA will and encourages all NMAs to collaborate in the collection and
sharing of local or regional health information within and between countries in
order to encourage the adoption of best practices and proven strategies
5.
COLLABORATION:
Prepare
for
climate
emergencies
5.1. Collaborate with governments, NGOs and other health professionals to develop
knowledge about the best ways to mitigate climate change, including those
adaptive and mitigation strategies that will result in improved health.
5.2. Encourage governments to incorporate national medical associations & physi-
cians into country & community emergency planning & response.
5.3. Work to ensure integration of physicians into the plans of civil society, govern-
ments, public health authorities, international NGOs and WHO.
5.4. Encourage WHO and countries of the World Medical Assembly to review the
International Health Regulations and Planning for Pandemic Influenza and ob-
tain the perspective of clinicians in community practice to ensure that there are
appropriate responses by practicing physicians to emergency alerts, and to make
recommendations regarding the most appropriate education, and tools for physi-
cians and other healthcare workers.
5.5. Call upon governments to strengthen public health systems in order to improve
the capacity of communities to adapt to climate change.
5.6. Prepare physicians, physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals and other health care
facilities for the infrastructure disruptions that accompany major emergencies,
in particular by planning in advance the delivery of services during times of
such disruptions.
5.7. Urge physicians, medical associations and governments to work collaboratively
to develop systems for event alerts in order to ensure that health care systems
and physicians are aware of climate-related events as they unfold, and receive
timely accurate information regarding the management of emerging health
events.
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5.8. Call upon governments to plan for environmental refugees within their coun-
tries.
5.9. In collaboration with WHO, produce locally adapted fact sheets on climate
change for national medical associations, physicians, and other health pro-
fessionals.
5.10. WMA will work with others to identify funding for specific research programs
on mitigation and adaptation related to health, and the sharing of informa-
tion/research within and between countries and jurisdictions.
1
Confalonieri, U., B. Menne, R. Akhtar, K.L. Ebi, M. Hauengue, R.S. Kovats, B. Revich and A.
Woodward, 2007: Human health. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.
Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E.
Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 391-431.
2
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. http://unfccc.int/2860.php down-
loaded 1 September 2008
3
In the context of this paper, Mitigation describes the actions to reduce human effects on the cli-
mate system: principally strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (analogous to primary pre-
vention) while Adaptation is understood to refer to the adjustment in natural or human systems
taken in response to actual or expected climate stimuli or their effects, and that moderate harm or
exploit beneficial opportunities (analogous to secondary prevention). (See WHO EB122/4, Jan 08)
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
MADRID
ON
PROFESSIONALLY-‐LED
REGULATION
Adopted by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
The collective action by the medical profession seeking for the benefit of patients, in
assuming responsibility for implementing a system of professionally-led regulation will
enhance and assure the individual physician’s right to treat patients without interference,
based on his or her best clinical judgment. Therefore, the WMA urges the national medical
associations and all physicians to take the following actions.
1. Physicians have been granted by society a high degree of professional autonomy and
clinical independence, whereby they are able to make recommendations based on the
best interests of their patients without undue outside influence.
2. As a corollary to the right of professional autonomy and clinical independence, the
medical profession has a continuing responsibility to be self-regulating. Ultimate con-
trol and decision-making authority must rest with physicians, based on their specific
medical training, knowledge, experience and expertise.
3. Physicians in each country are urged to establish, maintain and actively participate in
a legitimate system of professionally-led regulation. This dedication is to ultimately
assure full clinical independence in patient care decisions.
4. To avoid being influenced by the inherent potential conflicts of interest that will arise
from assuming both representational and regulatory duties, National Medical Associa-
tions must do their utmost to promote and support the concept of professionally-led
regulation amongst their membership and the public.
5. Any system of professionally-led regulation must ensure
a) the quality of the care provided to patients,
b) the competence of the physician providing that care and
c) the professional conduct of physician.
To ensure the patient quality continuing care, physicians must participate actively in
the process of Continuing Professional Development in order to update and maintain
their clinical knowledge, skills and competence.
6. The professional conduct of physicians must always be within the bounds of the Code
of Ethics governing physicians in each country. National Medical Associations must
promote professional and ethical conduct among physicians for the benefit of their
patients. Ethical violations must be promptly recognized and reported. The physicians
who have erred must be appropriately disciplined and where possible be rehabilitated.
New
Delhi
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D-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
Professionally-‐led
Regulation
(Madrid)
7. National Medical Associations are urged to assist each other in coping with new and
developing problems, including potential inappropriate threats to professionally-led
regulation. The ongoing exchange of information and experiences between National
Medical Associations is essential for the benefit of patients.
8. An effective and responsible system of professionally-led regulation by the medical
profession in each country must not be self serving or internally protective of the pro-
fession, and the process must be fair, reasonable and sufficiently transparent to ensure
this. National Medical Associations should assist their members in understanding that
self-regulation cannot only be perceived as being protective of physicians, but must
maintain the safety, support and confidence of the general public as well as the ho-
nour of the profession itself.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
OF
MONTEVIDEO
ON
DISASTER
PREPAREDNESS
AND
MEDICAL
RESPONSE
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
In the last decade, the attention of the world has been drawn to a number of severe events
which seriously tested and overwhelmed the capacity of local healthcare and emergency
medical response systems. Armed conflicts, terrorist attacks and natural distasters such as
earthquakes, floods and tsunamies in various parts of the world have not only affected the
health of people living in these areas but have also drawn the support and response of the
international community. Many National Medical Associations have sent groups to assist
in such disaster situations.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Center for Research on the Epide-
miology of Disasters (CRED), the frequency, magnitude, and toll of natural disasters and
terrorism have increased throughout the world. In the previous century, about 3.5 million
people were killed worldwide as a result of natural disasters; about 200 million were killed
as a result of human-caused disasters (e.g., wars, terrorism, genocides). Each year, dis-
asters cause hundreds of deaths and cost billions of dollars due to disruption of commerce
and destruction of homes and critical infrastructure.
Population vulnerability (e.g., due to increased population density, urbanization, aging)
has increased the risk of disasters and public health emergencies. Globalization, which
connects countries through economic interdependencies, has led to increased international
travel and commerce. Such activity has also led to increased population density in cities
around the world and increased movement of people to coastal areas and other disaster-
prone regions. Increases in international travel may speed the rate at which an emerging
infectious disease or bioterrorism agent spreads across the globe. Climate change and ter-
rorism have emerged as important global factors that can influence disaster trends and thus
require continued monitoring and attention.
The emergence of infectious diseases, such as H1N1 influenza A and severe acute respi-
ratory syndrome (SARS), and the recent arrival of West Nile virus and monkey pox in the
Western hemisphere, reinforces the need for constant vigilance and planning to prepare for
and respond to new and unexpected public health emergencies.
The growing likelihood of terrorist-related disasters affecting large civilian populations
affects all nations. Concern continues about the security of the worldwide arsenal of nu-
clear, chemical, and biological agents as well as the recruitment of people capable of manu-
facturing or deploying them. The potentially catastrophic nature of a « successful » terrorist
attack configures an event that may demand a disproportionate amount of resources and
healthcare professionals preparedness. Natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes,
Montevideo
⏐
D-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
Disaster
Preparedness
(Montevideo)
floods, and earthquakes, as well as industrial and transportation-related catastrophes, are
far more common and can also severely stress existing medical, public health, and emer-
gency response systems.
In light of recent world events, it is increasingly clear that all physicians need to become
more proficient in the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of mass casualties under an
all-hazards approach to disaster management and response. They must be able to recog-
nize the general features of disasters and public health emergencies, and be knowledgeable
about how to report them and where to get more information should the need arise. Physi-
cians are on the front lines when dealing with injury and disease-whether caused by mi-
crobes, environmental hazards, natural disasters, highway collisions, terrorism, or other
calamities. Early detection and reporting are critical to minimize casualties through astute
teamwork by public- and private-sector health and emergency response personnel.
The WMA, representing the doctors of the world, calls upon its members to advocate for
the following:
• To promote a standard competency set to ensure consistency among disaster
training programs for physicians across all specialties. Many NMAs have dis-
aster courses and previous experiences in disaster response. These NMAs can
share this knowledge and advocate for the integration of some standardized
level of training for all physicians, regardless of specialty or nationality.
• To work with national and local governments to establish or update regional
databases and geographic mapping of information on health system assets, ca-
pacities, capabilities, and logistics to assist medical response efforts, domesti-
cally and worldwide, when needed. This could include information on local
response organizations, the condition of local hospitals and health system infra-
structures, endemic and emerging diseases, and other important public health
and clinical information to assist medical response in the event of a disaster. In
addition, systems for communicating directly with physicians and other front
line health care providers should be identified and strengthened.
• To work with national and local governments to ensure the developing and
testing of disaster management plans for clinical care and public health includ-
ing the ethical basis for delivering such plans.
• To encourage governments at national and local levels to work across normal
departmental and other boundaries in developing the necessary planning.
The WMA could serve as a channel of communication for NMAs during such times of
crisis, enabling them to coordinate activities and work together.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
ON
END-‐OF-‐LIFE
MEDICAL
CARE
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
INTRODUCTION
All people have the right to high-quality, scientifically-based, and humane healthcare.
Therefore, receiving appropriate end-of-life medical care must not be considered a pri-
vilege but a true right, independent of age or any other associated factors. The WMA reaf-
firms the principles articulated in the WMA Declaration on Terminal illness and the
WMA Declaration on Euthanasia. These Declarations support and complement the Decla-
ration on End of Life Medical Care.
Palliative care at the end of life is part of good medical care. The need for access to
improved quality palliative care is great, especially in resource-poor countries. The objec-
tive of palliative care is to achieve the best possible quality of life through appropriate
palliation of pain and other distressing physical symptoms, and attention to the social, psy-
chological and spiritual needs of the patient.
Palliative care may be provided at home as well as in various levels of health care insti-
tutions.
The physician must adopt an attitude to suffering that is compassionate and humane, and
act with empathy, respect and tact. Abandonment of the patient when he or she needs such
care is unacceptable medical practice.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
Pain
and
symptom
management
1.1 It is essential to identify patients approaching the end of life as early as possible so
that the physician can perform a detailed assessment of their needs. A care plan for
the patient must always be developed; whenever possible, this care plan will be de-
veloped in direct consultation with the patient.
For some this process may begin months or a year before death is anticipated. It
includes recognising and addressing the likelihood of pain and other distressing
symptoms and providing for patients’ social, psychological and spiritual needs in
the time remaining to them. The primary aim is to maintain patients’ dignity and
their freedom from distressing symptoms. Care plans pay attention to keeping them
as comfortable and in control as possible and recognise the importance of sup-
porting the family and treating the body with respect after death.
Montevideo
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D-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
End-‐of-‐Life
Medical
Care
1.2 Important advances in the relief of pain and other distressing symptoms have been
made. The appropriate use of morphine, new analgesics, and other measures can
suppress or relieve pain and other distressing symptoms in the majority of cases.
The appropriate health authorities must make necessary medications accessible and
available to physicians and their patients. Physician groups should develop guide-
lines on their appropriate use, including dose escalation and the possibility of unin-
tended secondary effects.
1.3 In a very limited number of cases, generally in the very advanced stages of a phy-
sical illness, some symptoms may arise that are refractory to standard therapy. In
such cases, palliative sedation to unconsciousness may be offered when life ex-
pectancy is a few days, as an extraordinary measure in response to suffering which
the patient and clinician agree is intolerable. Palliative sedation must never be used
to intentionally cause a patient’s death or without the agreement of a patient who
remains mentally competent. The degree and timing of palliative sedation must be
proportionate to the situation. The dosage must be carefully calculated to relieve
symptoms but should still be the lowest possible to achieve a benefit.
2.
Communication
and
consent;
ethics
and
values
2.1 Information and communication among the patient, their family and members of
the health care team is one of the fundamental pillars of quality care at the end of
life. The patient should be encouraged to express his or her preferences regarding
care, and his or her emotions and existential angst must be taken into considera-
tion.
2.2 Ethically-appropriate care at the end of life should routinely promote patient auto-
nomy and shared decision-making, and be respectful of the values of the patient
and his or her family.
2.3 Physicians should directly discuss a patient’s preferences with the patient and/or
the patient’s substitute health care decision maker, as appropriate. These discus-
sions should be initiated early and routinely offered to all patients and should be
revisited regularly to explore any changes patients may have in their wishes, espe-
cially as their clinical conditions change. Physicians should encourage their pa-
tients to formally document their goals, values and treatment preferences and to
appoint a substitute health care decision maker with whom the patient can discuss
in advance his or her values regarding health care and treatment. Patients who are
in denial about the implications of their condition may not want to engage in such
discussion at some stages of their illness, but should know that they can change
their minds. Because documented advance directives are often not available in
emergency situations, physicians should emphasize to patients the importance of
discussing treatment preferences with individuals who are likely to act as substitute
health care decision makers.
2.4 If a patient is capable of giving consent, care should be based on the patient’s wishes
as long as preferences can be justified medically, ethically and legally. Consent
needs to be based on sufficient information and dialogue, and it is the physician’s
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
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World
Medical
Association
obligation to make sure that the patient is adequately treated for pain and dis-
comfort before consent is obtained in order to assure that unnecessary physical and
mental suffering do not interfere with the decision-making process.
2.5 The patient’s next-of-kin or family should be informed and involved in the deci-
sion-making process, provided the patient is not opposed to this. If the patient is
unable to express consent and an advance directive is not available, the views of
the health care substitute decision maker, appointed by the patient on care and
treatment, must be considered.
3.
Medical
records
and
medico-‐legal
aspects
3.1 Physicians caring for a patient in the final stages of life must carefully document
treatment decisions and the reasons for choosing particular procedures, including
the patient’s and family’s wishes and consent, in the progress notes of the medical
records. An adequate medical record is of the utmost importance for continuity and
quality of medical care in general and palliative care in particular.
3.2 The physician must also take into account that these notes may serve a medico-
legal purpose, e.g., in determining the patient’s decision-making capacity.
4.
Family
members
It is necessary to acknowledge the importance of the family and the emotional environ-
ment of the patient. The needs of the family and other close caregivers throughout the
course of the illness must be recognized and attended to. The heath care team should pro-
mote collaboration in the care of the patient and provide bereavement support, when re-
quired, after the patient’s death. Children’s and families’ needs may require special atten-
tion and competence, both when children are patients and dependents.
5.
Teamwork
Palliative care is usually provided by multiprofessional and interdisciplinary teams of
healthcare and non-healthcare professions. The physician must be the leader of the team,
being responsible, amongst other obligations, for diagnosis and medical treatment. Conti-
nuity of care is very important. The team should do all it can to facilitate a patient’s wish
to die at home, if applicable and possible.
6.
Physician
training
The increasing number of people who require palliative care and the increased availability
of effective treatment options mean that end-of-life care issues should be an important part
of undergraduate and postgraduate medical training.
7.
Research
and
education
More research is needed to improve palliative care. This includes, but is not limited to, ge-
neral medical care, specific treatments, psychological implications and organization. The
WMA will support efforts to better educate physicians in the skills necessary to increase
the prevalence and quality of meaningful advance care planning.
Montevideo
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D-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
End-‐of-‐Life
Medical
Care
CONCLUSION
The care that a people give to dying patients, within available resources, is an indication of
their degree of civilisation. As physicians representing the best humanitarian tradition, we
should always commit ourselves to delivering the best possible end-of-life care.
The WMA recommends that all National Medical Associations develop a national policy
on palliative care and palliative sedation based on the recommendations in this declara-
tion.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
D-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
DECLARATION
ON
LEPROSY
CONTROL
AROUND
THE
WORLD
AND
ELIMINATION
OF
DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST
PERSONS
AFFECTED
BY
LEPROSY
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
Leprosy is a widespread public health problem, with approximately 250,000 new cases
diagnosed annually worldwide. It is a curable disease and after starting treatment, the
chain of transmission is interrupted. Leprosy is a disease that have been inadequately ad-
dressed from the point of view of investments in research and medical treatment.
The World Medical Association recommends to all National Medical Associations to de-
fend the right of the people affected with leprosy and members of their families, that they
should be treated with dignity and free from any kind of prejudice or discrimination. Phy-
sicians, health professionals and civil society should be engaged in combating all forms of
prejudice and discrimination. Research centers should acknowledge leprosy as a major
public health problem, and continue to research this disease since there are still gaps in
understanding its patho-physiological mechanisms. These gaps in knowledge may be over-
come through the allocation of resources to new research, which will contribute to more
efficient control worldwide. Medical schools, especially in countries with high preval-
ence of leprosy, should enhance its importance in the curriculum. The public, private, and
civil sectors should unify their best efforts in order to disseminate information that would
counteract prejudice towards leprosy and that acknowledges its curability.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
D-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
WMA
DECLARATION
ON
THE
PROTECTION
OF
HEALTH
CARE
WORKERS
IN
SITUATION
OF
VIOLENCE
Adopted by the 65th
WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014
PREAMBLE
The right to health is a fundamental element of human rights which does not change in
situations of conflict and violence. Access to medical assistance for the sick and wounded,
whether they have been engaged in active combat or not, is guaranteed through various
international agreements, including the Geneva Convention and the Basic Principles on
the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials of the United Nations.
The primary obligation of physicians is always to their patients, and physicians have the
same ethical responsibilities to preserve health and save life in situations of violence or
armed conflicts as in peacetime. These are as set out in the WMA Regulations in Times of
Armed Conflict and Other Situations of Violence.
It is essential to ensure the safety and personal security of healthcare workers in order to
enable the provision of the highest standard of care to patients. If healthcare workers are
not safe, they might not be able to provide care, and patients will suffer.
In situations of violence, the delivery of healthcare is frequently obstructed and the sick
and wounded deprived of essential treatment through:
1. Medical workers being prevented from attending to the injured;
2. Interference by the state or others in positions of power through intimidation, de-
tention or other legal measures;
3. Patients being denied access to medical facilities;
4. Targeted attacks upon medical facilities and medical transport;
5. Targeted attacks upon medical personnel, including kidnapping;
6. Non-targeted violent acts which result in the damage to or destruction of facilities
or vehicles, or cause injury or death to medical personnel.
Such actions have serious humanitarian implications and violate international standards of
medical neutrality as set out in the provisions of international human rights and human-
itarian law and codes of medical ethics.
D-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
⏐
Durban
Protection
of
Healthcare
Workers
Attacks on the fundamental ethical principles of the medical profession, such as attempts
to coerce medical professionals into providing details regarding those under their care, can
undermine the confidence of patients and discourage injured people from seeking neces-
sary treatment.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA calls upon governments and all parties involved in situations of violence to:
1. Ensure the safety, independence and personal security of healthcare personnel at
all times, including during armed conflicts and other situations of violence, in ac-
cordance with the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols;
2. Enable healthcare personnel to attend to injured and sick patients, regardless of
their role in a conflict, and to carry out their medical duties freely, independently
and in accordance with the principles of their profession without fear of punish-
ment or intimidation;
3. Safe access to adequate medical facilities for the injured and others in need of
medical aid should not be unduly impeded;
4. Protect medical facilities, medical transport and the people being treated in them
and provide the safest possible working environment for healthcare workers and
protect them from interference and attack;
5. Respect and promote the principles of international humanitarian and human rights
law which safeguard medical neutrality in situations of conflict;
6. Establish reporting mechanisms to document violence against medical personnel
and facilities as set out in the WMA Statement on the Protection and Integrity of
Medical Personnel in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of Violence.
7. Raise awareness of international norms on the protection of healthcare workers and
cooperate with different actors to identify strategies to tackle threats to healthcare.
The collaboration between the WMA and the International Committee of the Red
Cross on the Health Care in Danger project provides one example of this.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1956-‐01-‐2012
WMA
REGULATIONS
IN
TIMES
OF
ARMED
CONFLICT
AND
OTHER
SITUATIONS
OF
VIOLENCE
Adopted by the 10th
World Medical Assembly, Havana, Cuba, October 1956
and edited by the 11th
World Medical Assembly, Istanbul, Turkey, October 1957
and revised by the 35th
World Medical Assembly, Venice, Italy, October 1983
and the 55th
WMA General Assembly, Tokyo, Japan, October 2004
and editorially revised by the 173rd
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France,
May 2006
and revised by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
GENERAL
GUIDELINES
Medical ethics in times of armed conflict is identical to medical ethics in times of peace,
as stated in the International Code of Medical Ethics of the WMA. If, in performing their
professional duty, physicians have conflicting loyalties, their primary obligation is to their
patients; in all their professional activities, physicians should adhere to international con-
ventions on human rights, international humanitarian law and WMA declarations on medi-
cal ethics.
The primary task of the medical profession is to preserve health and save life. Hence it is
deemed unethical for physicians to:
• Give advice or perform prophylactic, diagnostic or therapeutic procedures that are
not justifiable for the patient’s health care;
• Weaken the physical or mental strength of a human being without therapeutic
justification;
• Employ scientific knowledge to imperil health or destroy life;
• Employ personal health information to facilitate interrogation;
• Condone, facilitate or participate in the practice of torture or any form of cruel, in-
human or degrading treatment.
During times of armed conflict and other situations of violence, standard ethical norms
apply, not only in regard to treatment but also to all other interventions, such as research.
Research involving experimentation on human subjects is strictly forbidden on all persons
deprived of their liberty, especially civilian and military prisoners and the population of
occupied countries.
The medical duty to treat people with humanity and respect applies to all patients. The
physician must always give the necessary care impartially and without discrimination on
the basis of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political af-
filiation, race, sexual orientation, or social standing or any other similar criterion.
S-‐1956-‐01-‐2012
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Bangkok
Armed
Conflict
Governments, armed forces and others in positions of power should comply with the
Geneva Conventions to ensure that physicians and other health care professionals can
provide care to everyone in need in situations of armed conflict and other situations of
violence. This obligation includes a requirement to protect health care personnel and
facilities.
Whatever the context, medical confidentiality must be preserved by the physician. However,
in armed conflict or other situations of violence, and in peacetime, there may be cir-
cumstances in which a patient poses a significant risk to other people and physicians will
need to weigh their obligation to the patient against their obligation to other individuals
threatened.
Privileges and facilities afforded to physicians and other health care professionals in times
of armed conflict and other situations of violence must never be used other than for health
care purposes.
Physicians have a clear duty to care for the sick and injured. Physicians should recognise
the special vulnerability of some groups, including women and children. Provision of such
care should not be impeded or regarded as any kind of offence. Physicians must never be
prosecuted or punished for complying with any of their ethical obligations.
Physicians have a duty to press governments and other authorities for the provision of the
infrastructure that is a prerequisite to health, including potable water, adequate food and
shelter.
Where conflict appears to be imminent and inevitable, physicians should, as far as they are
able, ensure that authorities are planning for the protection of the public health infra-
structure and for any necessary repair in the immediate post-conflict period.
In emergencies, physicians are required to render immediate attention to the best of their
ability. Whether civilian or combatant, the sick and wounded must receive promptly the
care they need. No distinction shall be made between patients except those based upon
clinical need.
Physicians must be granted access to patients, medical facilities and equipment and the
protection needed to carry out their professional activities freely. Such access must include
patients in detention centres and prisons. Necessary assistance, including unimpeded
passage and complete professional independence, must be granted.
In fulfilling their duties and where they have the legal right, physicians and other health
care professionals shall be identified and protected by internationally recognized symbols
such as the Red Cross, Red Crescent or Red Crystal.
Hospitals and health care facilities situated in areas where there is either armed conflict or
other situations of violence must be respected by all combatants and media personnel.
Health care given to the sick and wounded, civilians or combatants, cannot be used for
publicity or propaganda. The privacy of the sick, wounded and dead must always be res-
pected. This includes visits from important political figures for media purposes and also
when important political figures are among the wounded and the sick.
Physicians must be aware that, during armed conflict or other situations of violence, health
care becomes increasingly susceptible to unscrupulous practice and the distribution of
poor quality / counterfeit materials and medicines, and attempt to take action on such
practices.
The WMA supports the collection and dissemination of data related to assaults on phy-
sicians, other health care personnel and medical facilities, by an international body. Such
data are important to understand the nature of such attacks and to set up mechanisms to
prevent them. Assaults against medical personnel must be investigated and those res-
ponsible must be brought to justice.
CODE
OF
CONDUCT:
DUTIES
OF
PHYSICIANS
WORKING
IN
ARMED
CONFLICT
AND
OTHER
SITUATIONS
OF
VIOLENCE
Physicians must in all circumstances:
• Neither commit nor assist violations of international law (international humanitarian
law or human rights law);
• Not abandon the wounded and sick;
• Not take part in any act of hostility;
• Remind authorities of their obligation to search for the wounded and sick and to
ensure access to health care without unfair discrimination;
• Advocate and provide effective and impartial care to the wounded and sick
(without reference to any ground of unfair discrimination, including whether they
are the « enemy »);
• Recognise that security of individuals, patients and institutions are a major
constraint to ethical behaviour and not take undue risk in the discharge of their
duties;
• Respect the individual wounded or sick person, his / her will, confidence and his /
her dignity;
• Not take advantage of the situation and the vulnerability of the wounded and sick
for personal financial gain;
• Not undertake any kind of experimentation on the wounded and sick without their
real and valid consent and never where they are deprived of liberty;
• Give special consideration to the greater vulnerability of women and children in
armed conflict and other situations of violence and to their specific health-care
needs;
• Respect the right of a family to know the fate and whereabouts of a missing family
member whether or not that person is dead or receiving health care;
• Provide health care for anyone taken prisoner;
• Advocate for regular visits to prisons and prisoners by physicians, if such a me-
chanism is not already in place;
• Denounce and act, where possible, to put an end to any unscrupulous practices or
distribution of poor quality/counterfeit materials and medicines;
S-‐1956-‐01-‐2012
⏐
Bangkok
Armed
Conflict
• Encourage authorities to recognise their obligations under international humani-
tarian law and other pertinent bodies of international law with respect to protection
of health care personnel and infrastructure in armed conflict and other situations of
violence;
• Be aware of the legal obligations to report to authorities the outbreak of any noti-
fiable disease or trauma;
• Do anything within their power to prevent reprisals against the wounded and sick
or health care;
• Recognise that there are other situations where health care might be compromised
but in which there are dilemmas.
Physicians should to the degree possible:
• Refuse to obey an illegal or unethical order;
• Give careful consideration to any dual loyalties that the physician may be bound
by and discuss these dual loyalties with colleagues and anyone in authority;
• As an exception to professional confidentiality, and in line with WMA Resolution
on the Responsibility of Physicians in the Documentation and Denunciation of
Acts of Torture or Cruel or Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and the Istanbul Pro-
tocol1
, denounce acts of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of which
physicians are aware, where possible with the subject’s consent, but in certain
circumstances where the victim is unable to express him/herself freely, without
explicit consent;
• Listen to and respect the opinions of colleagues;
• Reflect on and try to improve the standards of care appropriate to the situation;
• Report unethical behaviour of a colleague to the appropriate superior;
• Keep adequate health care records;
• Support sustainability of civilian health care disrupted by the context;
• Report to a commander or to other appropriate authorities if health care needs are
not met;
• Give consideration to how health care personnel might shorten or mitigate the
effects of the violence in question, for example by reacting to violations of interna-
tional humanitarian law or human rights law.
1
Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment, OHCHR, 1999
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1983-‐01-‐2005
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
BOXING
Adopted by the 35th
World Medical Assembly, Venice, Italy, October 1983
and editorially revised by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France,
May 2005
Boxing is a dangerous sport. Unlike most other sports, its basic intent is to produce bodily
harm in the opponent. Boxing can result in death and produces an alarming incidence of
chronic brain injury. For this reason, the World Medical Association recommends that
boxing be banned.
Until that goal is achieved, the following recommendations should be implemented:
1. National Medical Associations (NMAs) should encourage the establishment of a
national registry of boxers for all amateur and professional boxers, including « spar-
ring mates », in their country. The proposed functions of the registry would be to
record the results of all licensed bouts, including technical knockouts, knockouts, and
other boxing injuries, and to compile injury and win/lose records for individual boxers.
2. NMAs should consider whether to plan and conduct conferences with interested
members of the medical profession, medical representatives of various government
boxing commissions, and representatives of organized professional and amateur box-
ing organizations to review criteria for the neurological and physical examination of
boxers, to determine other comprehensive medical measures necessary for the preven-
tion of brain injury in the sport, and to develop specific criteria for the discontinu-
ance of a bout for medical reasons.
3. All boxing jurisdictions should ensure that the ring physician should be authorized to
stop any bout in progress, at any time, to examine a contestant and, when indicated, to
terminate a bout that might, in his/her opinion, result in serious injury for either con-
testant.
4. Boxing jurisdictions should conduct frequent medical training seminars for all ring
personnel.
5. All boxing jurisdictions should ensure that no amateur or professional boxing bout is
permitted unless:
a. the contest is held in an area where adequate neurosurgical facilities are imme-
diately available for skilled emergency treatment of an injured boxer;
S-‐1983-‐01-‐2005
⏐
Divonne-‐les-‐Bains
Boxing
b. a portable resuscitator with oxygen equipment and appropriate endotracheal tubes
are available at ringside; and
c. a comprehensive evacuation plan for the removal of any seriously injured boxer
to hospital facilities is ready.
6. Boxing jurisdictions should be informed that unsupervised boxing competition be-
tween unlicensed boxers is a most dangerous practice that may result in serious in-
jury or death to contestants, and should be condemned.
7. All boxing jurisdictions should be urged to mandate the use of safety equipment such
as plastic safety mats and padded cornerposts and to encourage continued develop-
ment of safety equipment.
8. All boxing jurisdictions should be urged to extend all safety measures to sparring
partners.
9. All boxing jurisdictions should be urged to upgrade, standardize, and strictly enforce
medical evaluations for boxers.
Handbook
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WMA
Policies
World
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⏐
S-‐1984-‐01-‐2006
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
CHILD
ABUSE
AND
NEGLECT
Adopted by the 36th
World Medical Assembly, Singapore, October 1984
and amended by the 41st
World Medical Assembly, Hong Kong, September 1989
42nd
World Medical Assembly, Rancho Mirage, CA., USA, October 1990
44th
World Medical Assembly, Marbella, Spain, September 1992
47th
WMA General Assembly, Bali, Indonesia, September 1995
and the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
1. One of the most destructive manifestations of family violence and upheaval is child
abuse and neglect. Prevention, early identification and comprehensive treatment of
child abuse victims remain a challenge for the world medical community.
2. Definitions of child abuse vary from culture to culture. Unfortunately, cultural ra-
tionalizations for harmful behaviour toward children may be accepted, all too readily,
as proof that the treatment accorded children is neither abusive nor harmful. For
instance, the work contribution of children in the everyday lives of families and in so-
ciety should be recognized and encouraged as long as it also contributes to the child’s
own development. In contrast to this, exploitation of children in the labour market
may deprive them of their childhood and of educational opportunities and even en-
danger their present and future health. The WMA considers such exploitation of
children a serious form of child abuse and neglect.
3. For purposes of this Statement, the various forms of child abuse include physical,
sexual and emotional abuse. Child neglect represents a failure of a parent or other per-
son legally responsible for a child’s welfare to provide for the child’s basic needs and
an adequate level of care.
4. The World Medical Association recognizes that child maltreatment is a world health
problem and recommends that National Medical Associations adopt the following
guidelines for physicians:
5. Physicians have both a unique and special role in identifying and helping abused
child-ren and their troubled families.
6. Linkage to an experienced multidisciplinary team is strongly recommended for the
physician. A team is likely to include such professionals as physicians, social workers,
child and adult psychiatrists, developmental specialists, psychologists and attorneys.
When participation on a team is not possible or available, the individual physician
must consult individually with other medical, social, law enforcement and mental
health personnel.
S-‐1984-‐01-‐2006
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Pilanesberg
Child
Abuse
and
Neglect
7. Primary care physicians (family practitioners, internists, paediatricians), emergency
medicine specialists, surgeons, psychiatrists and other specialists who treat children
must acquire knowledge and skills in the physical assessment of child abuse and ne-
glect, the assessment of child development and parenting skills, the utilization of com-
munity resources, and the physician’s legal responsibilities.
8. The medical evaluation of children who are suspected of having been abused should
be performed by physicians skilled in both paediatrics and abuse evaluation. The me-
dical evaluation needs to be tailored to the child’s age, injuries, and condition, and
may include but is not limited to blood testing, trauma radiographic survey, develop-
mental and behavioural screening. Follow up radiographs are strongly urged in some
children who present with serious, apparently abusive injuries.
9. The medical assessment and management of sexually abused children consists of a
complete history and physical examination, as physical and sexual abuses often occur
together; examination of the genitalia and anus; the collection and processing of evi-
dence including photographs; and the treatment and/or prevention of pregnancy and
venereal disease.
10. It is necessary for physicians to determine the nature and level of family functioning
as it relates to child protection. It is essential for the physician to understand and be
sensitive to how the quality of marital relationships, disciplinary styles, economic
stresses, emotional problems and abuse of alcohol, drugs and other substances, and
other forms of stress relate to child abuse.
11. The signs of abuse are often subtle, and the diagnosis may require comprehensive,
careful interviews with the child, parents, caretakers, and siblings. Inconsistencies be-
tween the explanation(s) and characteristics of the injury(s) such as the severity, type
and age, should lead to a concern for abuse.
12. In any child presenting to a medical facility, the emergent medical and mental health
needs should be addressed first. If abuse is suspected, safety needs must be addressed
prior to discharge from the facility. These measures may include but are not limited to:
a. reporting all suspected cases to child protective services;
b. hospitalizing any abused child needing protection during the initial evaluation
period;
c. informing the parents of the diagnosis if it is safe to do so; and
d. reporting the child’s injuries to child protective services.
13. If hospitalization is required, a prompt evaluation of the child’s physical, emotional
and developmental problems is necessary. This comprehensive assessment should be
conducted by physicians with expertise or through a multidisciplinary team of experts
with specialized training in child abuse.
Handbook
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Policies
World
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⏐
S-‐1984-‐01-‐2006
14. If child abuse is suspected, the physician should discuss with the parents the fact that
child maltreatment is in the differential diagnosis of their child’s problem. During
such a session, it is essential that the physician maintain objectivity and avoid accusa-
tory or judgmental statements in interactions with the parents.
15. It is essential that the physician record the findings in the medical chart during the
evaluation process. The medical record often provides critical evidence in court pro-
ceedings.
16. Physicians should participate at all levels of prevention by providing prenatal and
postnatal family counselling, identifying problems in child rearing and parenting, and
advising about family planning and birth control.
17. Public health measures such as home visits by nurses, anticipatory guidance by pa-
rents, well-infant and well-child examinations should be encouraged by physicians.
Programs that improve the child’s general health also tend to prevent child abuse and
should be supported by physicians.
18. Physicians should recognize that child abuse and neglect is a complex problem and
more than one type of treatment or service may be needed to help abused children and
their families. The development of appropriate treatment requires contributions from
many professions, including medicine, law, nursing, education, psychology and social
work.
19. Physicians should promote the development of innovative programs that will advance
medical knowledge and competence in the field of child abuse and neglect. Physicians
should obtain education on child neglect and abuse during training as medical stu-
dents.
20. In the interests of the child, patient confidentiality must be waived in cases of child
abuse. The first duty of a doctor is to protect his or her patient if victimization is sus-
pected. No matter what is the type of abuse (physical, mental, sexual), an official
report must be made to the appropriate authorities.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1984-‐02-‐1984
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
FREEDOM
TO
ATTEND
MEDICAL
MEETINGS
Adopted by the 36th
World Medical Assembly, Singapore, October 1984
Professional independence and professional freedom are indispensable to physicians to
enable them to give appropriate health care to their patients. Therefore, there should be no
barriers, whether philosophical, religious, racial, political, geographic, physical or of any
other nature to prevent physicians from participating in professional activities that will
enable them to acquire the information, knowledge, skills and techniques required to pro-
vide appropriate health care to their patients.
In as much as the purpose of the WMA is to serve humanity by endeavoring to achieve the
highest international standards in medical education, medical science, medical art and
medical ethics, and health care for all people of the world, there should accordingly be no
barriers which will prevent physicians from attending meetings of the WMA, or other
medical meetings, wherever such meetings are convened.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1985-‐01-‐2015
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
NON-‐DISCRIMINATION
IN
PROFESSIONAL
MEMBERSHIP
AND
ACTIVITIES
OF
PHYSICIANS
Adopted by the 37th
World Medical Assembly, Brussels, Belgium, October 1985
and editorially revised by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France,
May 2005 and reaffirmed by the 200th
WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015
The World Medical Association is in favour of equality of opportunity in medical associa-
tion activities, medical education and training, employment, and all other medical profes-
sional endeavours regardless of race, colour, religion, creed, ethnic affiliation, national
origin, sex, age or political affiliation.
The World Medical Association is unalterably opposed to the denial of membership pri-
vileges and responsibilities in National Medical Associations to any duly registered physi-
cian because of race, colour, religion, creed, ethnic affiliation, national origin, sex, age or
political affiliation.
The World Medical Association calls upon the medical profession and all individual
members of National Medical Associations to exert every effort to prevent any instance in
which such equal rights, privileges or responsibilities are denied.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1988-‐02-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ACCESS
TO
HEALTH
CARE
Adopted by the 40th
World Medical Assembly, Vienna, Austria, September 1988
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
1. The Constitution of the World Health Organization states that the « enjoyment of the
highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human
being…. » Access to health care is a multi-dimensional concept that involves a bal-
ancing of factors within the practical constraints of a specific country’s resources and
capabilities. The factors include health human resources, financing, transportation,
freedom of choice, public education, quality, and allocation of technology.
GUIDELINES
Health
Human
Resources
1. National Medical Associations should join with other concerned groups from both the
private and public sectors to address issues related to the supply and distribution of
health human resources. Data should be collected to assess supply and distribution
and determine the appropriate mix of health professionals and health workers that can
effectively meet the needs of the population. Special efforts should be made to attract
physicians and allied health care providers to underserved geographic areas through a
variety of incentives and programs. Punitive or coercive models should not be em-
ployed. Looking ahead to long-term needs, incentives should also be created to attract
medical school students who wish to work in regions where there are health human
resource shortages.
Financing
2. A pluralistic financing system should be developed that contains elements of both
public and private funding. The exact mix of financing may vary significantly from
country to country. The system should be based on standards of uniform eligibility and
benefits, and it should include adequate payment mechanisms for this purpose. These
mechanisms should be clearly explained to the public so that all concerned under-
stand the payment options available to them. Where appropriate, incentives should
be provided for those in the private sector to provide care to patients who otherwise
would not have access to it. No one who needs care should be denied it because of
inability to pay. Society has an obligation to provide a reasonable subsidy for care of
the needy, and physicians have an obligation to participate to a reasonable degree in
such subsidized care. Governments have an obligation to ensure that such plans are
administered fairly and objectively.
Pilanesberg
⏐
S-‐1988-‐02-‐2006
Access
to
Health
Care
Transportation
3. Society has an obligation to provide adequate access to medical facilities for patients
who live in remote areas. Transportation should also be provided to isolated rural
patients who require a sophisticated level of care that can be found only in metropoli-
tan medical centres. Telemedicine can sometimes be an acceptable substitute for trans-
portation of patients.
Freedom
of
Choice
4. All health care delivery systems should provide each individual with the greatest
possible personal freedom of choice in selecting a physician. To promote informed
personal choice, adequate information concerning both private and public sector
options should be made available to the public, employers and other payers of health
care.
Public
Education
5. Educational programs that assist people in making informed choices about their per-
sonal health and about the appropriate uses of both self-care and professional care
should be established. These programs should include information about the costs and
benefits associated with alternative courses of treatment; the use of professional ser-
vices that permit early detection and treatment or prevention of illnesses; personal
responsibilities in preventing illnesses; and the effective use of the health care system.
Patients should be given access to, and retain, copies of their own medical records.
6. In local communities, it is important that the public understand health care plans de-
signed for their benefit and how these plans affect everyone concerned. Physicians
have an obligation to actively participate in such educational efforts.
Quality
7. Quality assurance mechanisms should be part of every system of health care delivery.
Physicians, in particular, should accept a responsibility for being guardians for the
quality of medical care and should not allow other considerations to jeopardize the
quality of care provided.
Allocation
of
Technology
8. Guidelines should be developed for the allocation of scarce health care technologies
in order to meet the needs of all patients and heath care practitioners and to ensure the
fair and equitable allocation of technology and resources across the health care sector.
CONCLUSION
1. Access is maximized when the following conditions exist:
a. Adequate medical care is available to every individual, regardless of ability to pay.
b. There is maximum freedom of choice of health care providers and payment sys-
tems to accommodate the diverse needs of the population.
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⏐
Pilanesberg
Access
to
Health
Care
c. The entire population has easy access to adequate and comprehensive information
on health care providers.
d. There is adequate opportunity for active participation by all parties in healthcare
systems design and administration.
e. Physicians are provided with transparent and efficient ethical criteria for working
in overcrowded health systems that endanger health care.
f. Medical associations promote equal access to health care, both locally and na-
tionally, through dialogue and common activities with health authorities.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1988-‐04-‐2006
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
ROLE
OF
PHYSICIANS
IN
ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES
Adopted by the 40th
World Medical Assembly, Vienna, Austria, September 1988
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
INTRODUCTION
1. The effective practice of medicine increasingly requires that physicians and their pro-
fessional associations turn their attention to environmental issues that have a bearing
on the health of individuals and populations.
2. More than ever, due to diminishing natural resources, these problems relate to the
quality and protection of resources necessary to maintain health and indeed sustain
life itself. In concrete terms, the key environmental issues are as follow:
a. The degradation of the environment, which must be halted as a matter of urgency
so that resources essential to life and health – water and pure air – remain accessi-
ble to all.
b. The ongoing contamination of our reserves of fresh water with hydrocarbons and
heavy metals, along with the contamination of ambient and indoor health by
toxic agents, which have serious medical consequences, especially in the poorest
segments of the globe. Moreover, the greenhouse effect with its concomitant pro-
ven rise in temperature should drive our discussions forward and prepare us for
increasingly serious environmental and public health consequences.
c. The need to control the use of non-renewable resources such as topsoil, which
should constantly be at the forefront of our minds, as should the importance of
safeguarding this vital heritage so that it can be passed on to future generations.
d. The need to mobilise resources beyond national frontiers and to co-ordinate
global solutions for the planet as a whole, so as to formulate a unified strategy to
confront these worldwide medical and economic problems.
e. The foremost objective is to increase awareness of the vital balance between
environmental resources on the one hand, and on the other, biological essentials
for the health of everyone everywhere.
3. Our growing awareness of these issues today has, however, failed to prevent an in-
crease in our societies’ negative impact on the environment, e.g., melting of glaciers
S-‐1988-‐04-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Environmental
Issues
and increasing desertification, nor has it halted the over-exploitation of natural re-
sources, e.g. pollution of rivers and seas, air pollution, deforestation and diminishing
arable land. In this context, the migration of people from disadvantaged or developing
countries, together with the emergence of new diseases, exacerbates the lack of socio-
economic policies in many parts of the world. From a medical point of view, growth
of the population and irresponsible destruction of the environment are unacceptable,
and medical organisations throughout the world should redouble their efforts, not only
to speak out about these problems, but also to suggest solutions.
PRINCIPLES
1. In their role as representatives of physicians, medical associations are duty bound to
grapple with these environmental issues. They have a duty to produce analytical stu-
dies that include the identification of problems and current international regulations
on environmental issues, as well as their impact on the field of health.
2. As physicians operate within the framework of ethics and medical deontology, the
environmental regulations advocated should not seek to limit individual autonomy,
but rather to enrich the quality of life for all and to perpetuate life-forms on the planet.
3. The WMA should therefore act as an international platform for research, education,
and advocacy to help further sustain the environment and its potential to promote
health.
4. Thus, when new environmental diseases or syndromes are identified, the WMA
should help coordinate the scientific/medical discussions on the available data and
their implications for human health. It should foster the development of consensus
thinking within medicine, and help to stimulate preventive measures, accurate diagno-
sis and treatment of these emerging disorders.
5. The WMA should therefore provide a framework for the international co-ordination
of medical associations, NGOs, research clinicians, international health organisations,
decision-makers and funding providers, in their examination of the human health ef-
fects of environmental problems, their prevention, remediation and treatment for indi-
viduals and communities.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1988-‐05-‐2011
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
HEALTH
HAZARDS
OF
TOBACCO
PRODUCTS
AND
TOBACCO-‐DERIVED
PRODUCTS
Adopted by the 40th
WMA General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, September 1988
and amended by the 49th
WMA General Assembly, Hamburg, Germany, November 1997
and the 58th
WMA General Assembly, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2007
and the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
PREAMBLE
More than one in three adults worldwide (more than 1.1 billion people) smokes, 80 per-
cent of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. Smoking and other forms of
tobacco use affect every organ system in the body, and are major causes of cancer, heart
disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fetal damage, and many other con-
ditions. Five million deaths occur worldwide each year due to tobacco use. If current
smoking patterns continue, it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020 and 70
percent of these will occur in developing countries. Tobacco use was responsible for 100
million deaths in the 20th century and will kill one billion people in the 21st century
unless effective interventions are implemented. Furthermore, secondhand smoke – which
contains more than 4000 chemicals, including more than 50 carcinogens and many other
toxins – causes lung cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses in nonsmokers.
The global public health community, through the World Health Organization (WHO), has
expressed increasing concern about the alarming trends in tobacco use and tobacco-
attributable disease. As of 20 September 2007, 150 countries had ratified the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), whose provisions call for ratifying countries to
take strong action against tobacco use by increasing tobacco taxation, banning tobacco
advertising and promotion, prohibiting smoking in public places and worksites, imple-
menting effective health warnings on tobacco packaging, improving access to tobacco
cessation treatment services and medications, regulating the contents and emissions of
tobacco products, and eliminating illegal trade in tobacco products.
Exposure to secondhand smoke occurs anywhere smoking is permitted: homes, work-
places, and other public places. According to the WHO, some 200,000 workers die each
year due to exposure to smoke at work, while about 700 million children, around half the
world’s total, breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke, particularly in the home. Based on
the evidence of three recent comprehensive reports (the International Agency for Research
on Cancer’s Monograph 83, Tobacco Smoke and Involuntary Smoking; the United States
Surgeon General’s Report on The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to
Tobacco Smoke; and the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Proposed Identifi-
S-‐1988-‐05-‐2011
⏐
Montevideo
Tobacco
Products
Health
Hazards
cation of Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a Toxic Air Contaminant), on May 29, 2007,
the WHO called for a global ban on smoking at work and in enclosed public places.
The tobacco industry claims that it is committed to determining the scientific truth about
the health effects of tobacco, both by conducting internal research and by funding external
research through jointly funded industry programs. However, the industry has consistently
denied, withheld, and suppressed information concerning the deleterious effects of tobacco
smoking. For many years the industry claimed that there was no conclusive proof that
smoking tobacco causes diseases such as cancer and heart disease. It has also claimed that
nicotine is not addictive. These claims have been repeatedly refuted by the global medical
profession, which because of this is also resolutely opposed to the massive advertising
campaigns mounted by the industry and believes strongly that the medical associations
themselves must provide a firm leadership role in the campaign against tobacco.
The tobacco industry and its subsidiaries have for many years supported research and the
preparation of reports on various aspects of tobacco and health. By being involved in such
activities, individual researchers and/or their organizations give the tobacco industry an
appearance of credibility even in cases where the industry is not able to use the results
directly in its marketing. Such involvement also raises major conflicts of interest with the
goals of health promotion.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA urges the national medical associations and all physicians to take the following
actions to help reduce the health hazards related to tobacco use:
1. Adopt a policy position opposing smoking and the use of tobacco products, and
publicize the policy so adopted.
2. Prohibit smoking, including use of smokeless tobacco, at all business, social,
scientific, and ceremonial meetings of the National Medical Association, in line
with the decision of the World Medical Association to impose a similar ban at all
its own such meetings.
3. Develop, support, and participate in programs to educate the profession and the
public about the health hazards of tobacco use (including addiction) and exposure
to secondhand smoke. Programs aimed at convincing and helping smokers and
smokeless tobacco users to cease the use of tobacco products and programs for
non-smokers and non-users of smokeless tobacco products aimed at avoidance are
both important.
4. Encourage individual physicians to be role models (by not using tobacco products)
and spokespersons for the campaign to educate the public about the deleterious
health effects of tobacco use and the benefits of tobacco-use cessation. Ask all
medical schools, biomedical research institutions, hospitals, and other health care
facilities to prohibit smoking, use of smokeless tobacco on their premises.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1988-‐05-‐2011
5. Introduce or strengthen educational programs for medical students and physicians
to prepare them to identify and treat tobacco dependence in their patients.
6. Support widespread access to evidence-based treatment for tobacco dependence –
including counseling and pharmacotherapy – through individual patient encounters,
cessation classes, telephone quit-lines, web-based cessation services, and other ap-
propriate means.
7. Develop or endorse a clinical practice guideline on the treatment of tobacco use
and dependence.
8. Join the WMA in urging the World Health Organization to add tobacco cessation
medications with established efficacy to the WHO’s Model List of Essential Medi-
cines.
9. Refrain from accepting any funding or educational materials from the tobacco
industry, and to urge medical schools, research institutions, and individual re-
searchers to do the same, in order to avoid giving any credibility to that industry.
10. Urge national governments to ratify and fully implement the Framework Conven-
tion on Tobacco Control in order to protect public health.
11. Speak out against the shift in focus of tobacco marketing from developed to less
developed nations and urge national governments to do the same.
12. Advocate the enactment and enforcement of laws that:
• provide for comprehensive regulation of the manufacture, sale, distribution, and
promotion of tobacco and tobacco-derived products, including the specific pro-
visions listed below.
• require written and pictorial warnings about health hazards to be printed on all
packages in which tobacco products are sold and in all advertising and pro-
motional materials for tobacco products. Such warnings should be prominent
and should refer those interested in quitting to available telephone quit-lines,
websites, or other sources of assistance.
• prohibit smoking in all enclosed public places (including health care facilities,
schools, and education facilities), workplaces (including restaurants, bars and
nightclubs) and public transport. Mental health and chemical dependence treat-
ment centers should also be smoke-free. Smoking in prisons should not be per-
mitted.
• ban all advertising and promotion of tobacco and tobacco-derived products.
• encourage the development of plain packaging legislation
• prohibit the sale, distribution, and accessibility of cigarettes, and other tobacco
products to children and adolescents. Ban the production, distribution and sale
of candy products that depict or resemble tobacco products.
• prohibit smoking on all commercial airline flights within national borders and
on all international commercial airline flights, and prohibit the sale of tax-free
tobacco products at airports and all other locations.
S-‐1988-‐05-‐2011
⏐
Montevideo
Tobacco
Products
Health
Hazards
• prohibit all government subsidies for tobacco and tobacco-derived products.
• provide for research into the prevalence of tobacco use and the effects of tobac-
co products on the health status of the population.
• prohibit the promotion, distribution, and sale of any new forms of tobacco pro-
ducts that are not currently available.
• increase taxation of tobacco products, using the increased revenues for preven-
tion programs, evidence-based cessation programs and services, and other
health care measures.
• curtail or eliminate illegal trade in tobacco products and the sale of smuggled
tobacco products.
• help tobacco farmers switch to alternative crops.
• urge governments to exclude tobacco products from international trade agree-
ments.
13. Recognize that tobacco use may lead to pediatric disease because of the harm done
to children caused by tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure, the relation-
ship of tobacco use by children and exposure to adult tobacco use, and the existence
of effective interventions to reduce tobacco use. Special efforts should be made by
physicians to:
• provide tobacco-free environments for children
• target parents who smoke for tobacco cessation interventions
• promote programs that contribute to the prevention and decrease of tobacco use
by youth
• control access to and marketing of tobacco products, and
• make pediatric tobacco-control research a high priority
14. Refuse to invest in companies or firms producing or promoting the use or sale of
tobacco.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1989-‐01-‐2006
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ANIMAL
USE
IN
BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH
Adopted by the 41st
World Medical Assembly, Hong Kong, September 1989
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
1. Biomedical research is essential to the health and well-being of our society. Advances
in biomedical research have dramatically improved the quality and prolonged the
duration of life throughout the world. However, the ability of the scientific commu-
nity to continue its efforts to improve personal and public health is being threatened
by a movement to eliminate the use of animals in biomedical research. This move-
ment is spearheaded by groups of radical animal rights activists whose views are
considered to be far outside mainstream public attitudes and whose tactics range from
sophisticated lobbying, fund-raising, propaganda and misinformation campaigns to
violent attacks on biomedical research facilities and individual scientists. These violent
attacks are carried out by a relatively small number of activists compared with those
who use peaceful means of protest, but they have profound and wide-ranging effects.
2. The magnitude of violent animal rights activities is staggering, and these activities
take place in many different parts of the world. Various animal rights groups have
claimed responsibility for the bombing of cars, institutions, stores, and the private
homes of researchers.
3. Animal rights violence has had a chilling effect on the scientific community inter-
nationally. Scientists, research organizations, and universities have been intimidated
into altering or even terminating important research efforts that depend on the use of
animals. Laboratories have been forced to divert thousands of research dollars for the
purchase of sophisticated security equipment. Young people who might otherwise
pursue a career in biomedical research are turning their sights to alternative profes-
sions.
4. Despite the efforts of many groups striving to protect biomedical research from
radical animal activism, the response to the animal rights movement has been frag-
mented, underfunded, and primarily defensive. Many groups within the biomedical
community are hesitant to take a public stand about animal activism because of fear of
reprisal. As a result, the research establishment has been backed into a defensive pos-
ture. Its motivations are questioned, and the need for using animals in research is re-
peatedly challenged.
S-‐1989-‐01-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Animal
Use
in
Biomedical
Research
5. While properly designed and executed research involving animals is necessary to
enhance the medical care of all persons, we recognize also that humane treatment of
research animals must be ensured. Appropriate training for all research personnel
should be prescribed and adequate veterinary care should be available. Experiments
must comply with any rules or regulations promulgated to govern humane handling,
housing, care, treatment and transportation of animals.
6. International medical and scientific organizations must develop a stronger and more
cohesive campaign to counter the growing threat to public health posed by animal
activists. Leadership and coordination must be provided. In addition, there must be a
clear understanding of the rights of animals who are part of medical research, and the
obligations of those who undertake it.
The World Medical Association therefore affirms the following principles:
1. Animal use in biomedical research is essential for continued medical progress.
2. The WMA Declaration of Helsinki requires that biomedical research involving human
subjects should be based, where appropriate, on animal experimentation, but also re-
quires that the welfare of animals used for research be respected.
3. Humane treatment of animals used in biomedical research is essential and research
facilities should be required to comply with all guiding principles for humane treat-
ment. Education about these principles should be provided to all researchers in train-
ing.
4. Animals should only be used in biomedical research when it is clear that their use is
required to achieve an important outcome, and where no other feasible method is
available.
5. Duplication of animal experiments should not occur unless scientifically justified.
6. The use of animals for the futile testing of cosmetic products and their ingredients,
alcohol and tobacco should not be supported.
7. Although rights to free speech should not be compromised, the anarchistic element
among animal right activists should be condemned.
8. The use of threats, intimidation, violence, and personal harassment of scientists and
their families should be condemned internationally.
9. A maximum coordinated effort from international law enforcement agencies should
be sought to protect researchers and research facilities from activities of a terrorist
nature.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1990-‐01-‐2006
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
INJURY
CONTROL
Adopted by the 42nd
World Medical Assembly, Rancho Mirage, CA., USA, October 1990
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults. Injuries
destroy the health, lives and livelihoods of millions of people each year. Yet many injuries
are preventable. Injury control should be recognized as a public health priority requiring
coordination among health, transportation and social service agencies in each country.
Physician participation and leadership is necessary to assure the success of such injury
control programmes.
The World Medical Association urges National Medical Associations to work with appro-
priate public and private agencies to develop and implement programmes to prevent and
treat injuries. Included in the programmes must be efforts to improve medical treatment
and rehabilitation of injured patients. Research and education on injury control must be in-
creased, and international cooperation is a vital and necessary component of successful
programmes.
National Medical Associations should recommend that the following basic elements be
incorporated in their countries’ programmes:
EPIDEMIOLOGY
The initial activity of such programmes must be the acquisition of more adequate data on
which to base priorities, interventions and research. An effective injury surveillance
system should be implemented in each country to gather and integrate information. A
consistent and accurate system for coding injuries must be implemented by hospitals and
health agencies. There should also be uniform coding of injury severity.
PREVENTION
Injury prevention requires education and training to teach and persuade people to alter
their behaviour and thereby control their risk of injury. Laws and regulations based on sci-
entifically sound methods of preventing injuries may be appropriate for effecting changes
in behaviour (for example, the use of seatbelts and protective helmets). These laws must
be strictly enforced in order to effectively influence behaviour changes. Improvements in
product and environmental design of various products to provide automatic protection
against injuries must be encouraged, as they will be the most effective means of prevent-
ing injuries. Implementing a reporting system to encourage learning from mistakes could
also be beneficial in preventing future injuries.
S-‐1990-‐01-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Injury
Control
BIOMECHANICS
Biomedical research on injury causation and prevention should be given priority. A better
understanding of the biomechanics of injury and disability could enable the development
of improved protection for humans. Regulations pertaining to product design must incor-
porate product safety standards developed from an improved understanding of the bio-
mechanics of injury.
TREATMENT
Injury management at the scene of the occurrence must be enhanced by an effective sys-
tem of communication with medical practitioners, to facilitate decision-making. Rapid and
safe transportation to the hospital should be provided. An experienced team of trauma
practitioners should be available at the hospital. There should also be adequate equipment
and supplies available for the care of the injured patient, including immediate access to a
blood bank. Education and training of medical practitioners in trauma care must be en-
couraged to assure optimal technique by an adequate number of physicians at all times.
REHABILITATION
Trauma victims need continuity of care emphasizing not only survival but also the identi-
fication and preservation of residual functions. Rehabilitation to restore biological, psy-
chological and social functions must be undertaken in an effort to allow the injured person
to achieve maximal personal autonomy and an independent lifestyle. Where feasible, com-
munity integration is a desirable goal for people chronically disabled by injury. Rehabili-
tation may also require changes in the patient’s physical and social environment.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1990-‐04-‐2006
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
TRAFFIC
INJURY
Adopted by the 42nd
World Medical Assembly, Rancho Mirage, CA., USA, October 1990
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
1. Serious injuries and mortality in road collisions are a public health problem with
consequences similar to those of major diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular
disease. Worldwide, about 1.2 million persons are killed each year on the roads and
an additional 20~50 million are injured. By 2020, road traffic injuries are expected to
be the third largest contributor to the global burden of disease and injury.
2. In addition to the immeasurable personal and social price paid by the victims of road
crashes and their relatives, traffic injury has a significant economic impact. The direct
and economic cost of injury and disability resulting from traffic injuries, including
emergency and rehabilitative health care, costs of disability, disability adjusted life
years (DALYs) and other costs, amount to 1% of the GDP in poorer countries and
1.5~2% in wealthier countries. Much of this burden is borne by the health sector.
3. Road injuries continue to increase in many countries, particularly low and middle-
income nations that currently account for 85% for all road traffic deaths, and are the
second leading cause of death among youth worldwide.
4. Most traffic injuries could be prevented by better countermeasures. Combating traffic
injury is the shared responsibility of many bodies, groups and individuals, including
governments, NGOs, industry, international, national and community groups, public
health professionals, engineers and law enforcement personnel.
5. Speed is widely recognized as the most important determinant of road safety, af-
fecting the likelihood that a crash will occur and the severity of resulting injuries if a
crash does occur. An average increase in speed of 1 km/h is associated with a 3%
higher risk of a crash involving injury and a 5% higher risk of serious or fatal injury.
6. However, efforts to decrease road crashes and injury also require a « systems ap-
proach » that recognizes and addresses the many factors that combine to increase the
risk of traffic accidents and resulting injury, including human, vehicle and road design
variables.
7. Human, vehicular and environmental factors interact before, during and after a col-
lision. Intervention at each of these stages will help reduce crashes and injury. Effec-
tive intervention requires public education as well as professional involvement in the
fields of engineering, law enforcement and medical care.
S-‐1990-‐04-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Traffic
Injury
8. Pre-collision intervention is aimed at preventing crashes and reducing risk factors.
Examples include: preventing drivers from driving when fatigued (especially drivers
of heavy vehicles), distracted (including prohibiting the use of hand-held cellular
phones) or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and measures such as night cur-
fews or graduated licensing for young drivers. Pre-collision intervention also includes
setting vehicle design standards that ensure that vehicles are roadworthy and cannot
be driven at excessive speeds. Other interventions include setting and enforcing appro-
priate speed limits, installing speed cameras, and optimizing road design and layout to
prevent crashes.
9. A second level of intervention is aimed at preventing or reducing injury during the
crash. Such interventions include: enforcing the use of seat belts and child restraints,
requiring helmets for cyclists, manufacturing vehicles equipped with safety devices
and crash-protective design, lowering and enforcing speed limits and removing heavy,
rigid objects such as concrete or metal dividers, light posts and abutments from the
sides of roads.
10. Post-crash intervention is aimed at maximizing life saving and injury reducing treat-
ment and includes improved pre-hospital and emergency trauma care and rehabilita-
tion.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The WMA adopts the findings and key recommendations of the WHO Report on road
traffic injury prevention (2004) and calls for their implementation by its member Na-
tional Medical Associations and their governments and relevant bodies.
2. Physicians must view traffic injury as a public health problem and recognize their res-
ponsibility in fighting this global problem.
3. National Medical Associations and their member physicians should work to persuade
governments and policy makers of the importance of this issue and should assist in
adapting empirical and scientific information into workable policies.
4. National Medical Associations and physicians should be key players in public educa-
tion, and should include road safety in health promotion activities.
5. Physicians should be involved in the collection and analysis of data regarding road
crashes and concomitant injuries, including injury surveillance systems.
6. Physicians should work towards changing the public attitude toward road travel,
including pressing for improved public transportation, bicycle paths and proper side-
walks to encourage less car use and the adoption of healthier options such as walking
and cycling.
7. Physicians should be active in addressing the human factor and medical reasons for
road crashes, including, but not limited to, the use of prescription drugs or medical
conditions that may impair driving ability, and explore ways to prevent and reduce the
severity of injuries.
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8. Physicians should lobby for the implementation and enforcement of the measures
listed above, which have been shown to decrease the risk and severity of vehicle
crashes, and the evaluation of their impact.
9. National Medical Associations and their member physicians should encourage
research and development of improved training systems and medical care at all stages,
including effective communication and transport systems to locate and evacuate the
victims, emergency medical care systems to provide life-saving first aid services, and
expert trauma and rehabilitative care, and should lobby for increased resources to help
provide these services.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ADOLESCENT
SUICIDE
Adopted by the 43rd
World Medical Assembly, Malta, November 1991
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
1. The past several decades have witnessed a dramatic change in causes of adolescent
mortality. Previously, adolescents mostly died of natural causes, whereas they now
more likely die from preventable causes. Part of this change has been a worldwide
rise in adolescent suicide rates in both developed and developing countries. In the
adolescent population, suicide is currently one of the leading causes of death. Suicides
are probably under-reported due to cultural and religious stigma attached to self-des-
truction and to an unwillingness to recognize certain traumas, such as some automo-
bile accidents, as self-inflicted.
2. Adolescent suicide is a tragedy that affects not only the individual but also the family,
peers and larger community in which the adolescent lived. Suicide is often ex-
perienced as a personal failure by parents, friends and physicians who blame them-
selves for not detecting warning signs. It is also viewed as a failure by the community
by serving as a vivid reminder that modern society often does not provide a nurturing,
supportive and healthy environment in which children can grow and develop.
3. Factors contributing to adolescent suicide are varied and include: affective disorders,
trauma, anxiety disorders, emotional isolation, self-esteem, excessive emotional stress
(such as teasing and harassment), romantic fantasies, thrill-seeking, drug and alcohol
abuse, the availability of firearms and other agents of self-destruction, and media
reports of other adolescent suicides resulting in copycat acts. Most often suicide is the
result of several factors acting together, rather that any one isolated factor. Youth
within correctional facilities are at higher risk for suicide than the general population
yet have fewer resources available to them. However, the lack of a consistent personal
profile makes it difficult to identify those adolescents at risk for suicide.
4. The health care of adolescents is best achieved when physicians provide compre-
hensive services, including both medical and psychosocial evaluation and treatment.
Continuous, comprehensive care provides the physician the opportunity to obtain the
information necessary to detect adolescents at risk for suicide or other self-destructive
behaviour. This service model also helps to build a socially supportive patient-physi-
cian relationship that may moderate adverse influences adolescents experience in their
environment.
Pilanesberg
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S-‐1991-‐01-‐2006
Adolescent
Suicide
5. In working to prevent adolescent suicide, the World Medical Association recognizes
the complex nature of adolescent bio-psycho-social development, the changing social
world faced by adolescents, and the introduction of new, more lethal, agents of self-
destruction. In response to these concerns, the World Medical Association recom-
mends that National Medical Associations adopt the following guidelines for physi-
cians. In doing so, we recognise that many other players – parents, governmental
agencies, schools, communities, social services – also have important roles in this area.
GUIDELINES
1. All physicians should receive, during medical school and postgraduate training, edu-
cation in child psychiatry and adolescent bio-psycho-social development, including
the risk factors for suicide.
2. Physicians should be trained to identify early signs and symptoms of physical, emo-
tional, and social distress of adolescent patients and the signs and symptoms of psy-
chiatric disorders that may contribute to suicide as well as other self destructive be-
haviours, including depression, bipolar disorder, substance use disorders and a pre-
vious suicide attempt.
3. Physicians should be taught how and when to assess suicidal risk in their adolescent
patients.
4. Physicians should be taught and keep up-to-date on the treatment and referral options
appropriate for all levels of self-destructive behaviours of their adolescent patients.
The physicians with the most significant training in adolescent suicide are child and
adolescent psychiatrists, and the patient should be referred to one if available.
5. When caring for adolescents with any type of trauma, physicians should evaluate the
possibility that the injuries might have been self-inflicted.
6. When caring for adolescents who demonstrate a deterioration in thinking, feeling or
behaviour, the possibility of substance abuse and addiction should be raised and the
threshold should be low for urine toxicology assessment.
7. Health care systems should facilitate the establishment of mental health consultation
services aimed at preventing suicide, and should pay for the socio-medical care given
to patients who have attempted suicide. Services should be tailored to the specific
needs of adolescent patients.
8. Epidemiological studies on suicide, its risk factors and methods of prevention should
be conducted.
9. When caring for adolescents with psychiatric disorders or risk factors for suicide,
physicians should educate parents or guardians to watch for the signs of suicide and
educate them as to the options for evaluation.
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of
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Policies
S-‐1992-‐01-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ALCOHOL
AND
ROAD
SAFETY
Adopted by the 44th
World Medical Assembly, Marbella, Spain, September 1992
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
INTRODUCTION
1. On a worldwide scale, the anticipated growth in the number of vehicles in circulation
(barely 1% per capita in China in 2001, 74% in the United States) has led the World
Health Organisation (WHO) to forecast a considerable rise in the global death toll.
Road crashes are set to become the 3rd greatest cause of death in the world by 2020,
whereas in 1990 they were in 9th place. The WHO estimates that during this period
the number of road deaths will fall by 30% in rich countries, while lower and middle
income countries will see an increase of 20%.
2. Deaths and injuries resulting from road crashes along with collisions between vehicles
and pedestrians are a major public health problem. In many countries where alcohol
consumption is an integral part of daily life, driving while under the influence of
alcohol has been shown to be the cause of around half of all the deaths and serious
injuries in road crashes.
3. A change in the behaviour of road users with regard to alcohol consumption would
appear to be the most promising approach to preventing traffic deaths and injuries.
Measures forbidding driving while under the influence of alcohol will lead to a con-
siderable improvement in road safety and an appreciable reduction in the number of
dead and injured.
4. Driving a vehicle implies the acceptance of a certain number of risks. The careful
driver will always be aware of the risks, while at the same time ensuring that the level
of risk never rises to an unacceptable level. Alcohol alters a driver’s subjective assess-
ment of risk so that he or she drives more recklessly, while at the same time the ability
to drive is impaired.
5. Irrespective of the amount of alcohol consumed, the maximum concentration of al-
cohol in the body is reached:
• after half an hour when taken on an empty stomach;
• after an hour when taken with a meal.
On the other hand, it takes the body a long time to eliminate alcohol. An individual in
good health eliminates alcohol at a rate that reduces blood alcohol concentration by 0.1 to
0.15 gram/litre/hour.
Pilanesberg
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S-‐1992-‐01-‐2006
Alcohol
and
Road
Safety
6. At the present time, permitted blood alcohol levels vary from country to country. It
would be desirable to introduce a uniform maximum permissible level of blood
alcohol of 0.5 gram per litre, low enough to allow the average driver to retain the
ability to assess risk.
7. The information dispensed by health professionals and physicians should be aimed at
making every driver aware of these risks. When motorists have been thus informed, it
is important that they make the decision whether or not to drive before consuming
alcohol in sufficient quantities to alter their perception.
8. Alcohol is a psychotropic substance that acts on the central nervous system. In
essence, alcohol abuse or drug dependency are addictive practices that can lead to
neurological or psychiatric difficulties, which can in turn trigger a sudden alteration in
brain function and thus endanger road safety. Certain drugs interact negatively with
alcohol, and in particular some combinations are known to reduce alertness. When
drugs, whether legal or illegal, are taken with alcohol, the effect of the latter is intensi-
fied. This mixture can trigger mental dysfunctions that are extremely dangerous for
road users. Physicians should be educated and informed about these pharma-cological
facts.
9. When physicians and other health professionals issue fitness-to-drive certificates, they
can use this opportunity to educate road users and pass on a message of prevention
and personal responsibility. In certain countries, the significant public health problems
caused by alcohol on the roads justify more coercive policies requiring the co-
ordination of different initiatives. Physicians could also play a part in this, by com-
plying with current legislation and by exercising the high level of vigilance required
by the scale and seriousness of the road safety issue. In the event of a second offence,
or of heavy dependency on alcohol indicating regular excessive drinking, the driver
may be declared unfit to drive for a period of time sufficient to ensure that when he is
again certified fit to drive, he will no longer be a threat to road safety.
10. In most countries, road crashes linked to alcohol consumption affect adolescents and
young adults to a disproportionately high degree, and every available resource should
be mobilised to reduce their consumption of alcohol. Physicians should also be in-
volved in reducing the likelihood of impaired driving by participating in the detoxify-
cation and rehabilitation of drunk drivers. These initiatives should be based on a
detailed analysis of the problem as it manifests itself within each country or culture.
Generally speaking, however, alcoholism is a medical condition with concomitant
psychological or social and interpersonal difficulties that affect the family, work or
social environment.
11. In order to be effective, educational and preventive initiatives should:
a. Educate the population, especially young people, about the seriousness of the
problem and the dangers of drinking and driving, with the aim of changing indi-
vidual attitudes and behaviour in terms of driving and consuming alcohol and/or
drugs;
b. Support this change in behaviour by implementing appropriate legal expectations
and coercive measures, such as fines or the revocation of licenses;
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World
Medical
Association
c. Identify alcoholic subjects, which requires setting up practical measures such as a
questionnaire, psychological tests and random checks;
d. Restrict the promotion of alcoholic beverages, including advertising and event
sponsorship.
Additional measures should be examined and adopted as appropriate. For exam-
ple:
e. Development of strategies to assure safe transportation home in situations where
alcohol consumption occurs;
f. Experimenting with devices that prevent individuals with an unauthorised level of
blood alcohol from starting the engine of or operating the vehicle;
g. Wider use of breath alcohol tests (chemical or electronic);
h. Adoption of a minimum legal age for alcohol purchase and consumption in each
country; countries should also adopt policies that penalize the driver and with-
draw the driver’s license if the driver is under legal age and is convicted of
driving under the influence of alcohol.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The WMA urges National Medical Associations and individual physicians to continue
promoting the following principles:
a. Road accidents linked to the consumption of alcohol are a major but avoidable
public health problem. The authorities should allocate public health resources that
are proportionate to the scale of the problem.
b. When preventive measures are introduced and followed through, a good under-
standing of age and social groupings involved is required, as well as a grasp of
the social conditions which often lie at the root of their problems.
c. Where specific social groupings are concerned, overall response strategies should
be set up that could include limiting the consumption of alcohol and asking those
involved in selling alcoholic beverages to take on a share of responsibility for the
consequences of selling such products. Education and policies should promote
moderation and responsibility in the consumption of alcohol and seek to reduce
the likelihood that someone will consume alcohol and drive afterwards. In parti-
cular, eliminating alcohol from the workplace and in situations where consumers
must drive after drinking should be a goal of organizational policies. The promo-
tion of non-alcoholic drinks is an important tool to facilitate these policies.
d. Road accidents linked to the consumption of alcohol can be considered as pos-
sible predictors of other addictive and violent behaviours. This should be taken
into consideration in the medical treatment of the patient.
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Alcohol
and
Road
Safety
e. Alcoholic subjects should be given access to rehabilitation services. When mo-
torists are found to have excess alcohol in their blood (or their breath), other
factors linked to their excessive drinking should be examined and included in a
rehabilitation programme. These rehabilitation programmes should be publicly
funded.
f. Educating the population about alcohol should focus on making people aware of
alcohol’s negative influence on one’s ability to drive and one’s assessment of risk.
The public should understand the risks and medical complications linked to
drinking while under the influence of alcohol.
g. The problem of alcohol consumption in adolescents and young adults and its
relation to road safety should be addressed in the school curricula and in com-
munity preventive measures and policies so that a responsible attitude becomes
the norm.
h. As even small amounts of alcohol have a direct effect on the brain, with disturb-
ances noted at levels as low as 0.3 gram per litre, physicians should argue the
case for setting the blood alcohol level considered acceptable to drive a vehicle as
low as possible and no higher than 0.5 gram per litre.
i. Any motorist who has been in a road traffic accident must undergo a blood al-
cohol concentration test or a breath test.
j. The practice of random driver testing for breath alcohol levels should become
more widespread, and there should be further research into other ways to test
urine, breath and saliva to identify impaired drivers and prevent subsequent opera-
tion of motor vehicles.
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Policies
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⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
NOISE
POLLUTION
Adopted by the 44th
World Medical Assembly, Marbella, Spain, September 1992
and amended by the 58th
WMA General Assembly, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2007
PREAMBLE
Given growing environmental awareness and knowledge of the impact of noise on health,
the psyche, performance and well-being, the fight against environmental noise is be-
coming increasingly important. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes noise as
the principal environmental nuisance in industrial nations.
Noise affects people in various ways. Its effects relate to hearing, the vegetative nervous
system, the psyche, spoken communication, sleep and performance. Since noise acts as a
stressor, an increased burden on the body leads to higher energy consumption and greater
wear. It is thus suspected that noise can primarily favour diseases in which stress plays a
contributory role, such as cardiovascular diseases, which can then be manifested in the
form of hypertension, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, or even apoplexy.
The effects in the psychosocial field are likewise dramatic. The stress caused by environ-
mental noise – particularly road traffic noise – is a central concern, not only in the indus-
trial nations, but increasingly also in the developing countries.
Owing to the continuous and massive growth of traffic volumes, both on the roads and in
the air, the stress caused by environmental noise has increased steadily in terms of both its
duration and the area affected.
Damage to hearing caused by leisure-time noise is also of growing concern. The most
common source of noise in this context is music, to which the ear is exposed by different
audio media at different places (portable music players, stereo systems, discotheques, con-
certs). The risk of suffering hearing damage is underestimated by most people, or even
consciously denied. The greatest issue (or aspect) lies in creating awareness of the pro-
blem in the high-risk group – which generally means young people. In this respect, the
legislature is called upon to intervene and reduce the potential for damage by introducing
sound level limiters in audio playback units and maximum permissible sound levels at
music events, or by banning children’s toys that are excessively loud or produce excessive
noise levels.
In keeping with its socio-medical commitment, the World Medical Association is issuing a
statement on the problem of noise pollution with the aim of making a contribution to the
fight against environmental noise through more extensive information and more acute
awareness.
Copenhagen
⏐
S-‐1992-‐05-‐2007
Noise
Pollution
RECOMMENDATIONS
The World Medical Association calls upon the National Medical Associations to:
1. Inform the public, especially persons affected by environmental noise, as well as poli-
cy and decision makers, of the dangers of noise pollution.
2. Call upon ministers of transport and urban planners to develop alternative concepts
that are capable of countering the growing level of environmental noise pollution.
3. Advocate appropriate statutory regulations for combating environmental noise pollu-
tion.
4. Support enforcement of noise pollution legislation and monitor the effectiveness of
control measures.
5. Inform young people of the risks associated with listening to excessively loud music,
such as that which emanates, for example, from portable music players, use of stereo
systems with earphones, audio systems in cars, and attendance at rock concerts and
discotheques.
6. Prompt the educational authorities to inform pupils at an early stage regarding the
effects of noise on people, how stress due to environmental noise can be counteracted,
the role of the individual in contributing to noise pollution, and the risks associated
with listening to excessively loud music.
7. Provide information about risks of damage to hearing that arise in the private sector as
a result of working with power tools or operating excessively loud motor vehicles.
8. Emphasize to those individuals who are exposed to excessive levels of noise in the
workplace the importance of protecting themselves against irreducible noise.
9. Call upon the persons responsible for occupational safety and health in businesses to
take further action to reduce noise emission, in order to ensure protection of the health
of employees at the workplace.
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of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1992-‐06-‐2015
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
PHYSICIAN-‐ASSISTED
SUICIDE
Adopted by the 44th
World Medical Assembly, Marbella, Spain, September 1992
and editorially revised by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France,
May 2005 and reaffirmed by the 200th
WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015
Physician-assisted suicide, like euthanasia, is unethical and must be condemned by the
medical profession. Where the assistance of the physician is intentionally and deliberately
directed at enabling an individual to end his or her own life, the physician acts unethically.
However the right to decline medical treatment is a basic right of the patient and the phy-
sician does not act unethically even if respecting such a wish results in the death of the
patient.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1993-‐01-‐2005
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
BODY
SEARCHES
OF
PRISONERS
Adopted by the 45th
World Medical Assembly, Budapest, Hungary, October 1993
and editorially revised by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France,
May 2005
The prison systems in many countries mandate body cavity searches of prisoners. Such
searches, which include rectal and pelvic examination, may be performed when an indi-
vidual enters the prison population and thereafter whenever the individual is permitted to
have personal contact with someone outside the prison population, or when there is a
reason to believe a breach of security or of prison regulations has occurred. For example,
when a prisoner is taken to Court for a hearing, or to the hospital for treatment, or to work
outside the prison, the prisoner, upon returning to the institution, may be subjected to a
body cavity search that will include all body orifices. The purpose of the search is pri-
marily security and/or to prevent contraband, such as weapons or drugs, from entering the
prison.
These searches are performed for security reasons and not for medical reasons. Never-
theless, they should not be done by anyone other than a person with appropriate medical
training. This non-medical act may be performed by a physician to protect the prisoner
from the harm that might result from a search by a non-medically trained examiner. In
such a case the physician should explain this to the prisoner. The physician should further-
more explain to the prisoner that the usual conditions of medical confidentiality do not
apply during this imposed procedure and that the results of the search will be revealed to
the authorities. If a physician is duly mandated by an authority and agrees to perform a
body cavity search on a prisoner, the authority should be duly informed that it is necessary
for this procedure to be done in a humane manner.
If the search is conducted by a physician, it should not be done by the physician who will
also subsequently provide medical care to the prisoner.
The physician’s obligation to provide medical care to the prisoner should not be compro-
mised by an obligation to participate in the prison’s security system.
The World Medical Association urges all governments and public officials with responsi-
bility for public safety to recognize that such invasive search procedures are serious
assaults on a person’s privacy and dignity, and they also carry some risk of physical and
psychological injury. Therefore, the World Medical Association exhorts that, to the extent
feasible without compromising public security,
S-‐1993-‐01-‐2005
⏐
Divonne-‐les-‐Bains
Body
Searches
of
Prisoners
• alternate methods be used for routine screening of prisoners, and body cavity
searches be used only as a last resort;
• if a body cavity search must be conducted, the responsible public official must
ensure that the search is conducted by personnel with sufficient medical know-
ledge and skills to safely perform the search;
• the same responsible authority ensure that the individual’s privacy and dignity be
guaranteed.
Finally, the World Medical Association urges all governments and responsible public
officials to provide body searches that are performed by a qualified physician whenever
warranted by the individual’s physical condition. A specific request by a prisoner for a
physician shall be respected, so far as possible.
The World Medical Association adopts this statement for the purpose of providing guid-
ance for National Medical Associations as they develop ethical guidelines for their physi-
cian members.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1993-‐02-‐2005
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
FEMALE
GENITAL
MUTILATION
Adopted by the 45th
World Medical Assembly, Budapest, Hungary, October 1993
and editorially revised by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France,
May 2005
PREAMBLE
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a common practice in over thirty countries.
In many other countries the problem has arisen more recently due to the presence of ethnic
groups from countries in which FGM is common practice, including immigrants and refu-
gees who fled from hunger and war.
Because of its impact on the physical and mental health of women and children, FGM is a
matter of concern to physicians. Physicians worldwide are confronted with the effects of
this traditional practice. Sometimes they are asked to perform this mutilating procedure.
There are various forms of FGM. It can be a primary circumcision for young girls, usually
between 5 and 12 years of age, or a secondary circumcision, e.g., after childbirth. The ex-
tent of a primary circumcision may vary: from an incision in the foreskin of the clitoris up
to a pharaonic circumcision or infibulation removing the clitoris and labia minora and
stitching up the labia majora so that only a minimal opening remains to allow for urine and
menstrual blood.
Regardless of the extent of the circumcision, FGM affects the health of women and girls.
Research evidence shows the grave permanent damage to health. Acute complications of
FGM are: hemorrhage, infections, bleeding of adjacent organs, and excruciating pain.
Long-term complications include severe scarring, chronic infections, urologic and obste-
tric complications, and psychological and social problems. FGM has serious consequences
for sexuality and how it is experienced. There is a multiplicity of complications during
childbirth including expulsion disturbances, formation of fistulae, ruptures and inconti-
nence.
Even with the least drastic version of circumcision, complications and functional conse-
quences can occur, including the loss of all capacity for orgasm.
There are various reasons to explain the existence and continuation of the practice of
FGM: custom, tradition (preserving virginity of young girls and limiting the sexual ex-
pression of women) and social reasons. These reasons do not justify the considerable da-
mages to health.
S-‐1993-‐02-‐2005
⏐
Divonne-‐les-‐Bains
Female
Genital
Mutilation
None of the major religions supports this practice. The current medical opinion is that
FGM is detrimental to the physical and mental health of girls and women. FGM is seen by
many as a form of oppression of women.
By and large there is a strong tendency to condemn FGM more overtly:
• There are active campaigns against the practice in Africa. Many African women
leaders as well as African heads of state have issued strong statements against the
practice.
• International agencies such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights and UNICEF have recommended that specific
measures be aimed at the eradication of FGM.
• Governments in several countries have developed legislation, such as prohibiting
FGM in their criminal codes.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Taking into account the psychological needs and ‘cultural identity’ of the people in-
volved, physicians should inform women, men and children about FGM and dis-
courage them from performing or promoting FGM. Physicians should integrate health
promotion and counselling against FGM into their work.
2. As a consequence, physicians should have adequate information and support for
doing so. Educational programmes concerning FGM should be expanded and/or
developed.
3. National Medical Associations should stimulate public and professional awareness of
the damaging effects of FGM.
4. National Medical Associations should stimulate governmental action in preventing
the practice of FGM.
5. National Medical Associations should cooperate in organising an appropriate preven-
tive and legal strategy when a child is at risk of undergoing FGM.
CONCLUSION
The World Medical Association condemns the practice of genital mutilation including the
circumcision of women and girls and condemns the participation of physicians in such
practices.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1993-‐03-‐2006
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
PATIENT
ADVOCACY
AND
CONFIDENTIALITY
Adopted by the 45th
World Medical Assembly, Budapest, Hungary, October 1993
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
Medical practitioners have an ethical duty and a professional responsibility to act in the
best interests of their patients without regard to age, gender, sexual orientation, physical
ability or disability, race, religion, culture, beliefs, political affiliation, financial means or
nationality.
This duty includes advocating for patients, both as a group (such as advocating on public
health issues) and as individuals.
Occasionally, this duty may conflict with a physician’s other legal, ethical and/or pro-
fessional duties, creating social, professional and ethical dilemmas for the physician.
Potential conflicts with the physician’s obligation of advocacy on behalf of his or her pa-
tient may arise in a number of contexts:
1. Conflict between the obligation of advocacy and confidentiality – A physician is
ethically and often legally obligated to preserve in confidence a patient’s personal
health information and any information conveyed to the physician by the patient in
the course of his or her professional duties. This may conflict with the physician’s
obligation to advocate for and protect patients where the patients may be incapable of
doing so themselves.
2. Conflict between the best interest of the patient and employer or insurer dictates –
Often there exists potential for conflict between a physician’s duty to act in the best
interest of his or her patients, and the dictates of the physician’s employer or the in-
surance body, whose decision may be shaped by economic or administrative factors
unrelated to the patient’s health. Examples of such might be an insurer’s instructions to
prescribe a specific drug only, where the physician believes a different drug would
better suit a particular patient, or an insurer’s denial of coverage for treatment that a
physician believes is necessary.
3. Conflict between the best interests of the individual patient and society – Although the
physician’s primary obligation is to his or her patient, the physician may, in certain
circumstances, have responsibilities to a patient’s family and/or to society as well.
This may arise in cases of conflict between the patient and his or her family, in the
case of minor or incapacitated patients, or in the context of limited resources.
S-‐1993-‐03-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Patient
Advocacy
and
Confidentiality
4. Conflict between the patient’s wishes and the physician’s professional judgment or
moral values – Patients are presumed to be the best arbiters of their best interests and,
in general, a physician should advocate for and accede to the wishes of his or her pa-
tient. However, in certain instances such wishes may be contrary to the physician’s
professional judgment or personal values.
RECOMMENDATION
1. The duty of confidentiality must be paramount except in cases where the physician is
legally or ethically obligated to disclose such information in order to protect the wel-
fare of the individual patient, third parties or society. In such cases, the physician
must make a reasonable effort to notify the patient of the obligation to breach confi-
dentiality, and explain the reasons for doing so, unless this is clearly inadvisable (such
as where telling the patient would exacerbate a threat). In certain cases, such as gene-
tic or HIV testing, physicians should discuss with their patients, prior to performing
the test, instances in which confidentiality might need to be breached.
A physician should breach confidentiality in order to protect the individual patient
only in cases of minor or incompetent patients (such as certain cases of child or elder
abuse) and only where alternative measures are not available. In all other cases,
confidentiality may be breached only with the specific consent of the patient or his/
her legal representative or where necessary for the treatment of the patient, such as in
consultations between medical practitioners.
Whenever confidentiality must be breached, it should be done so only to the extent
necessary and only to the relevant party or authority.
2. In all cases where a physician’s obligation to his or her patient conflicts with the
administrative dictates of the employer or the insurer, a physician must strive to change
the decision of the employing/insuring body. His or her ultimate obligation must be to
the patient.
Mechanisms should be in place to protect physicians who wish to challenge decisions
of employers/insurers without jeopardizing their jobs, and to resolve disagreements
between medical professionals and administrators with regard to allocation of re-
sources.
Such mechanisms should be embodied in medical practitioners’ employment con-
tracts. These employment contracts should acknowledge that medical practitioners’
ethical obligations override purely contractual obligations related to employment.
3. A physician should be aware of and take into account economic and other factors
before making a decision regarding treatment. Nonetheless, a physician has an obliga-
tion to advocate on behalf of his or her patient for access to the best available treat-
ment.
In all cases of conflict between a physician’s obligation to the individual patient and
the obligation to the patient’s family or to society, the obligation to the individual pa-
tient should typically take precedence.
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World
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4. Competent patients have the right to determine, on the basis of their needs, values and
preferences, what constitutes for them the best course of treatment in any given situa-
tion.
Unless it is an emergency situation, physicians should not be required to participate in
any procedures that conflict with their personal values or professional judgment. In
such non-emergency cases, the physician should explain to the patient his or her in-
ability to carry out the patient’s wishes, and the patient should be referred to another
physician, if required.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1994-‐01-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
MEDICAL
ETHICS
IN
THE
EVENT
OF
DISASTERS
Adopted by the 46th
WMA General Assembly, Stockholm, Sweden, September 1994
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
1. The definition of a disaster for the purpose of this document focuses particularly on
the medical aspects.
A disaster is the sudden occurrence of a calamitous, usually violent, event resulting in
substantial material damage, considerable displacement of people, a large number of
victims and/or significant social disruption. This definition excludes situations arising
from conflicts and wars, whether international or internal, which give rise to other
problems in addition to those considered in this paper. From the medical standpoint,
disaster situations are characterized by an acute and unforeseen imbalance between
the capacity and resources of the medical profession and the needs of survivors who
are injured whose health is threatened, over a given period of time.
2. Disasters, irrespective of cause, share several features:
a. their sudden and unexpected occurrence, demanding prompt action;
b. material or natural damage making access to the survivors difficult and/or dan-
gerous;
c. adverse effects on health due to pollution, and the risks of epidemics, and emo-
tional and psychological factors;
d. a context of insecurity requiring police or military measures to maintain order;
e. media coverage.
Disasters require multifaceted responses involving many different types of relief
ranging from transportation and food supplies to medical services. Physicians are
likely to be part of coordinated operations involving other responders such as law en-
forcement personnel. These operations require an effective and centralized authority
to coordinate public and private efforts. Rescue workers and physicians are con-
fronted with an exceptional situation in which their normal professional ethics must
be brought to the situation to ensure that the treatment of disaster survivors conforms
to basic ethical tenets and is not influenced by other motivations. Ethical rules defined
and taught beforehand should complement the individual ethics of physicians.
Inadequate and/or disrupted medical resources on site and the large number of people
injured in a short time present specific ethical challenges.
The World Medical Association therefore recommends the following ethical princi-
ples and procedures with regard to the physician’s role in disaster situations.
Pilanesberg
⏐
S-‐1994-‐01-‐2006
Disasters
3. TRIAGE
1. Triage is a medical action of prioritizing treatment and management based on a
rapid diagnosis and prognosis for each patient. Triage must be carried out sys-
tematically, taking into account the medical needs, medical intervention capa-
bilities and available resources. Vital acts of reanimation may have to be carried
out at the same time as triage. Triage may pose an ethical problem owing to the
limited treatment resources immediately available in relation to the large number
of injured persons in varying states of health.
2. Ideally, triage should be entrusted to authorized, experienced physicians or to
physician teams, assisted by a competent staff.
3. The physician should separate patients into categories and then treat them in the
following order, subject to national guidelines:
a. patients who can be saved but whose lives are in immediate danger should be
given treatment straight away or as a matter of priority within the next few
hours;
b. patients whose lives are not in immediate danger and who are in need of ur-
gent but not immediate medical care should be treated next;
c. injured persons requiring only minor treatment can be treated later or by
relief workers;
d. psychologically traumatized individuals who do not require treatment for
bodily harm but might need reassurance or sedation if acutely disturbed;
e. patients whose condition exceeds the available therapeutic resources, who
suffer from extremely severe injuries such as irradiation or burns to such an
extent and degree that they cannot be saved in the specific circumstances of
time and place, or complex surgical cases requiring a particularly delicate
operation which would take too long, thereby obliging the physician to make
a choice between them and other patients. Such patients may be classified as
« beyond emergency care ».
f. Since cases may evolve and thus change category, it is essential that the situa-
tion be regularly reassessed by the official in charge of the triage.
4. The following statements apply to treatment beyond emergency care:
a. It is ethical for a physician not to persist, at all costs, in treating individuals
« beyond emergency care », thereby wasting scarce resources needed else-
where. The decision not to treat an injured person on account of priorities dic-
tated by the disaster situation cannot be considered a failure to come to the
assistance of a person in mortal danger. It is justified when it is intended to
save the maximum number of individuals. However, the physician must show
such patients compassion and respect for their dignity, for example by sepa-
rating them from others and administering appropriate pain relief and sedatives.
Handbook
of
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Policies
S-‐1994-‐01-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
b. The physician must act according to the needs of patients and the resources
available. He/she should attempt to set an order of priorities for treatment that
will save the greatest number of lives and restrict morbidity to a minimum.
4. RELATIONS WITH THE PATIENTS
1. In selecting the patients who may be saved, the physician should consider only
their medical status, and should exclude any other consideration based on non-
medical criteria.
2. Survivors of a disaster are entitled to the same respect as other patients, and the
most appropriate treatment available should be administered with the patient’s
consent. However, it should be recognized that in a disaster response there may
not be enough time for informed consent to be a realistic possibility.
5. AFTERMATH OF DISASTER
1. In the post-disaster period the needs of survivors must be considered. Many may
have lost family members and may be suffering psychological distress. The dig-
nity of survivors and their families must be respected.
2. The physician must respect the customs, rites and religions of the patients and act
in all impartiality.
3. If possible, the difficulties encountered and the identification of the patients
should be reported for medical follow-up.
6. MEDIA AND OTHER THIRD PARTIES
The physician has a duty to each patient to exercise discretion and ensure confi-
dentiality when dealing with third parties, and to exercise caution and objectivity and
act with dignity with respect to the emotional and political atmosphere surrounding
disaster situations. This implies that physicians are empowered to restrict the entrance
of reporters to the medical premises. Media relations should always be handled by
appropriately trained personnel.
7. DUTIES OF PARAMEDICAL PERSONNEL
The ethical principles that apply to physicians also apply to personnel under the phy-
sician’s direction.
8. TRAINING
The World Medical Association recommends that disaster medicine training be
included in the curricula of university and post-graduate courses in medicine.
9. RESPONSIBILITY
The World Medical Association calls upon governments and insurance companies to
cover both civil liability and any personal damages to which physicians might be sub-
ject when working in disaster or emergency situations.
Pilanesberg
⏐
S-‐1994-‐01-‐2006
Disasters
The WMA requests that governments:
a. accept the presence of foreign physicians and, where demonstrably qualified,
their participation, without discrimination on the basis of factors such as affilia-
tion (e.g. Red Cross, Red Crescent, ICRC, and other qualified organizations),
race, or religion.
b. give priority to the rendering of medical services over visits of dignitaries.
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of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1995-‐02-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ETHICAL
ISSUES
CONCERNING
PATIENTS
WITH
MENTAL
ILLNESS
Adopted by the 47th
WMA General Assembly, Bali, Indonesia, September 1995
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
1. Historically, many societies have regarded patients with mental illness as a threat to
those around them rather than as people in need of support and care. Therefore, in the
absence of effective treatment, many patients with mental illness were confined to
asylums for all or part of their lives. The aim of such confinement in these cases was
to prevent behaviour that was self-destructive or aggressive toward others.
2. At the present time, progress in psychiatric therapy allows for better care of patients
with mental illness. Efficacious drugs and other treatments can result in patient out-
comes ranging from complete alleviation of symptoms to long remissions for patients
whose conditions are more serious.
3. Patients with mental illness should be viewed, treated and granted the same access to
care as any other medical patient. However, this is often not enough since patients
with mental illnesses may not know when to seek treatment for somatic problems.
Therefore, the physician should actively refer these patients to other physicians when
necessary.
4. A physician has the same obligations toward patients with mental illness as toward
any other patient.
5. The physician’s primary role as healer of patients must not be undermined by serving
as the agent of the greater society, except in instances of danger to the public.
6. Recognition must be given to the fact that a large proportion of patients with mental
illness are treated by physicians who are not psychiatrists. The same ethical obliga-
tions and limitations would apply to these physicians.
ETHICAL
PRINCIPLES
1. The discrimination associated with psychiatry and the mentally ill should be elimi-
nated. This stigma often discourages people in need from seeking psychiatric help,
thereby aggravating their situation and placing them at risk of emotional or physical
harm.
Pilanesberg
⏐
S-‐1995-‐02-‐2006
Patients
with
Mental
Illness
2. The physician aspires for a therapeutic relationship founded on mutual trust. He/she
should inform the patient of the nature of the patient’s condition, standard therapeutic
procedures (including possible alternatives and the risk of each), and the expected
outcomes for the available therapeutic choices.
3. In the absence of legally adjudicated incompetence, psychiatric patients must be dealt
with as though they are legally competent. The patient’s judgment should be respected
in areas where he/she is legally capable of making decisions, unless they present a
risk of serious harm to themselves or others. A patient with mental illness who is in-
capable of legally exercising his/her autonomy should be treated like any other patient
who is temporarily or permanently legally incompetent. If the patient lacks the capa-
city to make a decision as to his/her medical care, surrogate consent should be sought
from an authorized representative in accordance with applicable law.
4. Involuntary hospitalization of psychiatric patients evokes ethical controversy. While
laws regarding involuntary hospitalization and treatment vary worldwide, it is gen-
erally acknowledged that this treatment decision requires the following: (a) a severe
mental disorder that prevents the individual from making his/her own treat-ment
decisions; and/or (b) the likelihood that the patient may harm him/her self or others.
Physicians should consider compulsory hospitalization to be exceptional and should
utilize it only when it is medically necessary and for the shortest duration feasible
under the circumstances.
5. Every physician should offer the patient the best available therapy to his/her know-
ledge, and should treat the patient with the solicitude and respect due all human
beings. The physician practising in a psychiatric institution, the military or a prison
can be faced with a conflict between his/her responsibilities to society and the res-
ponsibilities to the patient. The physician’s primary loyalty and duty must be to the
patient’s best interest. The physician should ensure that the patient is made aware of
the conflict in order to minimize feelings of betrayal, and should offer the patient the
opportunity to understand measures mandated by legal authority.
6. The confidentiality and privacy of all patients should be safeguarded. When required
by law, the physician should disclose only the required relevant material and should
disclose such material only to the entity having legal authority to make such a request
or demand. Data banks that allow access to or transfer of information from one au-
thority to another may be used provided that medical confidentiality is respected and
such access or transfer is fully compliant with applicable law.
7. A physician must never use his/her professional position to violate the dignity or
human rights of any individual or group and should never allow his/her personal
desires, needs, feelings, prejudices or beliefs to interfere with the treatment. Neither
should a physician take advantage of his/her professional position or the vulnerability
of a patient to abuse his/her authority.
RECOMMENDATION
1. National Medical Associations should publicize this Statement and use it as a basis
for affirming the ethical foundations for treatment of patients with mental illness.
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of
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Policies
S-‐1995-‐04-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
PHYSICIANS
AND
PUBLIC
HEALTH
Adopted by the 47th
WMA General Assembly, Bali, Indonesia, September 1995
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
1. Physicians and their professional associations have an ethical and professional res-
ponsibility to act in the best interests of patients at all times. This involves collabora-
tion with public health agencies to integrate medical care of individual patients with a
broader promotion of the health of the public.
2. The health of a community or population is determined by several factors that go be-
yond traditionally understood causes of disease. Classically defined determinants of
health, aside from the genetic and biological constitution of individuals, include fac-
tors that affect behavioural lifestyle choices, factors that affect the physical, psycho-
social and economic environments in which individuals live, and factors that affect
the health services available to people. Public health traditionally involves monitor-
ing, assessing and planning a variety of programs and activities targeted to the identi-
fied needs of the population, and the public health sector should have the capacity to
carry out those functions effectively to optimise community health. The key functions
of public health agencies are:
a. Health promotion:
1. Working with health care providers to inform and enable the general public to
take an active role in preventing and controlling disease, adopting healthful
lifestyles, and using medical services appropriately;
2. Assuring that conditions contributing to good health, including high-quality
medical services, safe water supplies, good nutrition, an unpolluted atmos-
phere, and opportunities for exercise and recreation are accessible for the en-
tire population;
3. Working with the responsible public authorities to create healthy public policy
and supportive environments in which healthy behavioural choices are the
easy choices, and to develop human and social capital.
b. Prevention: assuring access to screening and other preventive services and cura-
tive care to the entire population.
Pilanesberg
⏐
S-‐1995-‐04-‐2006
Public
Health
c. Protection: monitoring and protecting the health of communities against commu-
nicable diseases and exposure to toxic environmental pollutants, occupational
hazards, harmful products, and poor quality health services. This function includes
the need to set priorities, establish essential programs, obtain requisite resources
and assure the availability of necessary public health laboratory services.
d. Surveillance: identifying outbreaks of infectious disease and patterns of chronic
disease and injury and establishing appropriate control or prevention programs;
e. Population Health Assessment: assessing community health needs and marshal-
ling the resources for responding to them, and developing health policy in res-
ponse to specific community and national health needs.
3. The specific programs and activities carried out in each jurisdiction will depend on
the problems and needs identified, the organization of the health care delivery system,
the types and scope of the partnerships developed and the resources available to ad-
dress the identified needs.
4. Public health agencies benefit greatly from the support and close cooperation of phy-
sicians and their professional associations. The health of a community or a nation is
measured by the health of all its residents, and the preventable health or medical
problems that affect an individual person affect the health and resources of the com-
munity. The effectiveness of many public health programs, therefore, depends on the
active collaboration of physicians and their professional associations with public
health agencies and other governmental and nongovernmental agencies.
5. The medical sector and the public health sector should effectively cooperate on the
dissemination of public health information and education programs that promote
healthful lifestyles and reduce preventable risks to health, including those from the
use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs; sexual activities that increase the risk of HIV
transmission and sexually transmitted diseases; poor diet and physical inactivity; and
inadequate childhood immunization levels. In many countries, health education is one
way to reduce infant morbidity and mortality by promoting breast-feeding and pro-
viding nutrition education to parents together with providing supportive conditions (at
work and in the community).
6. Other types of activities, such as disease surveillance, investigation, and control are
primarily the formal responsibility of public health agencies. These activities cannot
be conducted effectively, however, without the active cooperation and support of phy-
sicians at the community level who are aware of individual and community illness
patterns and can notify health authorities promptly of problems that might require
further investigation and action. For example, physicians can help identify popula-
tions at high risk for particular diseases, such as tuberculosis, and report cases of com-
municable diseases such as measles, whooping cough, or infectious causes of diar-
rhoea, as well as cases of exposure to lead or other toxic chemicals and substances in
the community or work place. A spirit of collaboration could be greatly enhanced if
public health agencies respond adequately and appropriately to the information pro-
vided by physicians and others.
S-‐1995-‐04-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Public
Health
7. Regardless of the effectiveness of existing public health programs in a jurisdiction,
professional medical associations should be aware of unmet health needs in their com-
munities and nations and advocate for activities, programs, and resources to meet
those needs. These efforts might be in areas of public education for health promotion
and disease prevention; monitoring and controlling environmental hazards; identi-
fying and publicizing adverse health effects resulting from social problems, such as
interpersonal violence or social practices that affect health; or identifying and advo-
cating for services such as improvements in emergency treatment preparedness.
8. In areas or jurisdictions in which basic public health services are not being provided
adequately, medical associations must work with other health agencies and groups to
establish priorities for advocacy and action. For example, in a country or area with
limited resources in which potable water and sewage facilities are not available to
most residents, these needs should be given priority over medical technologies that
would provide service to only a small portion of the population.
9. Some health-related issues are extremely complex and involve multiple levels of res-
ponse. For example, those diagnosed with high blood lead levels need not only appro-
priate medical treatment, but the source of contamination must also be determined,
and measures taken to eliminate the danger. At times policies that promote public
health create concern because of their potential economic impact. For example, strong
opposition to the potential economic impact of tobacco control policies could come
from regions or groups that derive significant revenue from growing or processing
tobacco. However, economic concerns should not deter a strong public health advo-
cacy program against the use of tobacco products. The promotion of tobacco products
should be rigorously opposed, and every effort should be made to reduce tobacco
consumption in both developed and developing countries.
10. Physicians and their associations should collaborate with political authorities and other
organizations to encourage the media to send positive messages for health education
regarding diet, drug use, sexually transmitted diseases, cardiovascular risk, etc.
11. Medical associations should ask their members to educate their patients on the
availability of public health services.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1996-‐01-‐2008
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
RESISTANCE
TO
ANTIMICROBIAL
DRUGS
Adopted by the 48th
WMA General Assembly, Somerset West, South Africa, October 1996
and amended by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
PREAMBLE
The global increase in resistance to antimicrobial drugs, including the emergence of bac-
terial strains resistant to all available antibacterial agents, has created a multi-faceted
public health problem of crisis proportions with significant economic and human implica-
tions. The development of resistant microorganisms is a problem whenever antimicrobial
agents are used. The increase in high-risk populations who frequently require antimicro-
bial therapy, including immunocompromised patients, those undergoing invasive medical
interventions, those with implanted medical devices and patients with chronic debilitating
diseases, has amplified the problem. The fact that certain infectious diseases have been
linked to the development of chronic disease and cancer adds another dimension to the
problem.
A renewed effort to increase awareness of antimicrobial resistance is needed in order to
contain and slow its development. International cooperation is essential in accomplishing
this objective, including global, national, and local components. In particular, implement-
tation of national and global efforts to contain the development and spread of antimicro-
bial resistance is vital; policy statements without international will to accomplish results
are not enough. Given the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance, the need for continuing
development of new antimicrobials by the pharmaceutical industry can be anticipated.
Substantial misuse and overuse of antimicrobial agents have exacerbated the problem by
adding selection pressures to microbial populations that favor mutation to antibiotic resist-
ance. These include inappropriate prescribing of antibacterial prophylactics and/or treat-
ment of bacterial infections by physicians and poor compliance with antimicrobial regi-
mens by patients. Thus, there is a need for enhanced training and education to improve the
appropriate clinical use of antimicrobials and prevent the development of resistance. There
is a need at every level to educate the public about the appropriate use of antimicrobials
and the problem of antimicrobial resistance.
The availability of antimicrobial agents without a prescription in many developing coun-
tries is escalating antibiotic resistance, and this practice must be discontinued. The in-
creasing prevalence of counterfeit medications is another critical and expanding risk fac-
tor. Successfully addressing this problem will require substantial cooperation among
nations and the development and use of better technologies to verify the authenticity of
pharmaceutical products and assure the security of deployment from point of manufacture
to the point of need. Similarly, the inappropriate use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine
and livestock production in many countries needs to be controlled.
S-‐1996-‐01-‐2008
⏐
Seoul
Antimicrobial
Resistance
RECOMMENDATIONS
Global
Individual governments should work to create cross-sectional national task forces to col-
lect national data on the use of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance and to prioritize
regulation, intervention, and other measures to reduce antimicrobial resistance.
The World Medical Association and its member national medical associations should
advocate for:
• Individual governments to cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO)
to enhance the effectiveness of the WHO’s global network of antimicrobial resist-
ance surveillance. This will foster the collection, quality and sharing of data; the
monitoring of progress in combating antimicrobial resistance; the establishment of
appropriate formularies; and scientific support for interventions.
• The WHO to examine the role of international travel and trade agreements on the
development of antimicrobial resistance.
• The widespread application of verifiable technology to ensure the authenticity of
pharmaceutical products.
The World Medical Association and its national medical associations should encourage
their governments to:
• Fund more basic and applied research directed toward the development of inno-
vative antimicrobial agents and vaccines, and on the appropriate and safe use of
such therapeutic tools.
• Create incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to pursue research and develop-
ment programs leading to the availability of innovative antimicrobial agents, vac-
cines, and rapid diagnostic methods.
National
National medical associations should:
• urge their governments to require that antimicrobial agents be available only
through a prescription provided by licensed and qualified health care and/or veteri-
nary professionals.
• urge their governments to initiate a national media campaign explaining to the pu-
blic the harmful consequences of overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
• actively pursue the development of a national surveillance system for antimicrobial
resistance that will provide physicians with the information necessary to deliver
timely, evidence-based, high-quality care. Data from this system should be linked
with, or at minimum, fed into, the WHO’s global network of antimicrobial resist-
ance surveillance.
• create guidelines on the appropriate use of antibiotics for common medical con-
ditions, such as respiratory infections, tonsillitis, pneumonia and urinary tract in-
fection; pursue the development of a national surveillance system for sales of anti-
microbials.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1996-‐01-‐2008
• encourage medical schools and continuing medical education programs to renew
their efforts to educate physicians about the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents
and appropriate infection control practices, including antibiotic use in the out-
patient setting.
• in collaboration with veterinary authorities, encourage their governments to restrict
the use of antimicrobial agents as feed additives for animals strictly to those anti-
microbials that do not have a human public health impact.
Local
Physicians should:
• assume leadership roles in their local hospitals, clinics, and communities regarding
appropriate antiseptic habits, antimicrobial agent usage, and antimicrobial resist-
ance prevention and control programs. This applies especially to those trained in
infectious diseases and clinical microbiology.
• raise awareness amongst their patients about antimicrobial therapy, its risks and
benefits, the importance of compliance with the prescribed regimen, optimal hy-
gienic practices, and the problem of antimicrobial drug resistance.
• herever possible, explore strategies for reducing the use of antibiotics that do not
compromise the quality of patient care, such as « wait-and-see » prescriptions for the
treatment of acute otitis media.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1996-‐02-‐2010
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
FAMILY
VIOLENCE
Adopted by the 48th
WMA General Assembly, Somerset West, South Africa, October 1996
editorially revised by the 174th
WMA Council Session, Pilanesberg, South Africa,
October 2006
and amended by the 61st
WMA General Assembly, Vancouver, Canada, October 2010
PREAMBLE
Recalling the World Medical Association Declaration of Hong Kong on the Abuse of the
Elderly and the World Medical Association Statement on Child Abuse and Neglect, and
profoundly concerned with violence as a public health issue, the World Medical Associa-
tion calls upon National Medical Associations to intensify and broaden their efforts to
address the universal problem of family violence.
Family violence is a term applied to physical and/or emotional mistreatment of a person
by someone in an intimate relationship with the victim. The term includes domestic vio-
lence (sometimes referred to as partner, spouse, or wife battering), child physical abuse
and neglect, child sexual abuse, maltreatment of older people, and many cases of sexual
assault. Family violence can be found in every country in the world, cutting across gender
and all racial, ethnic, religious and socio-economic lines. Although case definitions vary
from culture to culture, family violence represents a major public health problem by virtue
of the many deaths, injuries, and adverse psychological consequences that it causes. The
physical and emotional harm may represent chronic or even lifetime disabilities for many
victims. Family violence is associated with increased risk of depression, anxiety, sub-
stance abuse, and self-injurious behaviour, including suicide. Victims often become per-
petrators or become involved in violent relationships later on. Although the focus of this
document is the welfare of the victim, the needs of the perpetrator should not be over-
looked.
Although the causes of family violence are complex, a number of contributing factors are
known. These include poverty, unemployment, other exogenous stresses, attitudes of ac-
ceptance of violence for dispute resolution, substance abuse (particularly alcohol), rigid
gender roles, poor parenting skills, ambiguous family roles, unrealistic expectations of
other family members, interpersonal conflicts within the family, actual or perceived physi-
cal or psychological vulnerability of victims by perpetrators, perpetrator pre-occupation
with power and control, and familial social isolation, among others.
POSITION
There is a growing awareness of the need to think about and take action against family
Vancouver
⏐
S-‐1996-‐02-‐2010
Family
Violence
violence in a unified way, rather than focusing on the particular type of victim or com-
munity affected. In many families where partner battering occurs, for example, there may
be abuse of children and/or of older people as well, often carried out by a single perpe-
trator. In addition, there is substantial evidence that children who are victimized or who
witness violence against others in the family are later at increased risk as adolescents or
adults of being re-victimized and/or becoming perpetrators of violence themselves. Final-
ly, more recent data suggest that victims of family violence are more likely to become
perpetrators of violence against non-intimates as well. All of this suggests that each in-
stance of family violence may have implications not only for further family violence, but
also for the broader spread of violence throughout a society.
Physicians and NMAs should oppose violent practices such as dowry killings and honour
killings.
Physicians and NMAs should oppose the practice of child marriage.
Physicians have important roles to play in the prevention and treatment of family violence.
Of course they will manage injuries, illnesses, and psychiatric problems deriving from the
abuse. The therapeutic relationships physicians have with patients may allow victims to
confide in them about current or past victimization. Physicians should inquire about vio-
lence routinely, as well as when they see particular clinical presentations that may be as-
sociated with abuse. They can help patients to find methods of achieving safety and access
to community resources that will allow protection and/or intervention in the abusive rela-
tionship. They can educate patients about the progression and adverse consequences of
family violence, stress management and availability of relevant mental health treatment,
and parenting skills as ways of preventing the violence before it occurs. Finally, physi-
cians as citizens and as community leaders and medical experts can become involved in
local and national activities designed to decrease family violence.
Physicians recognise that victims of violence may find it difficult to trust their physician at
first. Physicians must be prepared to develop a trusting relationship with their patient over
time until s/he is ready to accept advice, help and intervention.
RECOMMENDATION
The World Medical Association recommends that National Medical Associations adopt
the following guidelines for physicians:
• All physicians should receive adequate training in the medical, sociological, psy-
chological and preventive aspects of all types of family violence. This would in-
clude medical school training in the general principles, specialty-specific infor-
mation during postgraduate training, and continuing medical education about
family violence. Trainees must receive adequate instruction in the role of gender,
power and other issues of family dynamics in contributing to family violence. The
training should also include adequate collecting of evidence, documentation and
reporting in cases of abuse.
• Physicians should know how to take an appropriate and culturally sensitive history
of current and past victimization.
S-‐1996-‐02-‐2010
⏐
Vancouver
Family
Violence
• Physicians should routinely consider and be sensitive to signs indicating the need
for further evaluations about current or past victimization as part of their general
health screen or in response to suggestive clinical findings.
• Physicians should be encouraged to provide pocket cards, booklets, videotapes,
and/or other educational materials in reception rooms and emergency departments
to offer patients general information about family violence as well as to inform
them about local help and services.
• Physicians should be aware of social, community and other services of use to vic-
tims of violence, and refer to and use these routinely.
• Physicians have the obligation to consider reporting to appropriate protection
services suspected violence against children and other family members without
legal capacity.
• Physicians should be acutely aware of the need for maintaining confidentiality in
cases of family violence.
• Physicians should be encouraged to participate in coordinated community acti-
vities that seek to reduce the amount and impact of family violence.
• Physicians should be encouraged to develop non-judgemental attitudes toward
those involved in family violence so their ability to influence victims, survivors
and perpetrators is enhanced. For example, the behaviour should be judged but not
the person.
• National Medical Associations should encourage and facilitate coordination of
action against family violence between and among components of the health care
system, criminal justice systems, law enforcement authorities, family and juvenile
courts, and victims’ services organizations. They should also support public aware-
ness and community education.
• National Medical Associations should encourage and facilitate research to under-
stand the prevalence, risk factors, outcomes and optimal care for victims of family
violence.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1996-‐03-‐2006
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
PROFESSIONAL
RESPONSIBILITY
FOR
STANDARDS
OF
MEDICAL
CARE
Adopted by the 48th
WMA General Assembly, Somerset West, South Africa, October 1996
and editorially revised by the 174th
WMA Council Session, Pilanesberg, South Africa,
October 2006
Recognising
that:
1. The physician has an obligation to provide his or her patients with competent medical
service and to report to the appropriate authorities those physicians who practice
unethically and incompetently or who engage in fraud or deception (International
Code of Medical Ethics); and
2. The physician should be free to make clinical and ethical judgements without inap-
propriate outside interference; and
3. Ethics committees, credentials committees and other forms of peer review have been
long established, recognised and accepted by organised medicine to scrutinise physi-
cians’ professional conduct and, where appropriate, impose reasonable restrictions on
the absolute professional freedom of physicians; and
Reaffirming
that:
1. Professional autonomy and the duty to engage in vigilant self-regulation are essential
requirements for high quality care and therefore are patient benefits that must be pre-
served;
2. And, as a corollary, the medical profession has a continuing responsibility to support,
participate in, and accept appropriate peer review activity that is conducted in good
faith;
POSITION
1. A physician’s professional service should be considered distinct from commercial
goods and services, not least because a physician is bound by specific ethical duties,
which include the dedication to provide competent medical practice (International
Code of Medical Ethics).
S-‐1996-‐03-‐2006
⏐
Pilanesberg
Professional
Responsibility
2. Whatever judicial or regulatory process a country has established, any judgement on a
physician’s professional conduct or performance must incorporate evaluation by the
physician’s professional peers who, by their training and experience, understand the
complexity of the medical issues involved.
3. Any procedure for considering complaints from patients which fails to be based upon
good faith evaluation of the physician’s actions or omissions by the physician’s peers
is unacceptable. Such a procedure would undermine the overall quality of medical
care provided to all patients.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1996-‐04-‐2007
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
FAMILY
PLANNING
AND
THE
RIGHT
OF
A
WOMAN
TO
CONTRACEPTION
Adopted by the 48th
WMA General Assembly, Somerset West, South Africa, October 1996
and amended by the 58th
WMA General Assembly, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2007
The WMA recognizes that unwanted pregnancies and pregnancies that are too closely
spaced can have a serious adverse effect on the health of a woman and of her children.
These adverse effects can include the premature deaths of women. Existing children in the
family can also suffer starvation, neglect or abandonment resulting in their death or im-
paired health, when families are unable to provide for all their children. Social function-
ing and the ability to reach their full potential can also be impaired.
The WMA recognizes the benefits for women who are able to control their fertility. They
should be helped to make such choices themselves, as well as in discussion with their
partners. The ability to do so by choice and not chance is a principal component of wo-
men’s physical and mental health and social well being.
Access to adequate fertility control methods is not universal; many of the poorest women
in the world have the least access. Knowledge about how their bodies work, information
on how to control their fertility and the materials necessary to make those choices are uni-
versal and basic human rights for all women.
The role of family planning and secure access to appropriate methods is recognized in the
5th Millennium Development goal as a major factor promoting maternal and child health.
The WMA recommends that National Medical Associations:
Promote family planning education by working with governments, NGOs and others to
provide secure and high-quality services and assistance.
Attempt to ensure that such information, materials, products and services are available
without regard to nationality, creed, race, religion or socioeconomic status.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1996-‐05-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
WEAPONS
OF
WARFARE
AND
THEIR
RELATION
TO
LIFE
AND
HEALTH
Adopted by the 48th
WMA General Assembly, Somerset West, South Africa, October 1996
and editorially revised by the 174th
WMA Council Session, Pilanesberg, South Africa,
October 2006
PREAMBLE
1. When nations enter into warfare or into weapons development, they do not usually
consider the effects of the use of weapons on the health of individual non-combatants
and on public health in general, either in the short or in the longer term.
2. Nevertheless the medical profession is required to deal with both the immediate and
long term health effects of warfare, and in particular with the effects of different
forms of weapons.
3. The potential for scientific and medical knowledge to contribute to the development
of new weapons systems, targeted against specific individuals, specific populations or
against body systems, is considerable. This includes the development of weapons de-
signed to target anatomical or physiological systems, including vision, or which use
knowledge of human genetic similarities and differences to target weapons.
4. There are no current and commonly used criteria to measure weapons effects on
health. International Humanitarian Law states that weapons that cause injuries which
would constitute « unnecessary suffering or superfluous injury » are illegal. These
terms are not defined and require interpretation against objective criteria for the law to
be effective.
5. Physicians can aid in developing criteria for weapons that cause injury or suffering so
extreme as to invoke the terms of International Humanitarian Law.
6. Such criteria could aid lawyers in the use of International Humanitarian Law, allow
assessment of the legality of new weapons currently in development against an
agreed, objective system of assessment of their medical effects, and identify breaches
of the Law once it is developed.
7. Physician involvement in the delineation of such objective criteria is essential if it is
to become part of the legal process. However, it should be recognised that physicians
are opposed to any use of weapons against human beings.
Pilanesberg
⏐
S-‐1996-‐05-‐2006
Weapons
of
Warfare
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The WMA believes that the development, manufacture and sale of weapons for use
against human beings are abhorrent. To support the prevention and reduction of wea-
pons injuries the WMA:
a. Supports international efforts to define objective criteria to measure the effects of
current and future weapons, which could be used to stop the development, manu-
facture, sale and use of those weapons;
b. Calls on National Medical Associations to urge national governments to co-
operate with the collection of such data as are necessary for establishing objective
criteria;
c. Calls on National Medical Associations to support and encourage research into
the global public health effects of weapons use, and to publicise the results of that
research both nationally and internationally to ensure that both the public and
governments are aware of the long term health consequences of weapons use on
non-combatant individuals and populations.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1997-‐01-‐2007
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
PROPOSAL
FOR
A
UNITED
NATIONS
RAPPORTEUR
ON
THE
INDEPENDENCE
AND
INTEGRITY
OF
HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS
Adopted by the 49th
WMA General Assembly, Hamburg, Germany, November 1997
and reaffirmed by the 176th
WMA Council Session, Berlin, Germany, May 2007
The British Medical Association (BMA) requests that the World Medical Association
(WMA) supports a proposal, put forward by a network of medical organizations*
con-
cerned with human rights issues, for the establishment of a new UN post of rapporteur on
the independence and integrity of health professionals.
It is envisaged that the role of the rapporteur will supplement the work already done by a
series of existing UN rapporteurs on issues such as torture, arbitrary execution, violence
against women, etc. The new rapporteur would be charged with the task of monitoring that
doctors are allowed to move freely and that patients have access to medical treatment,
without discrimination as to nationality or ethnic origin, in war zones or in situations of
political tension. The role of the proposed rapporteur is detailed on pages two, three and
four of this submission.
The original proposal was drawn up by a lawyer, Cees Flinterman, who is a professor of
constitutional and international law at the University of Limburg, Maastricht, in The
Netherlands. It has the support of a range of doctors’ organizations listed below*
, whose
interests are in protection of human rights and protection of doctors who act impartially in
conflict situations. This group will be consulting widely and acting with the help of the
International Commission of Jurists to interest the United Nations in this proposal.
The Council of the BMA supported this proposal after debate in 1996. It would lend con-
siderable weight to the campaign if the WMA would also support this concept whose
fundamental aim is to protect doctors and their patients in war situations and other cases
where medical independence may come under threat from political or military factions.
PROPOSAL
FOR
A
RAPPORTEUR
ON
THE
INDEPENDENCE
AND
INTEGRITY
OF
HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS
Goals
accepting that in many situations of political conflict (such as civil or international war) or
political tension (such as during suspension of civil rights in a government-declared state
of emergency), health professionals are often the first people outside military of govern-
ment circles to have detailed knowledge of human rights violations, including viola-tions
of the right of populations to access medical treatment, a network of physicians is anxious
that a range of national and international reporting mechanisms be established to achieve
the following goals:
Berlin
⏐
S-‐1997-‐01-‐2007
UN
Rapporteur
on
the
Independence
and
Integrity
of
Health
Professionals
1. To monitor the role of health professionals working in situations where either their
rights to give, or the rights of their patients to receive, treatment are threatened;
2. To make appeals for the protection of health professionals when they are in danger
solely because of their professional or human rights activities;
3. To defend patients who are in danger of suffering human rights violations solely be-
cause of seeking medical treatment;
4. To encourage reporting of human rights violations by health professionals;
5. To analyse information about health professionals voluntarily adopting discriminatory
practices. The group consider that existing UN reporting mechanisms need expansion.
Key among proposals for new mechanisms is the development of a new UN rap-
porteur’s post which would link together relevant information emerging from other
existing UN mechanisms and also suggest where other useful local and national
reporting networks could be developed in the long-term. Therefore, on the basis of
materials prepared by the Law Department at the University of Limburg, Maastricht
and circulated by the Dutch medical group, the Johannes Wier Foundation, the group
is campaigning for a new post of UN Rapporteur of the Independence and Integrity of
Health Professionals.
Defining
the
Role
The potential role of a UN Rapporteur need not be exhaustively defined in advance since
the experience of the individual and the practical applicability of the goals must have an
influence.
It should include the following:
• Receive, evaluate, investigate and report allegations of repression directed at health
professionals or intended to prevent individuals receiving medical care. The rap-
porteur should be a clearing house for reports from individuals, groups of doctors,
NGOs etc. and as well as simply receiving information, should pro-actively seek
our information, including on-site visits.
• To build upon existing principles as found in humanitarian lay and the codes of
medical ethics applicable in armed conflicts to develop specific guidelines on the
subject of medical impartiality in relation to the treatment of patients in situations
of political or armed conflict.
The World Medical Association and national medical association should be en-
couraged to disseminate such information to health professionals during their train-
ing. Arising also form such guidance should be the institution of mechanisms to
help health professionals protect themselves in situations where human rights are
at risk.
• The rapporteur should also have a consultative role, seeking the views of interna-
tional and national professional associations, human rights bodies and humani-
tarian organizations with regards to the protection of health professionals and the
defence of the right to treat patients impartially.
• The rapporteur should investigate reports of health professionals voluntarily trans-
gressing guidelines about impartiality and non-discrimination.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1997-‐01-‐2007
⏐
World
Medical
Association
Issues
within
the
Remit
• The fundamental concern is to protect the nature of the doctor-patient relationship
from unjustified external interference although it will also include voluntary trans-
gressing of impartiality by health professionals. The rapporteur’s role will be to en-
sure the independence, integrity and impartiality of health professionals.
Ensuring these aims requires analysis of whether:
• the treatment decisions of health professionals can be carried out without coming
into conflict with improper pressure from authorities;
• the physical integrity and ability of health professionals to act in accordance
with their professional principles are both protected;
• health professionals are able to provide treatment on the basis of patient need;
• people in need of medical treatment are able to access it safely;
• health professionals are ensured their freedom of movement, in the capacity as
medical care providers, and be able to have access to people in need of medical
services.
Monitoring the degree to which external pressures influence negatively the provision
of medical treatment will be within the remit of the rapporteur.
• The remit will be global.
• For lack of a reporting mechanism, health professionals are often disempowered
form taking action on violations of patient rights. One of the issues of the rap-
porteur to monitor would be the introduction of national or local legislation, civil
or military regulations or other rules prohibiting or limiting the provision of medi-
cal or nursing care to certain categories of patient.
• It will be within the remit of the rapporteur to bring the evidence or reports of viola-
tions of medical impartiality, including those in health professionals cooperating
voluntarily, to responsible bodies in the medical field and to the governments
concerned.
• Blanket restrictions on the medical or nursing services to be provided to members
of vulnerable groups, such as refugees, asylum seekers, prisoners, minority ethnic
groups, should be among the issues monitored by the rapporteur. The rapporteur
should contribute to the empowerment of the health professionals to resist col-
lectively the erosion of such patients’ rights.
• Threats, intimidation or pressures on health professionals to discriminate against
patients on the basis solely of non-medical related considerations such as ethics,
religious or racial affiliation should be investigated even if the threats do not ma-
terialize into action.
• Reports of health professionals being harassed or detained simply because of their
profession or because of the exercise of professional skills will be investigated by
the rapporteur. Similarly repressive measures designed to prevent health profes-
sionals reporting infringements of medical integrity will be investigated. Measures
to encourage health professionals actively to document and report such violations
should be put forward by the rapporteur in consultation with other bodies.
• Reports of patients being impeded or discouraged from gaining access to the avail-
able medical treatment will be investigated.
Berlin
⏐
S-‐1997-‐01-‐2007
UN
Rapporteur
on
the
Independence
and
Integrity
of
Health
Professionals
Issues
Outside
the
Remit
Just as important as defining what is within the rapporteur’s remit is the matter of
clarifying those issues which fall outside it. We anticipate that this too will become clearer
as practice and experience develop. In the meantime, however, we suggest that:
• health professionals in every country should be educated about the ethical res-
ponsibilities they owe to patients and potential patients. Whereas such education is
not within the remit of the rapproteur, acting as a resource for advice about medi-
cal impartiality would be within the rapporteur’s remit. In the long term this func-
tion should ideally be dealt with by delegation through medical schools, profes-
sional bodies and voluntary national networks;
• while government measures to regulate aspects of care, (such as the equitable dis-
tribution of medical resources of the prioritizing of treatment on basis of need)
would not generally be a matter for monitoring for the rapporteur, extreme meas-
ures likely to result in the disenfranchising of groups of patients from medical or
nursing services would be monitored and investigated;
• governments’ indiscriminate failure to provide health promotion or treatment to
many or all sectors of the community does not fall within the remit of the rappor-
teur;
• since a principal concern is to ensure access to medical treatment by patients who
need and want it, the voluntary decision of some individuals or patient groups to
exclude themselves (for example on religious or cultural grounds) from orthodox
medicine does not fall within the remit of the rapporteur.
*
organizations participating in the network include: Amnesty International; British Medical Asso-
ciation; Centre for Enquiry into Health & Allied Themes (Bombay); Graza Community Mental
Health; International Committee of the Red Cross; Physicians for Human Rights (in Denmark,
Israel, South Africa, the UK, & the USA); Turkish Medical Association; and, the Johannes Weir
Foundation.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
LICENSING
OF
PHYSICIANS
FLEEING
PROSECUTION
FOR
SERIOUS
CRIMINAL
OFFENCES
Adopted by the 49th
WMA General Assembly, Hamburg, Germany, November 1997
and reaffirmed by the 176th
WMA Council Session, Berlin, Germany, May 2007
PREAMBLE
Physicians are bound by medical ethics to work for the good of their patients. Involvement
by a physician in torture, war crimes or crimes against humanity is contrary to medical
ethics, human rights and international law. A physician who perpetrates such crimes is
unfit to practice medicine.
DEFINITION
Physicians seeking to work in any country are subject to the licensing arrangements of that
country. The duty to demonstrate suitability to practice lies with the person seeking regis-
tration. Licensing bodies in some countries are distinct from the national medical asso-
ciation.
Physicians who lose their licenses in one country after being found guilty by their li-
censing authority of serious professional misconduct, or following a criminal conviction,
will usually be unsuccessful if they apply to practise in a second country. This is because
most licensing authorities require not only proof of qualification but also proof that an
applicant who is an immigrant continues to be in good professional standing in his or her
country of origin.
Yet physicians who have been accused by international agencies of torture, war crimes or
crimes against humanity have sometimes been able to escape from the country in which
these crimes were committed and to obtain registration to practice medicine from the
licensing authority in another country. This is clearly contrary to the public interest and is
damaging to the reputation of physicians.
RECOMMENDATION
National medical associations should use their own licensing powers to ensure that
physicians against whom serious allegations of participation in torture, war crimes or
crimes against humanity have been made are not able to obtain licences to practice until
they have satisfactorily answered these allegations. National medical associations that do
Berlin
⏐
S-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
Criminal
Offences
and
Licensing
not have licensing powers should inform the appropriate licensing authorities of infor-
mation they receive regarding physicians against whom serious allegations of participation
in torture, war crimes or crimes against humanity have been made , and should encourage
the licensing authorities to take appropriate actions to ensure that such physicians have
satisfactorily answered these allegations before granting them licenses to practice. Where
evidence of involvement in abuses is compelling, national member associations or licens-
ing authorities should draw such evidence to the attention of the appropriate authorities.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1998-‐01-‐2008
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
NUCLEAR
WEAPONS
Adopted by the 50th
World Medical Assembly, Ottawa, Canada, October 1998
and amended by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
The WMA Declarations of Geneva, of Helsinki and of Tokyo make clear the duties and
responsibilities of the medical profession to preserve and safeguard the health of the pa-
tient and to consecrate itself to the service of humanity. The WMA considers that it has a
duty to work for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
Therefore the WMA:
• condemns the development, testing, production, stockpiling, transfer, deployment,
threat and use of nuclear weapons;
• requests all governments to refrain from the development, testing, production, stock-
piling, transfer, deployment, threat and use of nuclear weapons and to work in
good faith towards the elimination of nuclear weapons; and
• requests all National Medical Associations to join the WMA in supporting this
Declaration and to urge their respective governments to work towards the elimi-
nation of nuclear weapons.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1998-‐02-‐2010
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
MEDICAL
CARE
FOR
REFUGEES,
INCLUDING
ASYLUM
SEEKERS,
REFUSED
ASYLUM
SEEKERS
AND
UNDOCUMENTED
MIGRANTS,
AND
INTERNALLY
DISPLACED
PERSONS
Adopted by the 50th
World Medical Assembly, Ottawa, Canada, October 1998
reaffirmed by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
and amended by the 61st
WMA General Assembly, Vancouver, Canada, October 2010
PREAMBLE
International and civil conflicts as well as poverty and hunger result in large numbers of
refugees, including asylum seekers, refused asylum seekers and undocumented migrants,
as well as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in all regions. These persons are among the
most vulnerable in society.
International codes of human rights and medical ethics, including the WMA Declaration
of Lisbon on the Rights of the Patient, declare that all people are entitled without discrimi-
nation to appropriate medical care. However, national legislation varies and is often not in
accordance with this important principle.
STATEMENT
Physicians have a duty to provide appropriate medical care regardless of the civil or poli-
tical status of the patient, and governments should not deny patients the right to receive
such care, nor should they interfere with physicians’ obligation to administer treatment on
the basis of clinical need alone.
Physicians cannot be compelled to participate in any punitive or judicial action involving
refugees, including asylum seekers, refused asylum seekers and undocumented migrants,
or IDPs or to administer any non-medically justified diagnostic measure or treatment, such
as sedatives to facilitate easy deportation from the country or relocation.
Physicians must be allowed adequate time and sufficient resources to assess the physical
and psychological condition of refugees who are seeking asylum.
National Medical Associations and physicians should actively support and promote the
right of all people to receive medical care on the basis of clinical need alone and speak out
against legislation and practices that are in opposition to this fundamental right.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐1999-‐01-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
PATENTING
MEDICAL
PROCEDURES
Adopted by the 51st
World Medical Assembly, Tel Aviv, Israel, October 1999
and amended by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
PREAMBLE
Under the law of some jurisdictions medical procedures are patentable. Patents on medical
procedures are often called medical procedure patents. A medical procedure patent or pa-
tent claim is one that only confers rights over procedural steps and does not confer rights
over any new devices.
Over 80 countries prohibit medical procedure patents. The practice of excluding medical
procedures from patentability is consistent with the Uruguay Round of Amendments to the
General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Inter-
national Property Rights (GATT-TRIPs), which states: « Members may also exclude from
patentability: (a) diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical methods for the treatment of humans
or animals » (Article 27).
The purpose of patents is to encourage private investment in research and development.
However, physicians, particularly those who work in research institutions, already have
incentives to innovate and improve their skills. These incentives include professional repu-
tation, professional advancement, and ethical and legal obligations to provide competent
medical care (International Code of Medical Ethics, 17.A). Physicians are already paid for
these activities, and public funding is sometimes available for medical research. The argu-
ment that patents are necessary to spur invention of medical procedures, and that without
procedure there would be fewer beneficial medical procedures for patients, is not parti-
cularly persuasive when these other incentives and financing mechanisms are available.
Another argument is that patents are necessary, not so much for invention but for product
development. This argument also is not persuasive in the case of medical procedure pa-
tents. Unlike device development, which requires investment in engineers, production
processes, and factories, development of medical procedures consists of physicians attain-
ing and perfecting manual and intellectual skills. As discussed above, physicians already
have both obligations to engage in these professional activities as well as rewards for
doing so.
Whether or not it is ethical to patent medical devices does not bear directly on whether it
is ethical for physicians to patent medical procedures. Devices are manufactured and dis-
seminated by companies, whereas medical procedures are « produced and disseminated » by
physicians. Physicians have ethical or legal obligations to patients and professional oblige-
New
Delhi
⏐
S-‐1999-‐01-‐2009
Patenting
Medical
Procedures
tions towards each other, which companies do not have. Having particular ethical obliga-
tions is part of what defines medicine as a profession.
There is no a priori reason to believe that those holding medical procedure patents would
make patented medical procedures widely available. Patentees might attempt to maximize
their profits by making the procedure widely available through nonexclusive licensing
with low fees. Alternatively, they might attempt to maximize profits by limiting avail-
ability of the procedure and charging higher prices to those for whom the procedure is ex-
tremely important and who have the means to pay.
Competition between organizations providing health care could provide incentives for
some organizations to negotiate exclusive licenses, or licenses which sharply limit who
else could practice the procedure. Such a license might provide the organization with an
advantage in attracting patients, if the organization could advertise that it was the only
organization in a region which could provide a particularly desirable service. Thus, at least
some of the time patentees will probably limit access to patented medical procedures.
Medical procedure patents may negatively affect patient care. If medical procedure patents
are obtained, then patients’ access to necessary medical treatments might diminish and
thereby undermine the quality of medical care. Access could diminish for the following
reasons:
• the cost of medical practice would likely increase because of licensing and royalty
fees, and because the cost of physicians’ insurance would likely increase to cover
patent litigation expenses.
• some physicians capable of performing the patented procedure might not obtain
licenses to perform it. The number of licensed physicians might be restricted be-
cause certain physicians cannot or will not pay the licensing fees or royalties, or
because the patentee refuses to make the license widely available. Limiting the
number of licenses would, in some circumstances, limit patients’ choice of physi-
cians.
• The presence of patents may prevent physicians from undertaking even those pro-
cedures which do not infringe. It may also deter a physician from introducing new
or modified procedures into his or her practice. Devices can be labelled if they are
patented, but procedures cannot, and therefore it is not immediately obvious
whether what one is doing infringes somebody else’s medical procedure patent.
However, lack of knowledge is no defence against patent infringement, so if a
physician is uncertain he or she may simply refrain from performing the procedure.
Enforcement of medical procedure patents can also result in invasion of patients’ privacy
or in the undermining of physicians’ ethical obligation to maintain the confidentiality of
patients’ medical information. Where physicians practice in small groups or as sole practi-
tioners, the most expedient methods for a patentee to identify instances of infringement
might be to look through patients’ medical records or to interview patients. Removing ob-
vious identifiers for the record review would not guarantee confidentiality, because iden-
tity can often be « reconstructed » with very few pieces of information. This would be parti-
cularly true in small towns or small practices.
S-‐1999-‐01-‐2009
⏐
New
Delhi
Patenting
Medical
Procedures
Physicians have ethical obligations both to teach skills and techniques to their colleagues,
and to continuously learn and update their own skills. Medical procedure patents can
undermine these obligations. Once a patent has issued on a procedure, the procedure
would be fully disclosed (this is one requirement for obtaining a patent); however, those
without licenses would not be able to practice it. Limiting who can practice the procedure
undermines the spirit of the ethical mandate to teach and disseminate knowledge. It also
undermines the obligation to update one’s skills, because it does not do much good to
acquire skills which cannot be used legally.
The obligation to teach and impart skills may also be impaired if the possibility of patents
causes physicians to delay publishing new results or presenting them at conferences. Phy-
sicians may be inclined to keep new techniques secret while waiting to complete a patent
application. This is because public use of a procedure, or publication of a description of
the procedure, prior to applying for a patent may invalidate the application.
Physicians also have an ethical obligation not to permit profit motives to influence their
free and independent medical judgment (International Code of Medical Ethics, 17.A). For
physicians to pursue, obtain, or enforce medical procedure patents could violate this
requirement. Physicians holding patents or licenses for procedures might advocate for the
use of those procedures even when they are not indicated, or not the best procedure under
the circumstances. Physicians who are not licensed to perform a particular procedure
might advocate against that procedure, even when it is the best procedure under the cir-
cumstances.
Finally, physicians’ professional obligations to practice their profession with conscience
and dignity (Declaration of Geneva) might be violated by the enforcement of medical pro-
cedure patents. The spectacle of physicians suing each other on a regular basis is unlikely
to enhance the standing of the profession.
POSITION
The World Medical Association
• states that physicians have an ethical responsibility to make relevant scientific in-
formation available to colleagues and the public, when possible.
• states that the patenting of medical procedures poses serious risks to the effective
practice of medicine by potentially limiting the availability of new procedures to
patients.
• considers that the patenting of medical procedures is unethical and contrary to the
values of the medical profession that should guide physicians’ service to their pa-
tients and relations with their colleagues.
• encourages national medical associations to make every effort to protect physi-
cians’ incentives to advance medical knowledge and develop new medical proce-
dures.
Handbook
of
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Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐1999-‐02-‐2010
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN
PHYSICIANS
AND
PHARMACISTS
IN
MEDICINAL
THERAPY
Adopted by the 51st
World Medical Assembly, Tel Aviv, Israel, October 1999
and amended by the 61st
WMA General Assembly, Vancouver, Canada, October 2010
INTRODUCTION
The goal of pharmacological treatment is to improve patients´ health and quality of life.
Optimal pharmacological treatment should be safe, effective and efficient. There should
be equity of access to this kind of treatment and an accurate and up-to-date information
base that meets the needs of patients and practitioners.
Pharmacological treatment has become increasingly complex, often requiring the input of
a multi-disciplinary team to administer and monitor the chosen therapy. In the hospital set-
ting the inclusion of a clinical pharmacist in such a team is increasingly common and help-
ful. The right to prescribe medicine should be competency based and ideally the responsi-
bility of the physician.
Physicians and pharmacists have complementary and supportive responsibilities in
achieving the goal of providing optimal pharmacological treatment. This requires com-
munication, respect, trust and mutual recognition of each other’s professional competence.
Access by both physicians and pharmacists to the same accurate and up-to-date informa-
tion base is important to avoid providing patients with conflicting information.
Physicians and pharmacists must provide quality service to their patients and ensure safe
use of drugs. Therefore collaboration between these professions is imperative, including
with respect to the development of training and in terms of information sharing with one
another and with patients. It is necessary to keep an open and continued dialogue between
physicians’ and pharmacists’ representative organizations in order to define each profes-
sion’s respective functions and promote the optimal use of drugs within a framework of
transparency and cooperation, all in the best interests of patients.
THE
PHYSICIAN’S
RESPONSIBILITIES
Diagnosing diseases on the basis of the physician’s education and specialized skills and
competence.
Assessing the need for pharmacological treatment and prescribing the corresponding medi-
cines in consultation with patients, pharmacists and other health care professionals, when
appropriate.
S-‐1999-‐02-‐2010
⏐
Vancouver
Physicians
and
Pharmacists
in
Medical
Therapy
Providing information to patients about diagnosis, indications and treatment goals, as well
as action, benefits, risks and potential side effects of pharmacological treatment. In the
case of off-label prescriptions the patient must be informed about the character of the pre-
scription.
Monitoring and assessing response to pharmacological treatment, progress toward thera-
peutic goals, and, as necessary, revising the therapeutic plan in collaboration with pharma-
cists, other health professionals and, when appropriate, caregivers.
Providing and sharing information in relation to pharmacological treatment with other
health care practitioners.
Leading the multi-disciplinary team of health professionals responsible for managing com-
plex pharmacological treatment.
Maintaining adequate records for each patient, according to the need for therapy and in
compliance with legislation respecting confidentiality and protecting the patient’s data.
Where practically possible, actively participating in establishing electronic drug delivery
systems within their workplace and supporting those systems with their professional
knowledge.
Maintaining a high level of knowledge of pharmacological treatment through continuing
professional development.
Ensuring safe procurement and storage of medicines that the physician is required to
supply or permitted to dispense.
Reviewing prescription orders to identify interactions, allergic reactions, contra-indica-
tions and therapeutic duplications.
Reporting adverse reactions to medicines to health authorities, in accordance with national
legislation.
Monitoring and limiting, where appropriate, prescriptions of medications that may have
addictive properties.
Documenting adverse reactions to medicines in the patient’s medical record.
THE
PHARMACIST’S
RESPONSIBILITIES
Ensuring safe procurement, adequate storage and dispensing of medicines in compliance
with the relevant regulations.
Providing information to patients, which may include the information leaflet, name of the
medicine, its purpose, potential interactions and side effects, as well as correct usage and
storage.
Handbook
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Policies
World
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Association
⏐
S-‐1999-‐02-‐2010
Reviewing prescription orders to identify interactions, allergic reactions, contra-indica-
tions and therapeutic duplications. Concerns should be discussed with the prescribing phy-
sician but the pharmacist should not change the prescription without consulting the
prescriber.
Discussing medicine-related problems or concerns with regard to the prescribed medicines
when appropriate and when requested by the patient.
Advising patients, when appropriate, on the selection and the use of non-prescription
medicines and the patient’s management of minor symptoms or ailments. Where self-
medication is not appropriate, advising patients to consult their physician for diagnosis
and treatment.
Participating in multi-disciplinary teams concerning complex pharmacological treatment
in collaboration with physicians and other health care providers, typically in a hospital
setting.
Reporting adverse reactions to medicines to the prescribing physician and to health au-
thorities in accordance with national legislation.
Providing and sharing general as well as specific medicine-related information and advice
with the public and health care practitioners.
Maintaining a high level of knowledge of pharmacological treatment through continuing
professional development.
CONCLUSION
The patient will best be served when pharmacists and physicians collaborate, recognizing
and respecting each other’s roles, to ensure that medicines are used safely and appropriately
to achieve the best outcome for the patient’s health.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2000-‐01-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
HUMAN
ORGAN
DONATION
AND
TRANSPLANTATION
Adopted by the 52nd
WMA General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland, October 2000
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
A.
INTRODUCTION
1. Advances in medical sciences, especially surgical techniques, tissue typing and im-
muno-suppressive drugs, have made possible a significant increase in the rates of suc-
cessful transplantation of organs. In the light of these developments, there is a need
for renewed reflection on ethical issues concerning organ donation and transplan-
tation and on principles relevant to the resolution of these issues. Therefore, the
World Medical Association has undertaken a review of issues and principles con-
cerning transplantation and has developed this policy to provide guidance to medical
associations, physicians and other health care providers as well as to those who de-
velop policy and protocols bearing on these issues.
2. This policy is based on principles of general and medical ethics. In matters of ethics,
conflicts of values and principles are unavoidable; for example, there is a tension
between a desire to procure organs for the purpose of providing important medical
treatments on the one hand and the preservation of choice and personal liberty on the
other. Applicable principles are referenced throughout this policy where they may
help to clarify and make explicit the reasoning behind a given statement.
B.
PROFESSIONAL
OBLIGATIONS
OF
PHYSICIANS
1. The primary obligation of physicians is to their individual patients, whether they are
potential donors or recipients of transplanted organs. In conjunction with this obliga-
tion physicians may also have responsibilities to the family members and close
friends of their patients, for example, to seek and consider their views on organ re-
trieval from their deceased relative or friend. The obligation to the patient has primacy
over any obligations that may exist in relationship to family members. Nevertheless,
this obligation is not absolute; for example, the physician’s responsibility for the well-
being of a patient who needs a transplant does not justify unethical or illegal procure-
ment of organs.
2. Physicians have responsibilities to society, which include promoting the fair use of
resources, preventing harm and promoting health benefit for all; this may include pro-
moting donation of organs.
3. Transplant surgeons should attempt to ensure that the organs they transplant have
been obtained in accordance with the provisions of this policy and shall refrain from
transplanting organs that they know or suspect have not been procured in a legal and
ethical manner.
Pilanesberg
⏐
S-‐2000-‐01-‐2006
Organ
Donation
and
Transplantation
C.
ORGAN
PROCUREMENT:
SOCIAL
ASPECTS
1. The WMA encourages its members to support the development of comprehensive,
coordinated national strategies concerning organ procurement in consultation and
cooperation with all relevant stakeholders. In developing strategy, due consideration
should be given to human rights, ethical principles and medical ethics. Ethical, cul-
tural and societal issues arising in connection with such a strategy, and with the sub-
ject of donation and transplantation in general, should be resolved, wherever possible,
in an open process involving public dialogue and debate informed by sound evidence.
2. Some types of organ transplantation have become established and important health
care services. To the extent that the lack of organs is a barrier to the provision of
needed treatment, the medical profession has an obligation to promote policies and
protocols to procure organs for needed treatment consistent with societal values.
3. It is important that individuals become aware of the option of donation and have the
opportunity to choose whether or not to donate (e.g. facilitated choice). Awareness
and choice should be facilitated in a coordinated multi-faceted approach by a variety
of stakeholders and means, including media awareness and public campaigns. Physi-
cians should provide their patients with the opportunity to make a choice with respect
to organ donation, ideally in the context of an ongoing relationship with the patient
and in advance of any crisis giving urgency to the choice.
4. The WMA supports informed donor choice. National Medical Associations in countries
that have adopted or are considering a policy of « presumed consent », where-by there
is a presumption that consent has been given unless there is evidence to the contrary,
or « mandated choice », whereby all persons would be required to declare whether they
wish to donate, should make every effort to ensure that these policies do not diminish
informed donor choice, including the patient’s right to refuse to donate.
5. Consideration should be given to the establishment of national donor registries to
collect and maintain a list of country citizens who have chosen either to donate or not
to donate their organs. Any such registry must protect individual privacy and the in-
dividual’s ability to control the collection, use, disclosure of and access to his or her
health information for purposes other than registration. Provisions must be in place to
ensure that the decision is adequately informed and that registrants can withdraw from
the registry without penalty.
D.
ORGAN
PROCUREMENT
AT
THE
INSTITUTIONAL
AND
INDIVIDUAL
LEVELS
1. Organ donation can be enhanced by local policies and protocols. The WMA recom-
mends that organ procurement programmes, hospitals and other institutions in which
procurement occurs should:
a. Develop policies and protocols encouraging the procurement of organs consistent
with the statements in this policy. Such policies should be consistent with physi-
cians’ professional obligations and societal values, including free and informed
decision making, privacy, and equitable access to needed medical care.
Handbook
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WMA
Policies
S-‐2000-‐01-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
b. Make these policies and protocols known to transplant coordinators, physicians
and other health care providers in the institution.
c. Ensure that adequate resources are available to support proper implementation of
the policies and protocols.
E.
DONATION
AFTER
DEATH
1. Physicians have an obligation to ensure that interactions at the bedside, including
those discussions related to organ donation, are sensitive and consistent with ethical
principles and with their fiduciary obligations to their patients. This is particularly so
given that conditions at the bedside of dying patients are not ideal for the process of
free and informed decision making. Protocols should specify that whoever approaches
the patient, family members or other designated decision maker about the donation of
organs should possess the appropriate combination of knowledge, skill and sensitivity
for engaging in such discussions. Medical students and practising physicians should
seek the necessary training for this task, and the appropriate authorities should
provide the resources necessary to secure that training. It is mandatory that the person
who approaches the patient or family about the donation decision not be a member of
the transplant team.
F.
FREE
AND
INFORMED
DECISION
MAKING
ABOUT
ORGAN
DONATION
1. The WMA considers that the potential donor’s wishes are paramount. In the event that
the potential donor’s wishes about donation are unknown and the potential donor has
died without expressing a clear wish about donation, the family or a specified other
person may serve as a substitute decision-maker and may be entitled to give or refuse
permission for donation unless there are previously expressed wishes to the contrary.
2. Evidence of the free and informed decision of the potential donor, or, where legally
relevant, of the appropriate substitute decision-maker, must be ascertained before
organ procurement can begin. In countries where presumed consent is the legal norm,
the organ procurement process should include reasonable steps to discover whether
the potential donor has opted out of donation.
3. Success in procuring organs for transplant should not be construed as a criterion for
measuring the quality of the process of free and informed decision-making. The
quality of this process depends on whether the choice was adequately informed and
free of coercion and not on whether the outcome is a decision to donate.
4. Free and informed decision making is a process requiring the exchange and
understanding of information and the absence of coercion. Because prisoners and
other individuals in custody are not in a position to give consent freely and can be
subject to coercion, their organs must not be used for transplantation except for
members of their immediate family.
Pilanesberg
⏐
S-‐2000-‐01-‐2006
Organ
Donation
and
Transplantation
5. In order for the choice to donate organs to be duly informed, prospective donors or
their substitute decision makers should, if they desire, be provided with meaningful
and relevant information. Normally, this will include information about:
a. in the case of living donors, the benefits and risks of transplantation,
b. in the case of deceased donors, procedures and definitions involved in the deter-
mination of death,
c. testing of organs to determine their suitability for transplantation, which may re-
veal unsuspected health risks in the prospective donors and their families,
d. in the case of deceased donors measures that may be required to preserve organ
function until death is determined and transplantation can occur,
e. in the case of deceased donors what will happen to the body once death has been
declared,
f. what organs they are agreeing to donate,
g. the protocol that will be followed concerning the family in the event that the fa-
mily objects to donation, and
h. in the case of living donors, the implications of living without the donated organ.
6. Prospective donors should be informed that families sometimes object to donation;
donors should be encouraged to discuss their choice with their family to prevent con-
flict.
7. Prospective donors or their substitute decision makers should be given the opportunity
to ask questions about donation and should have their questions answered sensitively
and intelligibly.
8. Where the wishes of the patient are known and there is no reason to believe that the
choice to donate has been coerced, has not been adequately informed, or has changed,
these wishes should be carried out. This should be clarified in law, policy and proto-
cols. Under these circumstances, families should be encouraged to respect the pa-
tient’s clearly expressed wishes.
9. Where the wishes of the patient are unknown or there is uncertainty about the patient’s
wishes, national law should prevail.
10. Protocols for free and informed decision making should also be followed in the case
of recipients of organs. Normally, this should include information about:
a. the risks of the procedure,
b. the likely short, medium and long-term survival, morbidity, and quality-of-life
prospects,
c. alternatives to transplantation, and
d. how organs are obtained.
11. In the case of living donors, special efforts should be made to ensure that the choice
about donation is free of coercion. Financial incentives for providing or obtaining or-
gans for transplantation can be coercive and should be prohibited. Individuals who are
incapable of making informed decisions, for example minors or mentally incompe-
tent persons, should not be considered as potential living donors except in extraordi-
nary circumstances and in accordance with ethics committee review or established
protocols. In order to avoid a conflict of interest, the physician who obtains informed
consent from the living donor should not be part of the transplant team for the re-
cipient.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2000-‐01-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
G.
DETERMINATION
OF
DEATH
1. The WMA considers that the determination of death is a clinical matter that should be
made according to widely accepted guidelines established by expert medical groups,
and as outlined in The World Medical Association’s Declaration of Sydney on the De-
termination of Death and the Recovery of Organs.
2. Protocols and procedures should be developed to educate patients and families about
procedures for diagnosing death and the opportunities for donation after death.
3. In order to avoid a conflict of interest, the physician who determines and/or certifies
the death of a potential organ donor should not be involved in the organ removal or in
subsequent transplantation procedures or responsible for the care of potential reci-
pients of these organs.
H.
JUSTICE
IN
ACCESS
TO
ORGANS
1. The WMA considers there should be explicit policies open to public scrutiny go-
verning all aspects of organ donation and transplantation, including the manage-ment
of waiting lists for organs to ensure fair and appropriate access.
2. Policies governing the management of waiting lists should ensure efficiency and fair-
ness. Criteria that should be considered in allocating organs include severity of me-
dical need, length of time on the waiting list, and medical probability of success
measured by such factors as type of disease, other complications, and histocompati-
bility. There should be no discrimination based on social status, lifestyle or behaviour.
3. Special appeals for organs for a specific recipient require further study and ethical
examination to evaluate the potential impact on the fairness of allocation.
4. Payment for organs for donation and transplantation must be prohibited. A financial
incentive compromises the voluntariness of the choice and the altruistic basis for or-
gan donation. Furthermore, access to needed medical treatment based on ability to pay
is inconsistent with the principles of justice. Organs suspected to have been obtained
through commercial transaction must not be accepted for transplantation. In addition,
the advertisement of organs in exchange for money should be prohibited. However,
reasonable reimbursement of expenses such as those incurred in procurement, trans-
port, processing, preservation, and implantation is permissible.
5. Physicians who are asked to transplant an organ that has been obtained through a
commercial transaction should refuse to do so and should explain to the patient why
such a medical act would be unethical: because the person who provided the organ
risked his or her future health for financial rather than altruistic motives, and because
such transactions are contrary to the principle of justice in the allocation of organs for
transplantation.
Pilanesberg
⏐
S-‐2000-‐01-‐2006
Organ
Donation
and
Transplantation
I.
EXPERIMENTAL
AND
NEWLY
DEVELOPING
TRANSPLANTATION
PROCEDURES
1. The WMA considers that, although many transplantation procedures have become
standard medical care for a range of medical conditions, others are experimental and/
or morally controversial and require further research, safeguards, guidelines, and pu-
blic debate.
2. Experimental procedures require protocols, including ethics review, that are different
and more rigorous than those for standard medical procedures.
3. Xenotransplantation raises special issues, particularly in light of the risk of unwitting
cross-species transmission of viruses and other pathogens. There is an urgent need for
extensive public debate about xenotransplantation to ensure that developments in this
field are consistent with societal values. International guidelines to govern these prac-
tices should be developed.
4. Transplantation of organs developed using cell nuclear replacement technologies re-
quires scientific review, public debate and appropriate guidelines before becoming ac-
cepted.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
SAFE
INJECTIONS
IN
HEALTH
CARE
Adopted by the 53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington, DC, USA, October 2002
and amended with minor resivion by the 192nd
WMA Council Session,
Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
PREAMBLE
According to the World Health Organization, billions of injections are administered world-
wide each year in health care. Of these injections, many millions are unsafe, especially
those that are administered with a re-used syringe and/or needle.
The most common diseases acquired from unsafe injections are hepatitis B, hepatitis C
and HIV.
In many countries disposable equipment is always used in health care settings, and the
major problem is the safe use and disposal of sharps.
Physicians are involved in the prescription and/or administration of injections. Therefore,
they are in a prime position to bring about changes in behaviour, which could lead to the
appropriate and safe use of injections.
Safe and appropriate use of injections is a necessary component of HIV prevention. Safe
practices to prevent HIV infection also yield substantial spin-off benefits outside the HIV
prevention area, such as hepatitis B and C infections.
BASIC
CONSIDERATIONS
Unsafe injections result from the overuse of therapeutic injections and unsafe injection
practices. These practices include the use of unsterilized or inadequately sterilized needles,
the re-use of syringes and the inappropriate and unsafe disposal of syringes and needles.
Safe injection practices prevent harm to the recipient, the provider and the community.
Unsafe injections cause widespread harm by spreading pathogens on a large scale.
Physician attitudes and inappropriate practice standards may be important determinants in
the overuse of « therapeutic » injections in certain countries. These are a result of the as-
sumption that some patients only feel satisfied with a treatment if it includes an injection.
Scientific evidence has shown that this assumption is incorrect. Patients prefer good
Bangkok
⏐
S-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
Safe
Injections
in
Health
Care
communication with physicians to receiving injections. Furthermore, the payment schemes
in some health care systems may be structured in a way that they provide perverse in-
centives for unnecessary use of injections.
Most non-injectable medications are equivalent in action and efficacy to those which are
injectable.
Unsafe injections are a waste of precious healthcare resources and can easily be prevented
through integrated interventions. For an effective national, regional or local strategy to
promote safe injections, the following primary elements are necessary:
• The use of injections should be limited to suitably trained health care professionals
and trained lay persons;
• Behaviour change among patients and health care professionals to decrease injec-
tion overuse and achieve injection safety;
• The availability of necessary equipment and supplies, preferably disposable;
• The use of auto-disable syringes where appropriate;
• The appropriate management of sharps waste.
Increased availability of appropriate injection equipment and supplies, preferably dis-
posable, increases the safety of injections without necessarily increasing the number of
unnecessary injections.
RECOMMENDATIONS
That National Medical Associations cooperate with their national governments or other
appropriate authorities to develop effective policies on the safe and appropriate use of
injections. These policies would demand appropriate financing and include the assessment
of current injection practices and the development of an integrated plan. Such a plan
should support the provision of adequate supplies of injection equipment, measures to
enforce proper standards of sterilisation where needed, the management of sharps waste
and training programs to deter the overuse of injections and promote safe injection prac-
tices.
That physicians worldwide are urged to:
• Prescribe non-injectable medication rather than injectable medication whenever
possible and promote the use of non-injectable medication with patients and their
colleagues;
• Use injectable medications only if safe and appropriate and administer injections in
a way that does not harm the recipient, the provider and the community;
S-‐2002-‐01-‐2012
⏐
Bangkok
Safe
Injections
in
Health
Care
• Ensure that only waste disposal containers for sharp objects be used to safely dis-
pose of used surgical material (e.g. needles, blades, etc.), and that the covers of
sharp instruments not be re-utilised.
• Raise awareness regarding the risks involved with unsafe injections and help bring
about behaviour changes in patients and health professionals to promote safe and
appropriate injections. Training in this area should emphasise that needles should
not be re-sheathed.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2002-‐02-‐2012
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
SELF-‐MEDICATION
Adopted by the 53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington, DC, USA, October 2002
and reaffirmed by the 191st
WMA Council Session, Prague, Czech Republic, April 2012
PREAMBLE
The World Medical Association has developed this statement to provide guidance to phy-
sicians and their patients regarding responsible self-medication.
1. Distinction between Self-Medication and Prescription Medicine
1. Medicinal products can generally be divided into two separate categories: pre-
scription and non-prescription medicines. This classification may differ from
country to country. The national authorities must assure that medicines, cate-
gorized as non-prescription medicines, are sufficiently safe not to be harmful
to health.
2. Prescription medicines are those which are only available to individuals on
prescription from a physician following a consultation. Prescription medicines
are not safe for use except under the supervision of a physician because of
toxicity, other potential or harmful effects (e.g. addictiveness), the method of
use, or the collateral measures necessary for use.
3. Responsible self-medication, as used in this document, is the use of a re-
gistered or monographed medicine legally available without a physician’s pre-
scription, either on an individual’s own initiative or following advice of a
healthcare professional. The use of prescription medicines without a prior me-
dical prescription is not part of responsible self-medication.
4. The safety, efficacy and quality of non-prescription medicines must be proved
according to the same principles as prescription medicines.
2. Use of Self-Medication in conjunction with Prescription Medication A course of
treatment may combine self-medication and prescription medication, either con-
currently or sequentially. The patient must be informed about possible interactions
between prescription medicines and non-prescription medicines. For this reason
the patient should be encouraged to inform the physician about his / her self-
medication.
3. Roles & Responsibilities in Self-Medication
1. In self-medication the individual bears primary responsibility for the use of
self-medication products. Special caution must be exercised when vulnerable
groups such as children, elderly people or pregnant women use self-medication.
S-‐2002-‐02-‐2012
⏐
Prague
Self-‐Medication
2. If individuals choose to use self-medication, they should be able:
1. to recognize the symptoms they are treating;
2. to determine that their condition is suitable for self-medication;
3. to choose an appropriate self-medication product;
4. to follow the directions for use of the product as provided in the product
labelling.
3.
3. In order to limit the potential risks involved in self-medication it is important
that all health professionals who look after patients should provide:
1. Education regarding the non-prescription medicine and its appropriate use,
and instructions to seek further advice from a physician if they are unsure.
This is particularly important where self-medication is inappropriate for
certain conditions the patient may suffer from;
2. Encouragement to read carefully a product’s label and leaflet (if provided),
to seek further advice if necessary, and to recognize circumstances in which
self-medication is not, or is no longer, appropriate.
4. All parties involved in self-medication should be aware of the benefits and
risks of any self-medication product. The benefit-risk balance should be com-
municated in a fair, rational manner without overemphasizing either the risks
or the benefits.
5. Manufacturers in particular are obliged to follow the various codes or regula-
tions already in place to ensure that information provided to consumers is
appropriate in style and content. This refers in particular to the labelling, ad-
vertising and all notices concerning non-prescription medicines.
6. The pharmacist has a professional responsibility to recommend, in appropriate
circumstances, that medical advice be sought.
4. Role of Governments in Self-Medication Governments should recognize and en-
force the distinction between prescription and non-prescription medicines, and
ensure that the users of self-medication are well informed and protected from
possible harm or negative long-term effects.
5. The Promotion and Marketing of Self-Medication Products
1. Advertising and marketing of non-prescription medicines should be responsi-
ble, provide clear and accurate information and exhibit a fair balance between
benefit and risk information. Promotion and marketing should not encourage
irresponsible self-medication, purchase of medicines that are inappropriate, or
purchases of larger quantities of medicines than are necessary.
2. People must be encouraged to treat medicines (prescription and non-prescrip-
tion) as special products and that standard precautions should be followed in
terms of safe storage and usage, in accordance with professional advice.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2003-‐01-‐2013
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
FORENSIC
INVESTIGATIONS
OF
THE
MISSING
Adopted by the 54th
WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, September 2003
and amended by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
PREAMBLE
Over the last three decades, forensic investigations into the whereabouts and fate of people
killed and missing as a result of armed conflict, other situations of violence and catas-
trophes, have made an important contribution to humanitarian action on behalf of victims,
including [the deceased and] bereaved families. Forensic investigations have also helped
in achieving justice and reparations for victims.
In 2003 the International Conference on The Missing and their Families, organized by the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), adopted a set of recommendations to
help prevent people going missing, and resolve the cases of those already missing, as a
result of armed conflicts and other situations of violence. The recommendations include
ethical, scientific and legal principles that must apply to forensic investigations in the
search, recovery, management and identification of human remains. These principles have
since been further developed by the ICRC’s forensic services and they provide a frame-
work for humanitarian forensic action in situations of armed conflicts, other situations of
violence and catastrophes.1
The principles also ensure the proper and dignified manage-
ment and identification of the dead, and help provide answers to the bereaved.
National Medical Associations have a role in promoting these principles and encouraging
compliance with them, and for ensuring the highest possible ethical, scientific and legal
standards in forensic investigations aimed at addressing the humanitarian consequences of
armed conflicts, other situations of violence and catastrophes.
In many countries NMAs will not have a role in certifying the qualifications and experi-
ence of forensic medical practitioners. NMAs should draw the attention of practitioners to
the best practice guidelines produced by the ICRC, the United Nations and Interpol, and
recommend or, where possible, require compliance with those standards.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA calls upon all NMAs to help ensure that, when its members take part in
forensic investigations for humanitarian and human rights purposes, such investigations
are established with a clear mandate based upon the highest ethical, scientific and legal
S-‐2003-‐01-‐2013
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Fortaleza
Forensic
Investigations
of
the
Missing
standards, and conform with the principles and practice of humanitarian forensic action
developed by the ICRC.
The WMA calls upon NMAs to develop expertise in the principles collated by the dif-
ferent authorities on forensic investigations for humanitarian and human rights purposes,
including those developed by the ICRC to prevent new cases and resolve those of existing
missing persons, and to assist their members in applying these principles to forensic
investigations worldwide.
The WMA calls upon NMAs to disseminate the principles that should apply to such
investigations, including those developed by the ICRC, and to attempt to ensure that phy-
sicians refuse to take part in investigations that are ethically or otherwise unacceptable.
The WMA calls upon NMAs to help ensure compliance by forensic medical practitioners
with the principles enshrined in international humanitarian law for the dignified and
proper management, documentation and identification of the dead, and, where possible,
providing answers to the bereaved.
The WMA invites NMAs to be mindful of academic qualifications and ethical under-
standing, ensuring that forensic doctors practice with competence and independence.
1
The ICRC defines catastrophes as disasters beyond expectations. See: M. Tidball-Binz, Man-
aging the dead in catastrophes: guiding principles and practical recommendations for first
responders. International review of the Red Cross, Vol 89 Number 866 June 2007; 421- 442
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2003-‐02-‐2013
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ADVANCE
DIRECTIVES
(« LIVING
WILLS »)
Adopted by the 54th
WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, September 2003
and reaffirmed by the 194th
WMA Council Session, Bali, Indonesia, April 2013
A.
PREAMBLE
1. An advance directive is a written and signed document or a witnessed verbal
statement whereby persons record their wishes regarding the medical care they
wish to receive, or not receive, if they become unconscious or otherwise unable to
express their will.
2. This type of document may have different names in different countries (e.g.,
« living will » or « biological wills »). The acceptability and legal status of such
directives may differ from one country to another, depending on social, cultural
and religious and other factors.
3. The majority of persons who draw up such directives are particularly concerned
about excessive, ineffective or prolonged therapeutic interventions in the terminal
phases of life, in situations where there is clear and irreversible physical or mental
degeneration.
4. The WMA Declaration of Lisbon on the Rights of the Patient states that « If the
patient is unconscious and if a legally entitled representative is not available but a
medical intervention is urgently needed, consent of the patient may be presumed
unless it is obvious and beyond any doubt on the basis of the patient’s previous
firm expression or conviction that he/she would refuse consent to the intervention
in that situation. »
B.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. A patient’s duly executed advance directive should be honoured unless there are
reasonable grounds to suppose that it is not valid because it no longer represents
the wishes of the patient or that the patient’s understanding was incomplete at the
time the directive was prepared. If the advance directive is contrary to the physi-
cian’s convictions, provisions should be made to transfer the care of the patient to
another consenting physician.
2. If the physician is uncertain about the validity of an advance directive to terminate
life-prolonging treatment, he/she should consult family members or legal guardians
of the patient concerned and should seek advice from at least one other physician
S-‐2003-‐02-‐2013
⏐
Bali
Living
Wills
or the relevant ethics committee. The family members or legal guardians should be
designated in the advance directive, be trustworthy and willing to testify as to the
intention(s) expressed in the advance directive by the signatory. The physician
should consider any relevant legislation concerning substitute decision making for
incompetent patients.
3. Patients should be advised to review their advance directives periodically.
4. In the absence of an advance directive or a legally designated substitute decision
maker, physicians should render such treatment as they believe to be in the pa-
tient’s best interests.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2003-‐03-‐2014
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ETHICAL
GUIDELINES
FOR
THE
INTERNATIONAL
MIGRATION
OF
HEALTH
WORKERS
Adopted by the 54th
WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, September 2003
and revised by the 65th
WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014
PREAMBLE
The WMA acknowledges that temporary stays of physicians in other countries help both
the receiving and the sending countries to exchange medical knowledge, skills and atti-
tudes. The exchange of medical professionals is therefore beneficial for the development
of medicine and healthcare systems and in general deserves the support of national medi-
cal associations as well as governments.
The WMA Statement on Medical Manpower – 1 (1983, 1986) called upon all National
Medical Associations to work with their governments towards solutions to the emerging
problems related to the medical workforce.
The WMA Resolution on the Medical Workforce (1998) identified the major components
of the medical workforce situation that need to be taken into account when developing a
national workforce policy.
For several decades many governments, employers and medical associations have mis-
interpreted demographical data regarding the number of physicians that are required.
Young people seeing employment as physicians have often been seriously affected by
poor medical workforce planning.
In many countries, including the wealthiest ones, there is a shortage of physicians. A
major reason for the shortage is a failure to educate enough physicians to meet the needs
of the country. Other reasons for the net loss of physicians are the recruitment of physi-
cians to other professions, early retirement and emigration, and the problems of combining
professional and family responsibilities, all of which are often due to poor working con-
ditions for physicians.
Some countries have traditionally solved their need for physicians by recruiting medical
graduates from other countries. This practice continues today.
The flow of international migration of physicians is generally from poorer to wealthier
countries. The poorer countries bear the expense of educating the migrating physicians
and receive no recompense when they enter other countries. The receiving countries gain a
valuable resource without paying for it, and in the process they save the cost of educating
their own physicians.
Physicians do have valid reasons for migrating, for example, to seek better career oppor-
tunities and to escape poor working and living conditions, which may include the pursuit
of more political and personal freedoms and other benefits.
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Durban
International
Migration
of
Health
Workers
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
1. National medical associations, governments and employers should exercise utmost
care in utilizing demographic data to make projections about future requirements
for physicians and in communicating these projections to young people contem-
plating a medical career.
2. Every country should do its utmost to educate an adequate number of physicians,
taking into account its needs and resources. A country should not rely on immi-
gration from other countries to meet its need for physicians.
3. Every country should do its utmost to retain its physicians in the profession as well
as in the country by providing them with the support they need to meet their
personal and professional goals, taking into account the country’s needs and re-
sources.
4. Countries that wish to recruit physicians from another country should only do so in
terms of and in accordance with the provisions of a Memorandum of Under-
standing entered into between the countries.
5. Physicians should not be prevented from leaving their home or adopted country to
pursue career opportunities in another country.
6. Countries that recruit physicians from other countries should ensure that recruiters
provide full and accurate information to potential recruits on the nature and re-
quirements of the position to be filled, on immigration, administrative and con-
tractual requirements, and on the legal and regulatory conditions for the practice of
medicine in the recruiting country, including language skills.
7. Physicians who are working, either permanently or temporarily, in a country other
than their home country should be treated fairly in relation to other physicians in
that country (for example, equal opportunity career options and equal payment for
the same work).
8. Nothing should prevent countries from entering into bilateral agreements and
agreements of understanding, as provided for in international law and with due
cognizance of international human rights law, so as to effect meaningful co-
operation on health care delivery, including the exchange of physicians.
9. The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health
Personnel (May 2010) was established to promote voluntary principles and prac-
tices for the ethical international recruitment of health professionals and to facilitate
the strengthening of health systems. The Code takes into account the rights, obliga-
tions and expectations of source countries and migrant health professionals. The
WMA was involved in the drafting of the Code and supports its implementation.
10. The WHO Code states that international recruitment should be “conducted in ac-
cordance with the principles of transparency, fairness and promotion of sustain-
ability of health systems in developing countries.”
11. The monitoring and information-sharing system established by the WHO should be
robustly supported with the goal of international cooperation. Stakeholders should
regularly collate and share data, which should be monitored and anlaysed by the
WHO. The WHO should provide substantive critical feedback to governments.
Information should be shared about how to overcome challenges encountered.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2003-‐04-‐2008
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
VIOLENCE
AND
HEALTH
Adopted by the 54th
WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, September 2003
and reaffirmed by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
INTRODUCTION
In the year 2000 there were over 1.6 million people who lost their lives to violence –
meaning that every day more than 4,000 people around the world die a violent death.
Roughly half of these deaths are due to suicide, almost a third due to homicide, and the
remainder arise from conflict-related violence. These fatalities are only the tip of the ice-
berg – available data tends to come from higher income countries with established re-
porting systems and it is known that many forms of violence are more prevalent in lower
income settings that may not provide data to the World Health Organization. In addition to
potential data collection problems, a variety of different forms of violence, child abuse and
neglect, intimate partner violence and elder abuse, to name a few, are systematically under-
reported, owing to fear, shame, or cultural norms.
For every young person killed by homicide, at least 20-40 other youth receive hospital
treatment for violence-related injuries. One in five females and 5-10% of males report
being sexually abused during childhood. International population-based studies indicate
that between 10 and 69 percent of women report having been physically assaulted by an
intimate partner. In addition to the direct effects of injury arising from violence there are a
wide range of health effects, including mental and reproductive health problems, sexually
transmitted diseases, and other health problems. Health effects arising from violence can
last for years, and may include permanent mental or physical disability. From a societal
perspective, the economic costs associated with violence are substantial, with direct costs
for health services alone amounting to 5.0% of GDP in some countries.
No single factor drives violence, either at the level of the community or the individual.
Violence arises out of a complex interplay of individual, relationship, community, societal
and political factors.
In 1996 the World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA49.25, which declared vio-
lence a global public health priority. One year later, resolution WHA50.19 was adopted,
which endorsed the World Health Organization’s integrated plan of action for a science-
based public health approach to the prevention of violence and called for further work in
this field.
S-‐2003-‐04-‐2008
⏐
Seoul
Violence
and
Health
INVOLVEMENT
OF
THE
INTERNATIONAL
MEDICAL
COMMUNITY
Irrespective of the diversity of factors that give rise to violence, there is one feature com-
mon to all forms of violence: the health effects suffered are a direct concern for the medi-
cal community.
Doctors can be victims of violence in the workplace or in other settings. In some cases
doctors can be involved in committing acts of violence or neglect. Doctors of every
description also deal with the victims of violence on a daily basis. They make decisions
regarding referral and coordinated care across specialties and health sectors, they plan for
long-term follow-up and care of disabilities, and in some settings they have contributed as
a profession to the prevention of violence. Whether as a pediatrician assessing if a child is
a victim of abuse, an emergency physician or surgeon tending to a shooting victim, a psy-
chiatrist dealing with the psychosocial impacts of intimate partner violence or any number
of other possible encounters, the reality is that more than any other profession the medical
community is absolutely central in terms of responding to the health effects of violence.
The manner in which the medical community can respond is varied and will depend as
much as anything else upon contextual features and realities. In some settings more struc-
tured forms of data collection are of paramount concern and doctors may be the only
group within such settings with the ability to lobby for health systems to adequately inte-
grate systematic data collection related to violent injury. In other settings that are more
advanced, clinicians and public health practitioners can play a major role in facilitating or
conducting focused studies that examine an aspect of violence or violence prevention. The
provision of such data to policy-makers in a timely and appropriate fashion can contribute
to further development of evidence-based policies to reduce violence.
RECOMMENDATIONS
National Medical Associations are encouraged to contribute to more systematic appro-
aches to dealing with violence, including:
Advocacy – violence is a global health problem and its victims are frequently among the
poorest, most powerless or otherwise most vulnerable within society. The medical profes-
sion should advocate at local, national and international levels for effective strategies to
prevent violence and limit its impact on health. Moreover, the medical profession should
denounce all depictions or uses of violent behaviour as solutions for personal, societal or
political problems.
Data collection – the medical profession should play a central role in ensuring that routine
data collection occurs and is of a sufficient standard and comprehensive enough to be a
valuable tool to guide public health policy. Research has shown that a large proportion of
victims of violence are not reported in police statistics because they are not the victims of
a crime (e.g. forms of family violence, bullying, etc.) or have avoided being reported to
the police.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2003-‐04-‐2008
Medical training – in recognition of the substantial burden of global morbidity and mor-
tality that is related to violence and the fact that violence and injury as a threat to health is
largely absent from medical training, the medical profession should take steps to ensure
the integration of injury and violence prevention into medical school curricula.
Prevention – the medical profession should use the unique opportunity during clinical en-
counters, where appropriate, to counsel patients and families with respect to creating safer,
less violent household environments. They can also use their clinical judgment to detect
victims of violence or those at potential risk for violence and make arrangements for ap-
propriate care.
Coordination of victim assistance – whether through detecting victims that may suffer
from violence but do not know how to bring themselves to medical attention, or through
appropriate referral to deal with the related health conditions or the physical, psychosocial
or long-term disability associated with injury, doctors can play a vital role in enhancing
the quality and comprehensiveness of victim assistance.
Research – violence is an under-documented global public health problem. Better under-
standing of causes and consequences of violence is necessary, along with an enhanced
understanding of the effectiveness of various strategies to prevent violence.
Social example – the medical profession should contribute to the creation and reinforce-
ment of social norms by not participating in or tolerating various forms of violence, such
as torture or mistreatment or neglect of certain populations such as prisoners, and actively
opposing such violence.
Policy-making – many countries still lack comprehensive national or local violence pre-
vention policies and plans of action. The medical profession should encourage the develop-
ment of such policies and in some cases take a leading role in developing them.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2004-‐02-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
CONCERNING
THE
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN
PHYSICIANS
AND
COMMERCIAL
ENTERPRISES
Adopted by the 55th
WMA General Assembly, Tokyo, Japan, October 2004
and amended by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
PREAMBLE
In the treatment of their patients, physicians use drugs, instruments, diagnostic tools,
equipment and materials developed and produced by commercial enterprises. Industry
possesses resources to finance expensive research and development programmes, for
which the knowledge and experience of physicians are essential. Moreover, industry sup-
port enables the furtherance of medical research, scientific conferences and continuing
medical education that can be of benefit to patients and the entire health care system. The
combination of financial resources and product knowledge contributed by industry and the
medical knowledge possessed by physicians enables the development of new diagnostic
procedures, drugs, therapies, and treatments and can lead to great advances in medicine.
However, conflicts of interest between commercial enterprises and physicians occur that
can affect the care of patients and the reputation of the medical profession. The duty of the
physician is to objectively evaluate what is best for the patient, while commercial enter-
prises are expected to bring profit to owners by selling their own products and competing
for customers. Commercial considerations can affect the physician’s objectivity, especially
if the physician is in any way dependent on the enterprise.
Rather than forbidding any relationships between physicians and industry, it is preferable
to establish guidelines for such relationships. These guidelines must incorporate the key
principles of disclosure, avoidance of obvious conflicts of interest and the physician’s cli-
nical autonomy to act in the best interests of patients.
These guidelines should serve as the basis for the review of existing guidelines and the de-
velopment of any future guidelines.
MEDICAL
CONFERENCES
Physicians may attend medical conferences sponsored in whole or in part by a commercial
entity if these conform to the following principles:
1. The main purpose of the conference is the exchange of professional or scientific infor-
mation.
New
Delhi
⏐
S-‐2004-‐02-‐2009
Physicians
and
Commercial
Enterprises
2. Hospitality during the conference is secondary to the professional exchange of infor-
mation and does not exceed what is locally customary and generally acceptable.
3. Physicians do not receive payment directly from a commercial entity to cover travel-
ling expenses, room and board at the conference or compensation for their time unless
provided for by law and/or the policy of their National Medical Association.
4. Physicians may not accept unjustified hospitality and may not receive payment from a
commercial entity to cover room and board for accompanying persons.
5. The name of a commercial entity providing financial support is publicly disclosed in
order to allow the medical community and the public to assess the information pre-
sented in light of the source of funding. In addition, conference organizers and lec-
turers disclose to conference participants any financial affiliations they may have with
manufacturers of products mentioned at the event or with manufacturers of competing
products.
6. Presentation of material by a physician is scientifically accurate, gives a balanced
review of possible treatment options, and is not influenced by the sponsoring organi-
zation.
7. A conference can be recognised for purposes of continuing medical education / conti-
nuing professional development (CME/CPD) only if it conforms to the following
principles:
7.1. The commercial entities acting as sponsors, such as pharmaceutical companies,
have no influence on the content, presentation, choice of lecturers, or publica-
tion of results.
7.2. Funding for the conference is accepted only as a contribution to the general
costs of the meeting.
GIFTS
Physicians may not receive a gift from a commercial entity unless this is permitted by law
and/or by the policy of their National Medical Association and it conforms to the fol-
lowing conditions:
1. Physicians may not receive payments in cash or cash equivalents from a commercial
entity.
2. Physicians may not receive gifts for their personal benefit.
3. Gifts designed to influence clinical practice are always unacceptable. Promotional
aids may be accepted provided that the gift is of minimal value and is not connected
to any stipulation that the physician prescribes a certain medication, uses certain
instruments or materials or refers patients to a certain facility.
4. Cultural courtesy gifts may be received on an infrequent basis according to local
standards if the gift is inexpensive and not related to the practice of medicine.
S-‐2004-‐02-‐2009
⏐
New
Delhi
Physicians
and
Commercial
Enterprises
RESEARCH
A physician may carry out research funded by a commercial entity, whether individually
or in an institutional setting, if it conforms to the following principles:
1. The physician is subject only to the law, the ethical principles and guidelines of the
Declaration of Helsinki, and clinical judgment in performing research and does not
allow himself or herself to be subject to external pressure regarding the results of his
or her research or their publication.
2. If possible, a physician or institution wishing to undertake research approaches more
than one company to request funding for the research.
3. Identifiable information about research patients or voluntary participants is not passed
to the sponsoring company without the consent of the individuals concerned.
4. A physician’s compensation for research is based on his or her time and effort and
such compensation is in no way connected to the results of the research.
5. The results of research are made public with the name of the sponsoring entity
disclosed, along with a statement disclosing who requested the research. This applies
whether the sponsorship is direct or indirect, full or partial.
6. Commercial entities do not suppress the publication of research results. If results of
research are not made public, especially if they are negative, the research may be re-
peated unnecessarily and thereby expose future participants to potential harm.
AFFILIATIONS
WITH
COMMERCIAL
ENTITIES
A physician may not enter into an affiliation with a commercial entity such as consulting
or membership on an advisory board unless the affiliation conforms to the following prin-
ciples:
1. The affiliation does not compromise the physician’s integrity.
2. The affiliation does not conflict with the physician’s obligations to his or her patients.
3. Affiliations and/or other relationships with commercial entities are fully disclosed in
all relevant situations such as lectures, articles and reports.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2004-‐03-‐2014
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
WATER
AND
HEALTH
Approved by the 55th
WMA General Assembly, Tokyo, Japan, October 2004
and revised by the 65th
WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014
PREAMBLE
An adequate supply of fresh (i.e. clean and uncontaminated) water is essential for
individual and public health. It is central to living a life in dignity and upholding human
rights. Unfortunately, over half of the world’s population does not have access to such a
supply, and even in those places where there is an abundance of fresh water, it is
threatened by pollution and other negative forces.
In keeping with its mission to serve humanity by endeavoring to achieve the highest
international standards in health care for all people in the world, the World Medical Asso-
ciation has developed this statement to encourage all those responsible for health to
consider the importance of water for individual and public health.
CONSIDERATIONS
1. Water-borne diseases account for a large proportion of mortality and morbidity,
especially in developing countries. These problems are accentuated in times of
disasters such as wars, nuclear and man-made accidents with oil and/or chemicals,
earthquakes, epidemics, droughts and floods.
2. Anthropogenic changes to ecosystems, lowered retention by the earth’s surface,
and the limitation of the inherent capacity of nature to filter dirt from the water are
causing increasing damage to the natural environment, especially the water environ-
ment.
3. The commodification of water, whereby it is provided for profit rather than as a
public service, has implications for access to an adequate supply of drinking water.
4. The development of sustainable infrastructure for the provision of safe water con-
tributes greatly to sound public health and national well-being. Curtailing infec-
tious diseases and other ailments that are caused by unsafe water alleviates the
burden of health care costs and improves productivity. This creates a positive
ripple effect on national economies.
5. Water as a vital and necessary resource for life has become scarce in many parts of
the world and therefore has to be used reasonably and with care.
S-‐2004-‐03-‐2014
⏐
Durban
Water
and
Health
6. Water is an asset that is shared by humanity and the earth. Thus, water-related
issues should be addressed collaboratively by the global community.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Physicians, National Medical Associations and health authorities are encouraged to sup-
port the following measures related to water and health:
1. International and national programmes to provide access to safe drinking water at
low cost to every human on the planet and to prevent the pollution of water sup-
plies.
2. International, national and regional programmes to provide access to sanitation and
to prevent the degradation of water resources.
3. Research on the relationship between water supply systems, including waste- water
treatment, and health.
4. The development of plans for providing potable water and proper wastewater
disposal during emergencies. These will vary according to the nature of the emer-
gency, but may include on-site water disinfection, identifying sources of water, and
back-up power to run pumps.
5. Preventive measures to secure safe water for health care institutions after the oc-
currence of natural disasters, especially earthquakes. Such measures should include
the development of infrastructure and training programs to help health care institu-
tions cope with such crises. The implementation of continued emergency water
supply programs should be done in conjunction with regional authorities and with
community involvement.
6. More efficient use of water resources by each nation. The WMA especially urges
hospitals and health institutions to examine their impact on sustainable water re-
sources.
7. Preventive measures and emergency preparedness to save water from pollution.
8. The promotion of the universal access to clean and affordable water as a human
right1
and as a common good of humanity.
1
In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council explicitly recog-
nized the human right to water and sanitation, derived from the right to an adequate standard of
living as stipulated in article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights and other international human rights treaties. Hence, it is part of international human
rights law.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2005-‐01-‐2005
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
REDUCING
THE
GLOBAL
IMPACT
OF
ALCOHOL
ON
HEALTH
AND
SOCIETY
Adopted by the 56th
WMA General Assembly, Santiago, Chile, October 2005
PREAMBLE
1. Alcohol use is deeply embedded in many societies. Overall, 4% of the global burden
of disease is attributable to alcohol, which accounts for about as much death and dis-
ability globally as tobacco or hypertension. Overall, there are causal relationships
between alcohol consumption and more than 60 types of disease and injury including
traffic fatalities. Alcohol consumption is the leading risk factor for disease burden in
low mortality developing countries and the third largest risk factor in developed
countries. Beyond the numerous chronic and acute health effects, alcohol use is asso-
ciated with widespread social, mental and emotional consequences. The global burden
related to alcohol consumption, both in terms of morbidity and mortality, is consider-
able.
2. Alcohol-related problems are the result of a complex interplay between individual use
of alcoholic beverages and the surrounding cultural, economic, physical environment,
political and social contexts.
3. Alcohol cannot be considered an ordinary beverage or consumer commodity since it
is a drug that causes substantial medical, psychological and social harm by means of
physical toxicity, intoxication and dependence. There is increasing evidence that gene-
tic vulnerability to alcohol dependence is a risk factor for some individuals. Fetal al-
cohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects, preventable causes of mental retardation,
may result from alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Growing scientific evidence
has demonstrated the harmful effects of consumption prior to adulthood on the brains,
mental, cognitive and social functioning of youth and increased likelihood of adult
alcohol dependence and alcohol related problems among those who drink before full
physiological maturity. Regular alcohol consumption and binge drinking in adoles-
cents can negatively affect school performance, increase participation in crime and
adversely affect sexual performance and behaviour.
4. Alcohol advertising and promotion is rapidly expanding throughout the world and is
increasingly sophisticated and carefully targeted, including to youth. It is aimed to
attract, influence, and recruit new generations of potential drinkers despite industry
codes of self-regulation that are widely ignored and often not enforced.
S-‐2005-‐01-‐2005
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Santiago
Alcohol
on
Health
and
Society
5. Effective alcohol social policy can put into place measures that control the supply of
alcohol and/or affect population-wide demand for alcohol beverages. Comprehensive
policies address legal measures to: control supply and demand, control access to al-
cohol (by age, location and time), provide public education and treatment for those
who need assistance, levy taxation to affect prices and to pay for problems generated
by consumption, and harm-reduction strategies to limit alcohol-related problems such
as impaired driving and domestic violence.
6. Alcohol problems are highly correlated with per capita consumption so that reduc-
tions of use can lead to decreases in alcohol problems. Because alcohol is an econo-
mic commodity, alcohol beverage sales are sensitive to prices, i.e., as prices increase,
demand declines, and visa versa. Price can be influenced through taxation and effec-
tive penalties for inappropriate sales and promotion activities. Such policy measures
affect even heavy drinkers, and they are particularly effective among young people.
7. Heavy drinkers and those with alcohol-related problems or alcohol dependence cause
a significant share of the problems resulting from consumption. However, in most
countries, the majority of alcohol-related problems in a population are associated with
harmful or hazardous drinking by non-dependent ‘social’ drinkers, particularly when
intoxicated. This is particularly a problem of young people in many regions of the
world who drink with the intent of becoming intoxicated.
8. Although research has found some limited positive health effects of low levels of al-
cohol consumption in some populations, this must be weighed against potential harms
from consumption in those same populations as well as in population as a whole.
9. Thus, population-based approaches that affect the social drinking environment and the
availability of alcoholic beverages are more effective than individual approaches
(such as education) for preventing alcohol related problems and illness. Alcohol poli-
cies that affect drinking patterns by limiting access and by discouraging drinking by
young people through setting a minimum legal purchasing age are especially likely to
reduce harms. Laws to reduce permitted blood alcohol levels for drivers and to control
the number of sales outlets have been effective in lowering alcohol problems.
10. In recent years some constraints on the production, mass marketing and patterns of
consumption of alcohol have been weakened and have resulted in increased avail-
ability and accessibility of alcoholic beverages and changes in drinking patterns
across the world. This has created a global health problem that urgently requires go-
vernmental, citizen, medical and health care intervention.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA urges National Medical Associations and all physicians to take the following
actions to help reduce the impact of alcohol on health and society:
Handbook
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World
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1. Advocate for comprehensive national policies that
a. incorporate measures to educate the public about the dangers of hazardous and
unhealthy use of alcohol (from risky amounts through dependence), including,
but not limited to, education programs targeted specifically at youth;
b. create legal interventions that focus primarily on treating or provide evidence-
based legal sanctions that deter those who place themselves or others at risk, and
c. put in place regulatory and other environmental supports that promote the health
of the population as a whole.
2. Promote national and sub-national policies that follow ‘best practices’ from the de-
veloped countries that with appropriate modification may also be effective in de-
veloping nations. These may include setting of a minimum legal purchase age, res-
tricted sales policies, restricting hours or days of sale and the number of sales outlets,
increasing alcohol taxes, and implementing effective countermeasures for alcohol im-
paired driving (such as lowered blood alcohol concentration limits for driving, active
enforcement of traffic safety measures, random breath testing, and legal and medical
interventions for repeat intoxicated drivers).
3. Be aware of and counter non-evidence-based alcohol control strategies promoted by
the alcohol industry or their social aspect organizations.
4. Restrict the promotion, advertising and provision of alcohol to youth so that youth can
grow up with fewer social pressures to consume alcohol. Support the creation of an
independent monitoring capability that assures that alcohol advertising conforms to
the content and exposure guidelines described in alcohol industry self-regulation codes.
5. Work collaboratively with national and local medical societies, specialty medical
organizations, concerned social, religious and economic groups (including govern-
mental, scientific, professional, nongovernmental and voluntary bodies, the private
sector, and civil society) to:
a. reduce harmful use of alcohol, especially among young people and pregnant
women, in the workplace, and when driving;
b. increase the likelihood that everyone will be free of pressures to consume alcohol
and free from the harmful and unhealthy effects of drinking by others; and
c. promote evidence-based prevention strategies in schools.
6. Undertake to
a. screen patients for alcohol use disorders and at-risk drinking, or arrange to have
screening conducted systematically by qualified personnel using evidence-based
screening tools that can be used in clinical practice;
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Alcohol
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b. promote self-screening/mass screening with questionnaires that could then select
those needing to be seen by a provider for assessment;
c. provide brief interventions to motivate high-risk drinkers to moderate their con-
sumption; and
d. provide specialized treatment, including use of evidence-based pharmaceuticals,
and rehabilitation for alcohol-dependent individuals and assistance to their fa-
milies.
7. Encourage physicians to facilitate epidemiologic and health service data collection on
the impact of alcohol.
8. Promote consideration of a Framework Convention on Alcohol Control similar to that
of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that took effect on February
27, 2005.
9. Furthermore, in order to protect current and future alcohol control measures, advocate
for consideration of alcohol as an extraordinary commodity and that measures affect-
ing the supply, distribution, sale, advertising, promotion or investment in alcoholic
beverages be excluded from international trade agreements.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2005-‐02-‐2015
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
DRUG
SUBSTITUTION
Adopted by the 56th
WMA General Assembly, Santiago, Chile, October 2005
and reaffirmed by the 200th
WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015
INTRODUCTION
1. The prescription of a drug represents the culmination of a careful deliberative process
between physician and patient aimed at the prevention, amelioration or cure of a
disease or problem. This deliberative process requires that the physician evaluate a
variety of scientific and other data including costs and make an individualized choice
of therapy for the patient. Sometimes, however, a pharmacist is required to substitute
a different drug for the one prescribed by the physician. The World Medical Associa-
tion has serious concerns about this practice.
2. Drug substitution can take two forms: generic substitution and therapeutic substitu-
tion.
3. In generic substitution, a generic drug is substituted for a brand name drug. However,
both drugs have the same active chemical ingredient, same dosage strength, and same
dosage form.
4. Therapeutic substitution occurs when a pharmacist substitutes a chemically different
drug for the drug that the physician prescribed. The drug substituted by the pharmacist
belongs to the same pharmacologic class and/or to the same therapeutic class. How-
ever since the two drugs have different chemical structures, adverse outcomes for the
patient can occur.
5. The respective roles of physicians and pharmacists in serving the patient’s need for
optimal drug therapy are outlined in the WMA Statement on the Working Relation-
ship between Physicians and Pharmacists in Medicinal Therapy.
6. The physician should be assured by national regulatory authorities of the bioequi-
valence and the chemical and therapeutic equivalence of prescription drug products
from both multiple and single sources. Quality assurance procedures should be in
place to ensure their lot-to-lot bioequivalence and their chemical and therapeutic equi-
valence.
7. Many considerations should be addressed before prescribing the drug of choice for a
particular indication in any given patient. Drug therapy should be individualized
based on a complete clinical patient history, current physical findings, all relevant
laboratory data, and psychosocial factors. Once these primary considerations are met,
the physician should then consider comparative costs of similar drug products avail-
able to best serve the patient’s needs. The physician should select the type and quan-
tity of drug product that he or she considers to be in the best medical and financial
interest of the patient.
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Drug
Substitution
8. Once the patient gives his or her consent to the drug selected, that drug should not be
changed without the consent of the patient and his or her physician. Failure to follow
this principle can result in harm to patients. On behalf of patients and physicians alike,
National Medical Associations should do everything possible to ensure the imple-
mentation of the following recommendations:
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Physicians should become familiar with specific laws and/or regulations governing
drug substitution where they practise.
2. Pharmacists should be required to dispense the exact chemical, dose, and dosage form
prescribed by the physician. Once medication has been prescribed and begun, no drug
substitution should be made without the prescribing physician’s permission.
3. If substitution of a drug product occurs, the physician should carefully monitor and
adjust the dose to ensure therapeutic equivalence of the drug products.
4. If drug substitution leads to serious adverse drug reaction or therapeutic failure, the
physician should document this finding and report it to appropriate drug regulatory
authorities.
5. National Medical Associations should regularly monitor drug substitution issues and
keep their members advised on developments that have special relevance for patient
care. Collection and evaluation of information reports on significant developments in
this area is encouraged.
6. Appropriate drug regulatory bodies should evaluate and ensure the bioequivalence
and the chemical and therapeutic equivalence of all similar drug products, whether
generic or brand-name, in order to ensure safe and effective treatment.
7. National Medical Associations should oppose any action to restrict the freedom and
the responsibility of the physician to prescribe in the best medical and financial
interest of the patient.
8. National Medical Associations should urge national regulatory authorities to declare
therapeutic substitution illegal, unless such substitution has the immediate prior con-
sent of the prescribing physician.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2005-‐03-‐2009
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
GENETICS
AND
MEDICINE
Adopted by the 56th
WMA General Assembly, Santiago, Chile, October 2005
and amended by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
PREAMBLE
1. In recent years, the field of genetics has undergone rapid change and development.
The areas of gene therapy and genetic engineering and the development of new tech-
nology have presented possibilities inconceivable only decades ago.
2. The Human Genome Project opened new spheres of research. Its applications also
proved useful to clinical care, by allowing physicians to utilize knowledge of the
human genome in order to diagnose future disease as well as to individualize drug
therapy (pharmacogenomics).
3. Because of this, genetics has become an integral part of primary care medicine.
Whereas at one time, medical genetics was devoted to the study of relatively rare
genetic disorders, the Human Genome Project has established a genetic contribution
to a variety of common diseases. It is therefore incumbent upon all physicians to have
a working knowledge of the field.
4. Genetics is an area of medicine with enormous medical, social, ethical and legal
implications. The WMA has developed this statement in order to address some of
these concerns and provide guidance to physicians. These guidelines should be up-
dated in accordance with developments in the field of genetics.
MAJOR
ISSUES:
Genetic
testing
5. The identification of disease-related genes has led to an increase in the number of
available genetic tests that detect disease or an individual’s risk of disease. As the
number and types of such tests and the diseases they detect increases, there is concern
about the reliability and limitations of such tests, as well as the implications of testing
and disclosure. The ability of physicians to interpret test results and counsel their pa-
tients has also been challenged by the proliferation of knowledge.
6. Genetic testing may be undergone prior to marriage or childbearing to detect the pre-
sence of carrier genes that might affect the health of future offspring. Physicians
should actively inform those from populations with high incidence of certain genetic
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New
Delhi
Genetics
and
Medicine
diseases about the possibility of pre-marital and pre-pregnancy testing, and genetic
counselling should be made available to those individuals or couples who are consi-
dering such testing.
7. Genetic counselling and testing during pregnancy should be offered as an option. In
cases where no medical intervention is possible following diagnosis, this should be
explained to the couple prior to their decision to test.
8. In recent years, with the advent of IVF, genetic testing has been extended to pre-
implantation genetic diagnosis of embryos (PGD). This can be a useful tool in cases
where a couple has a high chance of conceiving a child with genetic disease.
9. Since the purpose of medicine is to treat, in cases where no sickness or disability is
involved, genetic screening should not be employed as a means of producing children
with pre-determined characteristics. For example, genetic screening should not be
used to enable sex selection unless there is a gender-based illness involved. Similarly,
physicians should not countenance the use of such screening to promote non-health
related personal attributes.
10. Genetic testing should be done only with informed consent of the individual or his/her
legal guardian. Genetic testing for predisposition to disease should be performed only
on consenting adults, unless there is treatment available for the condition and the test
results would facilitate earlier instigation of this treatment.
11. Valid consent to genetic testing should include the following factors:
• The limitations of genetic testing, including the fact that the presence of a specific
gene may denote predisposition to disease rather than the disease itself and does
not definitively predict the likelihood of developing a certain disease, particularly
in multi-factorial disorders.
• The fact that a disease may manifest itself in one of several forms and in varying
degrees. Information about the nature and predictability of information received
from the tests.
• The benefits of testing including the relief of uncertainty and the ability to make
informed choices, including the possible need to increase or reduce regular screen-
ings and checkups and to implement risk reduction measures.
• The implications of a positive result and the prevention, screening and/or treatment
possibilities.
• The possible implications for the family members of the patient involved.
12. In the case of a positive test result that may have implications for third parties such as
close relatives, the individual tested should be encouraged to discuss the results of the
test with such third parties. In cases where not disclosing the results involves a direct
and imminent threat to the life or health of an individual, the physician may reveal the
results to such third parties, but should usually discuss this with the patient first. If the
physician has access to an ethics committee, it is preferable to consult such a com-
mittee prior to revealing results to third parties.
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World
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Genetic
counselling
13. Genetic counselling is generally offered prior to marriage or conception, in order to
predict the likelihood of conceiving an affected child, during pregnancy, in order to
determine the condition of the fetus, or to an adult, in order to determine susceptibility
to a certain disease.
14. Individuals at higher risk for conceiving a child with a specific disease should be
offered genetic counselling prior to conception or during pregnancy. In addition,
adults at higher risk for various diseases such as cancer, mental illness or neuro-
degenerative diseases in which the risk can be tested for, should be made aware of the
availability of genetic counselling.
15. Because of the scientific complexity involved in genetic testing as well as the prac-
tical and emotional implications of the results, the WMA sees great importance in
educating and training medical students and physicians in genetic counselling, parti-
cularly counselling related to pre-symptomatic diagnosis of disease. Independent ge-
netic counsellors also have an important role to play. The WMA acknowledges that
there can be very complex situations requiring the involvement of medical genetics
specialists.
16. In all cases where genetic counselling is offered, it should be non-directive and
protect the individual’s right not to be tested.
17. In cases of counselling prior to or during pregnancy, the prospective parents should be
given information to provide the basis for an informed decision regarding child-
bearing, but should not be influenced by the physicians’ personal views in this matter
and physicians should be careful not to substitute their own moral judgment for that of
the prospective parents. In cases where a physician is morally opposed to contracep-
tion or abortion, he/she may choose not to provide these services but should alert pro-
spective parents that a potential genetic problem exists and make note of the option of
contraception or abortion as well as treatment alternatives, relevant genetic tests, and
the availability of genetic counselling.
Confidentiality
of
results
18. Like all medical records, the results of genetic testing should be kept strictly
confidential, and should not be revealed to outside parties without the consent of the
individual tested. Third parties to whom results may in certain circumstances be
released are identified in paragraph 12.
19. Physicians should support the passage of laws guaranteeing that no individual shall be
discriminated against on the basis of genetic makeup in the fields of human rights,
employment and insurance.
Gene
therapy
and
genetic
research
20. Gene therapy represents a combination of techniques used to correct defective genes
that cause disease, especially in the fields of oncology, hematology and immune dis-
orders. Gene therapy is not yet an active current therapy but is still in a stage of clini-
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Delhi
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cal investigation. However, with the continued development of this field, it should
proceed according to the following guidelines:
• Gene therapy performed in a research context should conform to the requirements
of the Declaration of Helsinki while therapy performed in a treatment context
should conform to standards of medical practice and professional responsibility.
• Informed consent should always be obtained from the patient undergoing the
therapy. This informed consent should include disclosure of the risks of gene
therapy, including the fact that the patient may have to undergo multiple rounds of
gene therapy, the risk of an immune response, and the potential problems arising
from the use of viral vectors.
• Gene therapy should only be undertaken after a careful analysis of the risks and
benefits involved and an evaluation of the perceived effectiveness of the therapy,
as compared to the risks, side effects, availability and effectiveness of other treat-
ments.
21. It is currently possible to undertake screening of an embryo in order to provide stem
cell or other therapies for an existing sibling with a genetic disorder. This may be
considered acceptable medical practice where no evidence exists that the embryo is
being created exclusively for this purpose.
22. Genetic discoveries should be shared as much as possible between countries so as to
benefit humankind and reduce duplication of research and the risk inherent in research
in this area.
23. The mapping of human genomes must be anonymous but the information acquired
will apply to every human being. The genetic information should be general property.
Therefore, no patents should be given for the human genome or parts of it.
24. In the case of genetic research performed on large, defined population groups, efforts
should be made to avoid potential stigmatization.
Cloning
25. Recent developments in science have led to the cloning of a mammal and raise the
possibility of such cloning techniques being used in humans.
26. Cloning includes both therapeutic cloning, namely the cloning of individual stem cells
in order to produce a healthy copy of a diseased tissue or organ for transplant, and re-
productive cloning, namely the cloning of an existing mammal to produce a duplicate
of such mammal. The WMA currently opposes reproductive cloning, and in many
countries it is considered to pose more of an ethical problem than therapeutic cloning.
27. Physicians should act in accordance with the codes of medical ethics in their countries
regarding the use of cloning and be mindful of the law governing this activity.
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WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2005-‐04-‐2015
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
MEDICAL
LIABILITY
REFORM
Adopted by the 56th
WMA General Assembly, Santiago, Chile, October 2005
and reaffirmed by the 200th
WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015
1. A culture of litigation is growing around the world that is adversely affecting the
practice of medicine and eroding the availability and quality of health care services.
Some National Medical Associations report a medical liability crisis whereby the
lawsuit culture is increasing health care costs, restraining access to health care ser-
vices, and hindering efforts to improve patient safety and quality. In other countries,
medical liability claims are less rampant, but National Medical Associations in those
countries should be alert to the issues and circumstances that could result in an in-
crease in the frequency and severity of medical liability claims brought against physi-
cians.
2. Medical liability claims have greatly increased health care costs, diverting scarce
health care resources to the legal system and away from direct patient care, research,
and physician training. The lawsuit culture has also blurred the distinction between
negligence and unavoidable adverse outcomes, often resulting in a random determi-
nation of the standard of care. This has led to the broad perception that anyone can
sue for almost anything, betting on a chance to win a big award. Such a culture breeds
cynicism and distrust in both the medical and legal systems with damaging conse-
quences to the patient-physician relationship.
3. In adopting this Statement, the World Medical Association makes an urgent call to all
National Medical Associations to demand the establishment of a reliable system of
medical justice in their respective countries. Legal systems should ensure that patients
are protected against harmful practices, physicians are protected against unmeritorious
lawsuits, and standard of care determinations are consistent and reliable so that all
parties know where they stand.
4. In this Statement the World Medical Association wishes to inform National Medical
Associations of some of the facts and issues related to medical liability claims. The
laws and legal systems in each country, as well as the social traditions and the econo-
mic conditions of the country, will affect the relevance of some portions of this State-
ment to each National Medical Association but do not detract from the fundamental
importance of such a Statement.
5. An increase in the frequency and severity of medical liability claims may result, in
part, from one or more of the following circumstances:
a. Increases in medical knowledge and medical technology that have enabled phy-
sicians to accomplish medical feats that were not possible in the past, but that
involve considerable risks in many instances.
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Medical
Liability
Reform
b. Pressures on physicians by private managed care organizations or government-
managed health care systems to limit the costs of medical care.
c. Confusing the right to access to health care, which is attainable, with the right to
achieve and maintain health, which cannot be guaranteed.
d. The role of the media in fostering mistrust of physicians by questioning their
ability, knowledge, behaviour, and management of patients, and by prompting pa-
tients to submit complaints against physicians.
6. A distinction must be made between harm caused by medical negligence and an un-
toward result occurring in the course of medical care and treatment that is not the fault
of the physician.
a. Injury caused by negligence is the direct result of the physician’s failure to con-
form to the standard of care for treatment of the patient’s condition, or the physi-
cian’s lack of skill in providing care to the patient.
b. An untoward result is an injury occurring in the course of medical treatment that
was not the result of any lack of skill or knowledge on the part of the treating
physician, and for which the physician should not bear any liability.
7. Compensation for patients suffering a medical injury should be determined differently
for medical liability claims than for the untoward results that occur during medical
care and treatment, unless there is an alternative system in place such as a no-fault
system or alternate resolution system.
a. Where an untoward result occurs without fault on the part of the physician, each
country must determine if the patient should be compensated for the injuries suf-
fered, and if so, the source from which the funds will be paid. The economic con-
ditions of the country will determine if such solidarity funds are available to com-
pensate the patient without being at the expense of the physician.
b. The laws of each jurisdiction should provide the procedures for deciding liability
for medical liability claims and for determining the amount of compensation
owed to the patient in those cases where negligence is proven.
8. National Medical Associations should consider some or all of the following activities
in an effort to provide fair and equitable treatment for both physicians and patients:
a. Establish public education programs on the risks inherent in some of the new
advances in treatment modalities and surgery, and professional education pro-
grams on the need for obtaining the patient’s informed consent to such treatment
and surgery.
b. Implement public advocacy programs to demonstrate the problems in medicine
and health care delivery resulting from strict cost containment limitations.
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c. Enhance the level and quality of medical education for all physicians, including
improved clinical training experiences.
d. Develop and participate in programs for physicians to improve the quality of
medical care and treatment.
e. Develop appropriate policy positions on remedial training for physicians found to
be deficient in knowledge or skills, including policy positions on limiting the
physician’s medical practice until the deficiencies are corrected.
f. Inform the public and government of the dangers that various manifestations of
defensive medicine may pose (the multiplication of medical acts or, on the con-
trary, the abstention of the physicians, the disaffection of young physicians for
certain higher risk specialties or the reluctance by physicians or hospitals to treat
higher-risk patients).
g. Educate the public on the possible occurrence of injuries during medical treat-
ment that are not the result of physician negligence, and establish simple proce-
dures to allow patients to receive explanations in the case of adverse events and
to be informed of the steps that must be taken to obtain compensation, if avail-
able.
h. Advocate for legal protection for physicians when patients are injured by un-
toward results not caused by any negligence, and participate in decisions relating
to the advisability of providing compensation for patients injured during medical
treatment without any negligence.
i. Participate in the development of the laws and procedures applicable to medical
liability claims.
j. Develop active opposition to meritless or frivolous claims and to contingency
billing by lawyers.
k. Explore innovative alternative dispute resolution procedures for handling medical
liability claims, such as arbitration, rather than court proceedings.
l. Encourage self-insurance by physicians against medical liability claims, paid by
the practitioners themselves or by the employer if the physician is employed.
m. Encourage the development of voluntary, confidential, and legally protected sys-
tems for reporting untoward outcomes or medical errors for the purpose of analy-
sis and for making recommendations on reducing untoward outcomes and im-
proving patient safety and health care quality.
n. Advocate against the increasing criminalization or penal liability of medical acts
by the courts.
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of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
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World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ASSISTED
REPRODUCTIVE
TECHNOLOGIES
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
1. Assisted reproductive technology encompasses a wide range of techniques designed
primarily to aid couples unable to conceive without medical assistance. Since the birth
of the first so-called ‘test-tube baby’ in 1978, more than 1.5 million children world-
wide have been born following IVF treatment.
2. The term ‘assisted reproductive technology’ includes techniques such as in-vitro fer-
tilisation (IVF) and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). It can be defined as in-
cluding all treatments that include medical and scientific manipulation of human gam-
etes and embryos in order to produce a term pregnancy. Although some legislatures
have considered artificial insemination, whether using donor semen or semen from the
patient’s partner, as different, many of the issues about regulation in relation to obtain-
ing, storing, using and disposing of gametes and embryos are closely inter-linked. In
this statement treatments such as artificial insemination are excluded.
3. Assisted reproductive technologies raise profound moral issues. Views and beliefs
about the moral status of the embryo, which are central to much of the debate in this
area, vary both within and among countries. Assisted conception is also regulated dif-
ferently in various countries. Whilst consensus can be reached on some issues, there
remain fundamental differences of opinion that cannot be resolved. This statement
identifies areas of agreement and also highlights those matters on which agreement
cannot be reached. Physicians faced with such situations should comply with applica-
ble laws and regulations as well as the ethical requirements and professional standards
established by their National Medical Association and other appropriate organisations
in the community.
4. Physicians involved in providing assisted reproductive technologies should always
consider their ethical responsibilities towards any child who may be born as a result of
the treatment. If there is evidence that a future child would be exposed to serious
harm, treatment should not be provided.
5. As with all other medical procedures, physicians also have an ethical obligation to
limit their practice to areas in which they have relevant expertise and experience and
to respect the rights of patients. These rights include that of personal bodily integrity
and freedom from coercion. In practice this means that valid or real consent is re-
quired as with other medical procedures; the validity of such consent is dependent
upon the adequacy of the information offered to the patient and their freedom to make
a decision, including freedom from coercion or other pressures to decide in a parti-
cular way.
Pilanesberg
⏐
S-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
Assisted
Reproductive
Technologies
6. Assisted conception differs from the treatment of illness in that the inability to be-
come a parent without medical intervention is not always regarded as an illness.
While it may have profound psychosocial, and thus medical, consequences, it is not in
itself life limiting. It is, however, a significant cause of major psychological illness
and its treatment is clearly medical.
7. Obtaining informed consent from those considering undertaking treatment must in-
clude consideration of the alternatives, including accepting childlessness or pursuing
adoption, the risks associated with the various techniques, and the possibility of failure.
In many jurisdictions the process of obtaining consent must follow a process of infor-
mation giving and the offer of counselling and might also include a formal assessment
of the patient in terms of the welfare of the potential child.
8. Patients seeking assisted reproductive technologies are entitled to the same level of
confidentiality and privacy as for any other medical treatment.
9. Assisted reproductive technology always involves handling and manipulation of hu-
man gametes and embryos. Different individuals regard this with different levels of
concern but there is general agreement that these special concerns should be met by
specific safeguards to protect from abuse. In some jurisdictions all centres handling
such materials require a licence and must demonstrate compliance with high norma-
tive standards.
SUCCESS
OF
THE
TECHNIQUES
1. The success of different techniques may differ widely from centre to centre. Physi-
cians have an obligation to give realistic information about success rates to potential
patients. If their success rates are widely different from the current norm they should
disclose this fact to patients. They also have an obligation to consider the reasons for
this as they might relate to poor practice, and if so, to correct their deficiencies.
MULTIPLE
PREGNANCIES
1. Replacement of more than one embryo may raise the likelihood of at least one embryo
implanting. This is offset by the increased risk, especially of premature labour, in
multiple pregnancies. The risk of twin pregnancies, while higher than that of singleton
pregnancies, is considered acceptable by most people. Practitioners should follow pro-
fessional guidance on the maximum number of embryos to be transferred per treat-
ment cycle. If multiple pregnancies occur, selective termination might be considered
on medical grounds to increase the chances of the pregnancy proceeding to term
where this is compatible with the national law and code of ethics.
DONATION
1. Some patients are unable to produce usable gametes. They require ova or sperm from
donors. Donation should follow counselling and be carefully controlled to avoid
abuses, including coercion of potential donors. It is inappropriate to offer money or
benefits in kind (for example free or lower cost treatment cycles) to encourage dona-
tion but donors may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses.
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World
Medical
Association
2. Where a child is born following donation, families should be encouraged to be open
with him/her about this, irrespective of whether domestic law entitles the child to
information about the donor. Keeping secrets within families is difficult and can be
harmful to children if information about donor conception is disclosed inadvertently
and without appropriate support.
PRE-‐IMPLANTATION
GENETIC
DIAGNOSIS
(PGD)
1. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) may be performed on early embryos to
search for the presence of genetic or chromosomal abnormalities, especially those
associated with severe illness and very premature death and for other reasons, includ-
ing identifying those embryos most likely to implant successfully in women who have
had multiple spontaneous abortions. Embryos carrying the abnormality are discarded;
only embryos with apparently normal genetic and chromosomal complements are im-
planted.
2. Neither this powerful technique nor simpler means should be used for trivial reasons
such as sex selection for reasons of gender preference. The WMA holds that physi-
cians should only be involved with sex selection where it is used to avoid a serious
sex-chromosome related condition such as Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy.
3. PGD can also be combined with HLA matching to select embryos on the basis that
stem cells from the resulting child’s umbilical cord blood could be used to treat a
seriously ill sibling. Views on the acceptability of this practice vary and physicians
should follow national laws and local ethical and professional standards if confronted
with such requests.
USE
OF
SPARE
GAMETES
AND
EMBRYOS
AND
DISPOSAL
OF
UNUSED
GAMETES
AND
EMBRYOS
1. In most cases, assisted conception results in the production of gametes and embryos
that will not be used to treat those from whom they are procured. Such so-called spare
gametes and embryos may be stored, cryo-preserved for future use, donated to other
patients or disposed of. One alternative to disposal, in countries that permit embryo
research, is donation to a research facility. The available options must be explained
clearly and precisely to individuals before donations are made or retrievals performed.
SURROGACY
1. Where a woman is unable, for medical reasons, to carry a child to term, surrogacy
may be used to overcome childlessness, unless prohibited by national law or the ethi-
cal rules of the National Medical Association or other relevant organisation. Where
surrogacy is practised, great care must be taken to protect the interests of all parties
involved.
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Assisted
Reproductive
Technologies
RESEARCH
1. Physicians should promote the importance of research using tissues obtained during
assisted conception procedures. Because of the special status of the material being
used, research on human gametes and especially on human embryos is, in many juris-
dictions, specifically regulated. Physicians have an ethical duty to comply with such
regulation and to help inform public debate and understanding of the issues.
2. Due to the special nature of human embryos, research should be carefully controlled
and should be limited to areas in which the use of alternative materials will not pro-
vide an adequate alternative.
3. Views, and legislation, differ on whether embryos may be created specifically for, or
in the course of, research. Physicians should act in accordance with national legisla-
tion and local ethical advice.
CELL
NUCLEAR
REPLACEMENT
1. The WMA opposes the use of cell nuclear replacement with the aim of cloning human
beings.
2. Cell nuclear replacement may also be used to develop embryonic stem cells for
research and ultimately, it is hoped, for therapy for many serious diseases. Views on
the acceptability of such research differ and physicians wishing to participate in such
research should ensure that they are acting in accordance with national laws and local
ethical guidance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Assisted reproductive technology is a dynamic, rapidly developing field of medical
practice. Developments should be subject to careful ethical consideration alongside
the scientific monitoring.
2. Human gametes and embryos are accorded a special status. Their use, including for
research, donation to others and disposal, should be carefully explained to potential
donors and subject to local regulation.
3. Embryo research should only be carried out if local law and ethical standards permit it
and should be limited to areas where the use of alternative materials or computer
modelling does not provide an adequate alternative.
4. Physicians should follow professional guidance on the maximum number of embryos
to transfer in any treatment cycle.
5. It is inappropriate to offer money or benefits in kind (for example free or lower cost
treatment cycles) to encourage donation but donors may be reimbursed for reasonable
expenses.
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6. Families using donated embryos or gametes should be encouraged and supported to
be open with the child about this.
7. Sex selection should only be carried out to avoid serious, including life threatening,
medical conditions.
8. Physicians have an important role in ensuring that public debate about the possibilities
of assisted conception, and the limits to be applied to its practice, is informed.
9. Physicians should comply with national legislation and should demonstrate com-
pliance with high normative standards.
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WMA
STATEMENT
ON
AVIAN
AND
PANDEMIC
INFLUENZA
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
1. This statement provides guidance to National Medical Associations and physicians on
how they should be involved in their respective country’s pandemic planning process.
It also encourages governments to involve their National Medical Associations when
planning for pandemic influenza. Finally, it provides broadly stated recommendations
about activities that physicians should consider in preparing themselves for pandemic
influenza.
AVIAN
INFLUENZA
VERSUS
PANDEMIC
INFLUENZA
1. Avian influenza (bird flu) is a contagious common viral infection of birds and, less
commonly, pigs. Two forms have been identified: less pathogenic avian influenza
(LPAI) and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which is extremely contagious
and has nearly a 100% mortality rate in birds. Avian influenza viruses differ from
human influenza viruses. While avian influenza viruses do not normally infect hu-
mans, since 1997 several cases of human infection have been documented.
2. The current H5N1 HPAI virus is a subtype of influenza type A viruses and was first
isolated from South African terns in 1961. The current outbreak started in late 2003
and early 2004 in eight countries in Asia. While originally reported as controlled,
since June 2004 new outbreaks of H5N1 have reappeared. Migratory and smuggled
birds are likely to be responsible for the spread of H5N1. The infected birds shed
large quantities of virus in their feces, and exposure to infected droppings or to en-
vironments contaminated by the virus is common. It is anticipated that H5N1 will
continue to spread along the migratory pathways of wild birds. Most human infections
have occurred in rural areas where freely-roaming small poultry flocks are kept.
3. HPAI is controlled by rapidly destroying all infected and/or exposed birds, by proper
disposal of the carcasses, and by quarantining and rigorous disinfection of farms. In
order to contain an outbreak, aggressive measures are needed immediately after the
outbreak is detected.
4. Human pandemic influenza occurs three to four times a century and can take place in
any season, not just winter. Pandemic influenza results from the emergence of a new
human influenza strain to which no human immunity exists. This new human pan-
demic strain can arise from either avian influenza strains or from influenza viruses
infecting swine and potentially other mammalian species. It is usually associated with
a higher severity of illness and, consequently, a higher risk of death. All age groups
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Pilanesberg
Avian
and
Pandemic
Influenza
may be at risk, and experts predict an infection rate of 25-50% of the population,
depending on the severity of the strain. Since the virus strain cannot be accurately
predicted, a vaccine against pandemic flu may not be available until several months
after the pandemic begins. A major factor in protecting populations will be the time
from emergence of a new strain to the development and manufacture of vaccine. It is
hypothesized that use of anti-virals may control the progression of a pandemic fol-
lowing its emergence, so adequate supplies of anti-virals are important. At all phases
of a pandemic outbreak, but especially during the period when vaccine is unavailable,
infection control is critical.
5. Health officials are concerned that avian influenza, if given the right opportunities,
could mutate to form a new strain of human influenza virus against which humans
have no immunity or existing vaccine – a pandemic strain. It is apparent that H5N1
has the capacity to directly jump the species barrier and cause serious disease in
humans but thus far, H5N1 has demonstrated very limited, if any, human transmission
potential. A new pandemic virus could develop if a human became simultaneously
infected with H5N1 and a human influenza virus, resulting in gene swapping. Also,
the H5N1 virus could mutate on its own. With this new virus strain, direct human-to-
human transmission could result, and if the virus remains highly pathogenic, a
pandemic with high mortality rates could occur. This is believed to have happened in
the worst pandemic of the 20th century, the « Spanish Flu » of 1918, that killed 50
million people worldwide.
6. Even though the H5N1 virus is not easily transmitted to humans, any H5N1 human
infection provides an opportunity for co-existence with a human influenza virus.
Consequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health organizations
recommend that any person coming in contact with infected poultry receive the cur-
rent annual flu vaccine. Since it is not yet known whether residual immunity to the N1
component of the annual vaccine provides any immunity to H5N1, there is no way to
accurately predict the severity of the next pandemic. It is important to recognize that
while there is current concern surrounding H5N1, a pandemic influenza strain may
not arise from H5N1 but may come from another HPAI strain. Regardless, the odds
are great that another pandemic will occur.
PRINCIPLES
OF
PANDEMIC
INFLUENZA
PLANNING
The
Role
of
Governments
1. The WHO has responsibility for co-ordinating the international response to an in-
fluenza pandemic. It has defined phases in the evolution of a pandemic that allow an
escalating approach to preparedness planning and response leading up to a declaration
of onset of a pandemic.
2. The development of a national pandemic plan, will, by necessity, be led by the na-
tional government, but physicians should be involved at all stages. While each nation
will have unique situations to address, the following pandemic preparedness princi-
ples apply:
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a. Define key preparedness issues, needs, and goals.
1. The prioritization of one or two goals for the nation’s pandemic planning is
essential. Depending on these goals, the prioritization and use of vaccines
and antivirals will vary. For example, a goal of reducing morbidity and mor-
tality due to influenza will have very different planning criteria from a goal
of preserving societal infrastructure.
2. Defining the nation’s needs in the event of a pandemic will require making
some basic assumptions about the severity of the pandemic in the nation.
Based upon that assumption, it will then be possible to make some predic-
tions about the issues and needs facing the country. It will be useful to con-
sult with other nations that have prepared pandemic plans to see what
challenges they faced in identifying their needs and issues.
b. In countries where there is a substantial presence of healthcare professionals in
the private sector, involve those in the private sector, who will be managing the
pandemic on the ground, particularly physicians, in the decision-making process.
The administration of millions of doses of antivirals and vaccine to the manage-
ment of surge capacity and hospital beds will all require specific participation of
those most knowledgeable and involved in the process.
c. Prepare risk communication and crisis communication strategies and messages in
anticipation of public and media fear and anxiety.
d. Provide guidance and timely information to regional health departments, health
care organizations, and physicians. Utilize physicians as spokespeople to explain
the medical and ethical issues to the public. Ensure that communications mecha-
nisms and infrastructure continue to function efficiently.
1. As planning proceeds, timely and clear information not only of the plan, but
also of the rationale behind decisions, needs to be made available to public
health authorities and the medical establishment as well as to the public.
Physician leaders in a community are well-respected and frequently can
serve as excellent spokespersons to educate the public about the issues sur-
rounding pandemic planning. Public feedback into important decisions that
may have moral and ethical implications will help secure public acceptance
of the plan. For example, holding a public engagement process to assess the
public’s opinion about rationing of vaccine during a pandemic can be useful.
2. It is important that government representatives and physicians speak with
one voice in order to avoid confusion and panic during a pandemic event.
e. Identify the legal issues and authorities for pandemic responses, e.g. liability,
quarantine, closing borders.
Authorities will need to make decisions that range in complexity from local deci-
sions to close public areas to national decisions regarding border closings and/or
quarantine/isolation of exposed/infected citizens. The legal and ethical issues sur-
rounding these decisions need to be in place prior to a pandemic.
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Pilanesberg
Avian
and
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Influenza
f. Determine the order of importance for use of scarce resources such as vaccines
and antivirals based on pandemic response goals. Priority groups chosen for vac-
cine should be those that help maintain essential community services and those at
highest risk.
g. Do not put physicians in the position of being responsible for decisions regarding
the rationing of vaccine, antivirals and other scarce resources during a pandemic.
Those decisions must be made by the government.
h. Outline coordination and implementation of a response by stages of the pande-
mic.
Depending on the size of a country, this response may be at a national level or at
a regional level. Large countries may see the pandemic occur in waves in which
case affected regions will need to have their own response ready to be imple-
mented.
i. Consider the surge capacity of hospitals, laboratories, and the public health infra-
structure and improve them if necessary. Prepare for absences of key staff and the
need to maintain health services for conditions other than influenza.
j. Prepare for the psychosocial impact on health care workers in managing the
waves of a pandemic.
k. Consider whether the safety of those in facilities managing the pandemic must be
ensured, such as police protection of the supply chain for vaccines and antivirals.
Address what might be needed to control a pandemic in the absence of a vaccine.
l. Assess whether there is sufficient funding available to adequately prepare for
pandemic influenza.
Political will to fund public health preparedness is essential. Resources spent on
pandemic planning should be framed in the context of general preparedness; pan-
demic preparedness and public health preparedness share many of the same
issues.
m. Identify key issues that remain to be resolved, which may include management of
patients in the community, triage in hospitals, ventilation management, safe
handling of bodies, and death investigations and reports.
The
Role
of
the
National
Medical
Association
(NMA)
1. In any disaster situation or infectious disease outbreak, physicians and their pro-
fessional organisations will be challenged to continue to provide needed care to the
vulnerable and sick, as well as to aid in the emergency response called for in the spe-
cific situation. The following issues should be considered in this regard:
a. NMAs should have their own organization-specific business contingency plan in
place to ensure continued support of their members.
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Many existing plans anticipate disruptions such as fires, earthquakes, and floods
that are geographically restricted and have fairly well defined timeframes. How-
ever, pandemic influenza planning requires assumptions that the influenza will be
widely dispersed geographically and will potentially last many months.
b. NMAs should clearly identify their responsibilities during a pandemic.
The NMA should actively seek participation in the nation’s pandemic planning
process. If this is achieved, the NMA’s responsibilities will also be clearly de-
fined to its physicians as well as to the government.
c. For effective global pandemic influenza planning, NMAs should collaborate and
network with NMAs from other countries.
Many NMAs have already been involved in their countries’ pandemic planning
process. Challenges and key roles for the NMA that have been identified should
be shared.
d. NMAs should have an essential role in communicating vital information:
1. To the public. As the authoritative medical voice, an NMA engenders public
trust and should use that trust to communicate accurate and timely informa-
tion regarding pandemic planning and the current state of the pandemic to the
public;
2. Between authorities and physicians, and between physicians in affected areas
and their colleagues elsewhere;
3. Between health care professionals. NMAs should work with other health care
provider organizations (e.g., nurses, hospital groups) to identify common
issues and congruent policies and messages regarding pandemic prepared-
ness and response.
e. NMAs should offer training seminars and clinical support tools, such as online
and e-published self-help training materials, for physicians and regional medical
associations.
Such training/tools should consider how, in a worst-case pandemic scenario,
physicians will manage respiratory crises without intensive or critical care facili-
ties. Training should also be given in triage strategies and how infected patients
should be counselled.
f. NMAs should consider what new programs and services they might offer during
a pandemic, such as coordination or provision of mental health crisis support
programs for affected members and their families, facilitation of health emer-
gency response teams, emergency locum relief, and facilitation of equipment
supply lines.
g. NMAs should be involved in and support the development and implementation of
government plans while still considering their own professional code of ethics.
They should monitor and assess the implementation of said plans to ensure that as
pandemic outbreaks cycle through their natural history, health interests remain
paramount.
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Pilanesberg
Avian
and
Pandemic
Influenza
h. NMAs should advocate for adequate government funding to prepare for pandemic
influenza.
i. NMAs should anticipate the different practice environments that may evolve
during pandemic conditions and be prepared to discuss liability and related issues
with health authorities and advise members on such issues.
j. NMAs should be prepared to advocate on behalf of members who, during a pan-
demic, will have rapidly emerging professional needs that must be met, and on
behalf of patients and the public who will be affected by the unfolding events.
The
Role
of
the
Physician
1. Physicians will be the first point of contact and source for advice for many as a
pandemic evolves. The following are broad issues that physicians should consider in
the event of a pandemic:
a. Be sufficiently educated about pandemic influenza and transmission risks.
Communication about the actual risks of pandemic influenza is important to
impart a sense of urgency without creating undue public alarm. Consider active
physician participation in the media response to a pandemic.
b. Be vigilant for the possibility of severe or emerging respiratory diseases, espe-
cially in patients who have recently travelled internationally.
As with any emerging infection, the astute physician is one of the important sur-
veillance tools for detecting and managing an outbreak.
c. Plan for how to manage high-risk patients in the office/clinic setting and com-
municate the plan to clinic staff.
Isolation and infection control plans must be available and staff should be well-
versed in them. Be aware of what regional public health authorities are requesting
be done with potential patients and their exposed contacts.
d. Plan how to concurrently manage patients with chronic illnesses who require
routine medical management.
e. Plan accordingly for possible interruptions of essential services like sanitation,
water, power, and disruptions to the food supply. Plan for the possibility of staff
shortages because of personal illness and/or the care of next-of-kin who are ill.
It is vital to have contingency plans in place to deal with possible societal disrup-
tion. Recognize that usual sources of these essential services may not be function-
ing so identifying alternative sources for these essentials may be necessary.
f. Prepare educational materials for patients and staff, including recommendations
for proper infection control.
An educated patient/public that recognizes the necessity for stringent measures
such as quarantine and isolation will make a physician’s job easier should s/he
have to utilize such procedures when a pandemic occurs.
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g. Remain involved in local pandemic planning efforts and understand how the plan
will affect the physician. Participate in local simulation exercises.
Since physicians will be on the frontlines of monitoring, reporting, and event-
ually managing pandemic influenza patients, they must be closely involved in the
planning process. They must continuously provide feedback as to what is logisti-
cally possible regarding physicians’ efforts on the ground when a pandemic arrives.
h. Physicians have an ethical responsibility to provide services to the injured or ill.
They should have resources in place in the event they and/or their own families
become infected.
1. A physician will have a strong public health duty in the time of a pandemic
and his/her services will be critical at a time when surge capacity will be
stressed. Physicians should make arrangements for the care of their families
and dependents in the event of a pandemic.
2. Physicians should take all measures necessary to protect their own health and
the health of their staff.
3. Physicians can also consult the WMA Statement on Medical Ethics in the
Event of Disasters for additional guidance.
i. Develop a clinic plan to decrease potential for contact including isolation areas
for infected patients, use of close-fitting surgical masks, designating separate
blocks of time for non-influenza-related patient care, and postponing non-
essential medical visits.
j. Review staff infection control procedures and train staff in the use of personal
protective equipment. Provide signage in the office instructing patients on respi-
ratory hygiene practices; provide tissues, receptacles for their disposal, and hand
hygiene materials in waiting areas and examination rooms.
k. Get vaccinated against annual influenza each year and urge all staff to be vac-
cinated.
Annual influenza readiness goes a long way for pandemic preparedness. Addi-
tionally, it is possible that components in the annual vaccine (e.g., N1) may pro-
vide some immunity against H5N1.
l. Work to ensure that the office/clinic has access to adequate supplies of antibiotic
and antiviral medications as well as commonly prescribed drugs like insulin or
warfarin, in case the pharmaceutical supply line is disrupted.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. That the WMA increase its collaboration with the WHO on pandemic planning and
commit to becoming an important participant in the decision-making process.
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Influenza
2. That the WMA communicate to the WHO its capabilities and the capabilities of its
NMA members to provide a credible voice that can efficiently reach many practising
physicians.
3. That the WMA acknowledge that although pandemic planning is a country-specific
task, it can provide general principles for guidance. Additionally, the WMA can pro-
vide basic advice that can be given by its member NMAs to practising physicians.
4. That the WMA establish an operational capacity to develop and maintain emergency
communication channels between the WMA and NMAs during a pandemic.
5. That the WMA provide timely evidence-based control measures to countries with no
or limited up-dated information about pandemics.
6. That NMAs be actively involved in the national pandemic planning process.
7. That physicians participate in local pandemic planning efforts and be involved in
communicating vital information to the public.
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WMA
STATEMENT
ON
HIV/AIDS
AND
THE
MEDICAL
PROFESSION
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
INTRODUCTION
1. HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic that has created unprecedented challenges for physi-
cians and health infrastructures. In addition to representing a staggering public health
crisis, HIV/AIDS is also fundamentally a human rights issue. Many factors drive the
spread of the disease, such as poverty, homelessness, illiteracy, prostitution, human
trafficking, stigma, discrimination and gender-based inequality. Efforts to tackle the
disease are constrained by the lack of human and financial resources available in
health care systems. These social, economic, legal and human rights factors affect not
only the public health dimension of HIV/AIDS but also individual physicians/health
workers and patients, their decisions and relationships.
DISCRIMINATION
1. Unfair discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients by physicians must be eliminated
completely from the practice of medicine.
a. All persons infected or affected by HIV/AIDS are entitled to adequate preven-
tion, support, treatment and care with compassion and respect for human dignity.
b. A physician may not ethically refuse to treat a patient whose condition is within
his or her current realm of competence, solely because the patient is seropositive.
c. National Medical Associations should work with governments, patient groups
and relevant national and international organizations to ensure that national
health policies clearly and explicitly prohibit discrimination against people in-
fected with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
APPROPRIATE
/
COMPETENT
MEDICAL
CARE
1. Patients with HIV/AIDS must be provided with competent and appropriate medical
care at all stages of the disease.
2. A physician who is not able to provide the care and services required by patients with
HIV/AIDS should make an appropriate referral to those physicians or facilities that
are equipped to provide such services. Unless or until the referral can be accom-
plished, the physician must care for the patient to the best of his or her ability.
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the
Medical
Profession
3. Physicians and other appropriate bodies should ensure that patients have accurate
information regarding means of transmission of HIV/AIDS and strategies to protect
themselves against infection. Proactive measures should be taken to ensure that all
members of the population, and at-risk groups in particular, are educated to this effect.
4. With reference to those patients who are found to be seropositive, physicians must be
able to effectively counsel them regarding: (a) responsible behaviour to prevent the
spread of the disease; (b) strategies for their own health protection; and (c) the
necessity of alerting sexual and needle-sharing contacts, past and present, as well as
other relevant contacts (such as medical and dental personnel) regarding their possible
infection.
5. Physicians must recognize that many people still believe HIV/AIDS to be an auto-
matic and immediate death sentence and therefore will not seek testing. Physicians
must ensure that patients have accurate information regarding the treatment options
available to them. Patients should understand the potential of antiretroviral treatment
(ART) to improve not only their medical condition but also the quality of their lives.
Effective ART can greatly extend the period of time that patients are able to lead
healthy productive lives, functioning socially and in the workplace and maintaining
their independence. HIV/AIDS is increasingly looked upon as a manageable chronic
condi-tion.
6. While strongly advocating ART as the best course of action for HIV/AIDS patients,
physicians must also ensure that their patients are fully and accurately informed about
all aspects of ART, including potential toxicity and side effects. Physicians must also
counsel patients honestly about the possibility of failure of first line ART, and the
subsequent options should failure occur. The importance of adhering to the regimens
and thereby reducing the risk of failure should be emphasized.
7. Physicians should be aware that misinformation regarding the negative aspects of
ART has created resistance toward treatment by patients in some areas. Where mis-
information is being spread about ART, physicians and medical associations must
make it an immediate priority to publicly challenge the source of the misinformation
and to work with the HIV/AIDS community to counteract the negative effects of the
misinformation.
8. Physicians should encourage the involvement of support networks to assist patients in
adhering to ART regimens. With the patient’s consent, counselling and training should
be available to family members to assist them in providing family based care. Physi-
cians must recognize families and other support networks as crucial partners in ad-
herence strategies and, in many places, the only means to adequately expand the care
system so that patients receive the required attention.
9. Physicians must be aware of the discriminatory attitudes toward HIV/AIDS that are
prevalent in society and local culture. Because physicians are the first, and sometimes
the only, people who are informed of their patients’ HIV status, physicians should be
able to counsel them about their basic social and legal rights and responsibilities or
should refer them to counsellors who specialize in the rights of persons living with
HIV/AIDS.
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TESTING
1. Mandatory testing for HIV must be required of: donated blood and blood fractions
collected for donation or to be used in the manufacture of blood products; organs and
other tissues intended for transplantation; and semen or ova collected for assisted
reproduction procedures.
2. Mandatory HIV testing of an individual against his or her will is a violation of
medical ethics and human rights. Exceptions to this rule may be made only in the
most extreme cases and should be subject to review by an ethics panel or to judicial
review.
3. Physicians must clearly explain the purpose of an HIV test, the reasons it is recom-
mended and the implications of a positive test result. Before a test is administered, the
physician should have an action plan in place in case of a positive test result.
Informed consent must be obtained from the patient prior to testing.
4. While certain groups are labelled « high risk », anyone who has had unprotected sex
should be considered at some risk. Physicians must become increasingly proactive
about recommending testing to patients, based on a mutual understanding of the level
of risk and the potential to benefit from testing. Pregnant women should routinely be
offered testing.
5. Counselling and voluntary anonymous testing for HIV should be available to all
persons who request it, along with adequate post-testing support mechanisms.
PROTECTION
FROM
HIV
IN
THE
HEALTH
CARE
ENVIRONMENT
1. Physicians and all health care workers have the right to a safe work environment.
Especially in developing countries, the problem of occupational exposure to HIV has
contributed to high attrition rates of the health labour force. In some cases, employees
become infected with HIV, and in other cases fear of infection causes health care
workers to leave their jobs voluntarily. Fear of infection among health workers can
also lead to refusal to treat HIV/AIDS patients. Likewise, patients have the right to be
protected to the greatest degree possible from transmission of HIV from health
professionals and in health care institutions.
a. Proper infection control procedures and universal precautions consistent with the
most current national or international standards, as appropriate, should be imple-
mented in all health care facilities. This includes procedures for the use of pre-
ventive ART for health professionals who have been exposed to HIV.
b. If the appropriate safeguards for protecting physicians or patients against infec-
tion are not in place, physicians and National Medical Associations should take
action to correct the situation.
c. Physicians who are infected with HIV should not engage in any activity that
creates a risk of transmission of the disease to others. In the context of possible
exposure to HIV, the activity in which the physician wishes to engage will be the
determining factor. Whether or not an activity is acceptable should be determined
by a panel or committee of health care workers with specific expertise in infec-
tious diseases.
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Profession
d. In the provision of medical care, if a risk of transmission of an infectious disease
from a physician to a patient exists, disclosure of that risk to patients is not
enough; patients are entitled to expect that their physicians will not increase their
exposure to the risk of contracting an infectious disease.
e. If no risk exists, disclosure of the physician’s medical condition to his or her
patients will serve no rational purpose.
PROTECTING
PATIENT
PRIVACY
AND
ISSUES
RELATED
TO
NOTIFICATION
1. Fear of stigma and discrimination is a driving force behind the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The social and economic repercussions of being identified as infected can be devasta-
ting and can include violence, rejection by family and community members, loss of
housing and loss of employment, to name only a few. Normalizing the presence of
HIV/AIDS in society through public education is the only way to reduce discrimi-
natory attitudes and practices. Until that can be universally achieved, or a cure is
developed, potentially infected individuals will refuse testing to avoid these conse-
quences. The result of individuals not knowing their HIV status is not only disastrous
on a personal level in terms of not receiving treatment, but may also lead to high rates
of avoidable transmission of the disease. Fear of unauthorized disclosure of informa-
tion also provides a disincentive to participate in HIV/AIDS research and generally
thwarts the efficacy of prevention programs. Lack of confidence in protection of per-
sonal medical information regarding HIV status is a threat to public health globally
and a core factor in the continued spread of HIV/AIDS. At the same time, in certain
circumstances, the right to privacy must be balanced with the right of partners (sexual
and injection drug) of persons with HIV/AIDS to be informed of their potential
infection. Failure to inform partners not only violates their rights but also leads to the
same health problems of avoidable transmission and delay in treatment.
2. All standard ethical principles and duties related to confidentiality and protection of
patients’ health information, as articulated in the WMA Declaration of Lisbon on the
Rights of the Patient, apply equally in the context of HIV/AIDS. In addition, National
Medical Associations and physicians should take note of the special circumstances
and obligations (outlined below) associated with the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients.
a. National Medical Associations and physicians must, as a matter of priority, en-
sure that HIV/AIDS public education, prevention and counselling programs con-
tain explicit information related to protection of patient information as a matter
not only of medical ethics but of their human right to privacy.
b. Special safeguards are required when HIV/AIDS care involves a physically dis-
persed care team that includes home-based service providers, family members,
counsellors, case workers or others who require medical information to provide
comprehensive care and assist in adherence to treatment regimens. In addition to
implementing protection mechanisms regarding transfer of information, ethics
training regarding patient privacy should be given to all team members.
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c. Physicians must make all efforts to convince HIV/AIDS patients to take action to
notify all partners (sexual and/or injection drug) about their exposure and poten-
tial infection. Physicians must be competent to counsel patients about the options
for notifying partners.
These options should include:
1. notification of the partner(s) by the patient. In this case, the patient should
receive counselling regarding the information that must be provided to the
partner and strategies for delivering it with sensitivity and in a manner that is
easily understood. A timetable for notification should be established and the
physician should follow-up with the patient to ensure that notification has oc-
curred.
2. notification of the partner(s) by a third party. In this case, the third party must
make every effort to protect the identity of the patient.
d. When all strategies to convince the patient to take such action have been ex-
hausted, and if the physician knows the identity of the patient’s partner(s), the
physician is compelled, either by law or by moral obligation, to take action to
notify the partner(s) of their potential infection. Depending on the system in place,
the physician will either notify directly the person at risk or report the informa-
tion to a designated authority responsible for notification. In cases where a phy-
sician must disclose the information regarding exposure, the physician must:
1. inform the patient of his or her intentions,
2. to the extent possible, ensure that the identity of the patient is protected,
3. take the appropriate measures to protect the safety of the patient, especially
in the case of a female patient vulnerable to domestic violence.
e. Regardless of whether it is the patient, the physician or a third party who under-
takes notification, the person learning of his or her potential infection should be
offered support and assistance in order to access testing and treatment.
f. National Medical Associations should develop guidelines to assist physicians in
decision-making related to notification. These guidelines should help physicians
understand the legal requirements and consequences of notification decisions as
well as the medical, psychological, social and ethical considerations.
g. National Medical Associations should work with governments to ensure that
physicians who carry out their ethical obligation to notify individuals at risk, and
who take precautions to protect the identity of their patient, are afforded adequate
legal protection.
MEDICAL
EDUCATION
1. National Medical Associations should assist in ensuring that there is training and
education of physicians in the most current prevention strategies and medical treat-
ments available for all stages of HIV/AIDS, including prevention and support.
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HIV/AIDS
and
the
Medical
Profession
2. National Medical Associations should insist upon, and assist with when possible, the
education of physicians in the relevant psychological, legal, cultural and social di-
mensions of HIV/AIDS.
3. National Medical Associations should fully support the efforts of physicians wishing
to concentrate their expertise in HIV/AIDS care, even where HIV/AIDS is not recog-
nized as an official specialty or sub-specialty within the medical education system.
4. The WMA encourages its National Medical Associations to promote the inclusion of
designated, comprehensive courses on HIV/AIDS in undergraduate and postgraduate
medical education programs, as well as continuing medical education.
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WMA
STATEMENT
ON
MEDICAL
EDUCATION
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
The practice of medicine is dynamic and continues to evolve. edical education represents a
continuum of learning that commences with undergraduate medical school and endures
until a physician retires from active practice. Its goal is to prepare practitioners of medi-
cine to apply the latest scientific knowledge for the promotion of health and the prevention
and cure of human diseases and the mitigation of symptoms of presently incurable dis-
eases. Medical education also comprises the ethical standards governing the thought and
behaviour of physicians. All physicians have a responsibility to themselves, the profes-
sion and their patients to maintain a high standard for their medical education.
BASIC
PRINCIPLES
OF
MEDICAL
EDUCATION
Medical education consists of basic medical education, postgraduate medical education,
and continuing professional development. The profession, the faculties and educational
institutions, and the government share the responsibility for guaranteeing that medical edu-
cation meets a high quality standard throughout this continuum. The aim of medical edu-
cation is to develop competent and ethical physicians that deliver high quality healthcare
to the public.
BASIC
MEDICAL
EDUCATION
The goal of basic medical education is to instruct students in the practice of the profession,
and to supply the public with well-qualified physicians. The first professional degree
should represent the completion of a curriculum that qualifies the student for a spectrum of
career choices, including, but not limited to, patient care, public health, clinical or basic
research, or medical education. Each of these choices will require additional education
beyond the first professional degree.
SELECTION
OF
STUDENTS
A general liberal education is beneficial for anyone embarking on the study of medicine.
A broad cultural education in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, as well as bio-
logical and physical sciences, is advantageous. Students should be chosen for the study of
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Medical
Education
medicine on the basis of their intellectual ability, motivation, previous experiences, and
character and integrity. The numbers admitted for training must meet the needs of the
population and be matched by appropriate resources. Selection of students should not be
influenced by age, sex, race, creed, political persuasion or national origin, although the
mix of students should reflect the population.
FACULTY
Basic medical education must be taught by a structured faculty. The faculty must possess
the appropriate qualifications that can only be achieved through formal training and
experience. The selection should not be based on age, race, creed, political affiliation, or
national origin.
The faculty must foster an academic environment in which learning and inquiry are en-
couraged and can thrive. As such, active research to advance the body of medical know-
ledge and the quality of care must take place in academic settings that promote the highest
medical standards. The goals, content, format and evaluation of the education provided are
the responsibility of the faculty. Medical schools should ensure continued growth of the
teaching skills of the faculty.
The faculty is accountable for providing its own basic curriculum in an academic environ-
ment that allows learning to flourish. The faculty should review the curriculum frequently,
allowing for the needs of the community and for input from practising physicians.
Furthermore, the faculty is responsible for regularly evaluating the quality of each
educational experience and for reviewing each other.
In addition to competent faculty, the institution must require that library resources, re-
search laboratories, clinical facilities, and study areas be available in sufficient quantity to
meet the needs of all learners. Moreover, a proper administrative structure, including but
not limited to academic records, must be maintained in order to provide the most com-
prehensive education.
CONTENT
OF
BASIC
MEDICAL
EDUCATION
The educational content should equip the student with a broad base of general knowledge
in the whole field of medicine. This includes a study of the biological and behavioural
sciences as well as the socio-economics of health care. These sciences are basic to an
understanding of clinical medicine. Critical thinking and self-directed learning should also
be required, as should firm grounding in the ethical principles upon which the physicians
will function and in the principles of human rights. The student should also be introduced
to medical research and its methodology at this stage.
CLINICAL
EDUCATION
The clinical component of medical education must be centered on the supervised study of
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patients and must involve direct experiences in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The
clinical component should include personal diagnostic and therapeutic experiences with a
gradual increase in responsibilities. An appropriate balance among the patient base,
trainees and teachers must be observed.
Before beginning independent practice, every physician should complete a formal pro-
gram of supervised clinical education. This clinical experience should range from primary
to tertiary care in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings, such as university hospitals,
community hospitals and other health care facilities.
The faculty and medical schools have the responsibility to ensure that students who have
graduated and received the first professional degree have acquired a basic understanding
of clinical medicine and the basic skills needed to evaluate clinical problems and take
appropriate action independently, and exhibit the attitude and character to be an ethical
physician.
POSTGRADUATE
MEDICAL
EDUCATION
It is highly desirable, and in many jurisdictions it is already a requirement, that a graduate
from a basic medical education institution participate in a postgraduate training program
prior to obtaining a license. Postgraduate medical education, the second phase of medical
education, prepares physicians for practice in a medical specialty. Postgraduate medical
education focuses on the development of clinical skills and general and professional
competencies and on the acquisition of detailed factual knowledge in a medical specialty.
This learning process prepares the physician for the independent practice of medicine in
that specialty.
The programs are based in communities, clinics, hospitals or other health care institutions
and should, in most specialties, utilize both inpatient and ambulatory settings, reflecting
the importance of care for adequate numbers of patients in the postgraduate medical edu-
cation experience. Postgraduate medical education programs, including Transitional Year
programs, are usually called residency programs, and the physicians being educated in
them, residents. A resident takes on progressively greater responsibility throughout the
course of a residency, consistent with individual growth in clinical experience, knowledge,
and skill.
The education of resident physicians relies on an integration of didactic activity in a
structured curriculum with diagnosis and management of patients under appropriate levels
of supervision and scholarly activity aimed at developing and maintaining life-long learning
skills. The quality of this experience is directly related to the quality of patient care, which
is always the highest priority. Educational quality and patient care quality are interdepen-
dent and must be pursued in such a manner that they enhance one another. A proper balance
must be maintained so that a program of postgraduate medical education does not rely on
residents to meet service needs at the expense of educational objectives. A resident is pre-
pared to undertake independent medical practice within a chosen specialty on the satisfac-
tory completion of a residency.
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PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
OF
PHYSICIANS
Continuing professional development* is defined as the educational activities that serve to
maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance and
relationships a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public, or the profession.
Physicians should strive to further their medical education throughout their careers. These
educational experiences are essential to the physician’s continuing professional develop-
ment: to keep abreast of developments in clinical medicine and the health care delivery
environment, and to maintain the knowledge and skills necessary to provide high quality
care. The goal of continuing professional development is to sustain and enhance the com-
petent physician. Medical schools, hospitals and professional societies all share a responsi-
bility for developing and making available to all physicians effective opportunities for
continuing professional development.
The demand for physicians to provide medical care, prevent disease, and give advice in
health matters calls for the highest standards of basic, postgraduate, and continuing pro-
fessional development.
* Note on terminology
There are different uses of the term ‘Continuing Professional Development’ (CPD). One way to
describe it is all those activities that contribute to the professional development of a physician
including involvement in organized medicine, committee work in hospitals or group practices,
teaching, mentoring and reading, to name just a few. One of the components of CPD should be
Continuing Medical Education, which in many jurisdictions is specially defined and possibly
required for licensure.
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WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
PHYSICIAN’S
ROLE
IN
OBESITY
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
1. Obesity is one of the single most important health issues facing the world in the
twenty-first century, affecting all countries and socio-economic groups and repre-
senting a serious drain on health care resources.
2. Obesity has complex origins linked to economic and social changes in society in-
cluding the obesogenic environment within which much of the population lives.
3. Therefore the WMA urges physicians to use their roles as leaders to advocate for recog-
nition by national health authorities that reduction in obesity should be a priority, with
culturally appropriate policies involving physicians and other key stakeholders.
THE
WMA
RECOMMENDS
THAT
PHYSICIANS:
1. Lead the development of societal changes that emphasize environments which support
healthy food choices and regular exercise or physical activity for all people;
2. Individually and through medical associations, express concern that excessive tele-
vision viewing and video game playing are impediments to physical activity among
children and adolescents in many countries;
3. Encourage individuals to make healthy choices;
4. Recognise the role of personal decision making and the adverse influences exerted by
current environments;
5. Recognise that collection and evaluation of data can contribute to evidence based
management, and should be part of routine medical screening and evaluation through-
out life;
6. Encourage the development of life skills that contribute to a healthy lifestyle in all
persons and to better public knowledge of healthy diets, exercise and the dangers of
smoking and excess alcohol consumption;
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Obesity
7. Contribute to the development of better assessment tools and databases to enable
better targeted and evaluated interventions;
8. Ensure that obesity, its causes and management remain part of continuing professional
development programmes for health care workers, including physicians;
9. Use pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery consistent with evidence-based guidelines
and an assessment of the risks and benefits associated with such therapies.
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WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF
PHYSICIANS
IN
PREVENTING
AND
TREATING
OPIATE
AND
PSYCHOTROPIC
DRUG
ABUSE
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
1. Opiate and psychotropic drugs are valuable therapeutic tools when used appropriately,
as medically indicated, for a variety of symptoms and conditions. Unfortunately, non-
clinical misuse of these addictive substances is an enormous problem worldwide. Drug
addiction is a complex social, economic and legal issue as well as a threat to public
health and safety globally. It affects people from all demographic and social groups
and economic spheres. In addition to exposing themselves to the direct health risks
related to the inappropriate use of these substances, persons addicted to drugs may en-
gage in high risk behaviour, such as needle-sharing and unprotected sex, and many
resort to criminal activity to finance their expensive addiction. These factors increase
transmission of viral infections, such as Hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS, among
both users and non-users alike. Other results of addiction include failure to maintain
employment or to function in social and family life.
2. The legal ramifications of non-medical drug use, which is illegal in most countries,
generally do little to assist users in breaking free from their addiction. Despite drug
programs in many correctional facilities, the availability of illegal substances is often
prevalent among inmates and, in fact, some users begin their addiction in these insti-
tutions. Addressing addiction therefore falls largely to society and the health profes-
sion.
3. The World Medical Association, concerned by the widespread misuse of psychotropic
and opiate drugs, urges physicians to prioritize this problem in the practice of medi-
cine and to adhere to the following guidelines.
PRINCIPLES
1. Responsible prescribing practices
a. Physicians should be aware of the addictive properties of certain psychotropic
and opiate drugs. Such drugs should be prescribed with the greatest restraint,
observing the strictest possible generally accepted medical indications. Physi-
cians must take all necessary measures to ensure that they are fully informed of
the effects of these drugs. This includes reviewing up-to-date research regard-
ing dosage, potential effectiveness for the specific condition, potential side affects
and interactions and prevalence of misuse.
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Opiate
and
Psychotropic
Drug
Abuse
b. When such drugs are medically indicated, their use must be carefully monitored
to ensure that the patient is following strict instructions regarding dosage, timing
and any other factors associated with the safe use of the particular drug. All ap-
propriate measures must be taken to prevent the stockpiling, resale or other il-
licit usage of the drug.
c. Patients must be fully informed of all potential therapeutic and non-therapeutic
effects of psychotropic and opiate drugs, including potential for addiction, and be
fully involved in the decision to take them. No competent patient should be
forced to take any psychotropic drug against his or her will.
d. Physicians should be aware of non-medical factors that may predispose patients
to addiction. These may include, among others, family history, past addiction,
emotional trauma, depression or other mental health conditions and peer pres-
sure, especially among young persons.
e. Physicians should learn to recognize ‘drug seekers’, addicted patients who attempt
to obtain psychotropic and opiate drugs under false medical pretences. Drug
seekers often consult more than one physician in an effort to obtain multiple pre-
scriptions. In extreme cases, drug seekers may harm themselves to create symp-
toms to obtain a prescription. All patient conditions and symptoms should be cli-
nically verified, to the extent possible, and meticulous records maintained regard-
ing the patient’s drug history. If databases containing patient drug records and
prescribing histories are available, they should be consulted.
f. When prescribing any psychotropic or opiate substance to minors, physicians
must ensure that the parents or guardians of the patient are fully informed of the
potential misuse of the drug and encouraged to monitor the child carefully to en-
sure adherence to the physician’s instructions. Parents or guardians should be in-
formed that, in some countries, it is increasingly common for children to sell pre-
scription drugs to their peers.
2. Non-drug therapy for addicts to opiate and psychotropic drugs
a. Physicians should be aware of all non-drug treatment options for addicts to opiate
and psychotropic drugs, including inpatient and outpatient programs and thera-
peutic communities, in which recovering addicts live in a supportive, drug-free
environment. Most treatment programs are focused on breaking the cycle of drug
dependence through detoxification, counselling – including ongoing peer support –
and permanent abstinence from the use of any addictive opiate or psychotropic
substance, including alcohol. Some offer educational and/or vocational programs
to facilitate successful reintegration into community life.
b. Physicians should encourage their patients to participate in drug treatment pro-
grams at the earliest possible stage of addiction.
c. All efforts should be made to respect the dignity and autonomy of addicted
patients. Involuntary inpatient treatment of addicted persons should be a last
resort, according to established guidelines and, where applicable, legal require-
ments.
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3. Drug therapy for addicts to opiate drugs
a. In some cases, persons addicted to opiate drugs may be treated using medications
that relieve withdrawal symptoms and cravings for the addictive substance without
producing the ‘high’ associated with opiates. These medications also provide cross
tolerance to other opioids. The objective of drug treatment is the immediate
cessation of the use of opiate drugs.
b. Drug therapy can assist the opiate-dependent patient to function in his or her
normal environment and activities while working to overcome the opiate addic-
tion. However, it should always be part of a multi-disciplinary approach that in-
cludes proven non-drug treatment elements, such as counselling and peer support.
c. Drug therapy should be administered according to established evidence-based
guidelines and supervised by specially trained physicians with an appropriate
support team.
4. Awareness raising and policy development
a. National Medical Associations (NMAs) should engage in cross-sectoral national
efforts to raise awareness of the risks associated with the abuse of opiate and
psychotropic drugs and to ensure the availability of appropriate treatment options
for addicted persons. NMAs should encourage their members to participate in
similar programs at the community level.
b. NMAs should promote appropriate drug prevention programming at all levels of
the educational system, recognizing that experimentation with drugs is increas-
ingly prevalent among younger age groups.
c. NMAs and physicians should participate in the development of evidence-based
guidelines that support a multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment of drug ad-
diction, including harm reduction strategies such as needle exchange programmes.
d. NMAs should participate in the development of legal procedures relating to ille-
gal drug use to ensure that addicted persons are recognized as entitled to receive
appropriate medical and rehabilitative care, including in correctional institutions.
CONCLUSION
1. Physicians have an important role to play in the treatment of drug addiction, both as
clinicians and as advocates for the treatment, rights and dignity of persons addicted to
these harmful substances. Treatment of addiction, like treatment for any disease or
condition, should be undertaken in the best interests of the patient and according to
established principles of medical ethics.
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World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
HUMAN
TISSUE
FOR
TRANSPLANTATION
Adopted by the 58th
WMA General Assembly, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2007
INTRODUCTION
The use of human cells and tissue for therapeutic purposes in medicine covers a broad
spectrum. A differentiated examination is necessary in order to do justice to the different
requirements of the various sectors of tissue medicine.
The use of so-called « tissue transplants », such as corneas, bone, blood vessels and cardiac
valves, is an established treatment method in medicine. Tissues are removed, conserved,
stored and then implanted in patients after varying periods of time. In principle, they
should therefore be treated in the same way as organs that are used for transplantation (cf.
WMA Statement on Human Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, Edinburgh
2000).
In contrast, so-called « advanced therapies », such as tissue engineering and other techni-
ques of regenerative medicine, involve the use of human tissue as starting material for
manufacturing a processed end product. Even though established therapeutic options
already exist, it can be expected that the therapeutic importance of these methods may
continue to increase, and that there may be many developments in this field in the future.
In view of the further processing of the tissue involved, the frequently industrial nature of
the manufacturing organizations and the possibility of tissue being pooled, different regula-
tions are necessary for this sector of tissue medicine than for tissue transplantation.
The WMA limits this Statement to tissue in the sense of tissue transplants, and gives the
following Recommendations for this sector of tissue medicine:
1. Physicians are fundamentally obliged to treat patients according to the best of their
knowledge and expertise. However, this obligation must not be taken to the point
where, for example, the human tissue necessary for therapy is procured in an unethi-
cal or illegal manner. Tissue must always be procured with due consideration for
human rights and the principles of medical ethics.
2. To secure the provision of tissue for transplantation, physicians should inform po-
tential donors and/or their family members about the possibility of tissue donation. In
the event of combined organ and tissue donation, information should be provided, and
consent obtained, in one step.
3. The voluntariness of tissue donation must be ensured. The informed and non-coerced
consent of the donor or his/her family members is required for any use of human tis-
sue for transplantation. Free and informed decision-making is a process requiring the
Copenhagen
⏐
S-‐2007-‐01-‐2007
Human
Tissue
for
Transplantation
exchange and understanding of information and the absence of coercion. Because
prisoners and other individuals in custody are not in a position to give consent freely
and can be subject to coercion, their tissues must not be used for transplantation
except for members of their immediate family.
4. Financial incentives such as direct payments for donating tissue for transplantation are
to be rejected – in the same what that they are in connection with organ transplants.
All other steps, such as the procurement, testing, processing, conservation, storage
and allocation of tissue transplants, should likewise not be commercialised.
5. If both organs and tissue can be removed from a potential donor for transplantation,
organ donation must be given priority over tissue donation.
6. Posthumous donation of tissue to a specific recipient (directed donation beyond the
immediate family) is to be avoided. Living directed donation requires both: a) proof
of direct personal ties between donor and recipient (e.g. blood relations, spouses), and
b) exclusion of potentially coercive material interests.
7. For posthumous tissue donation, the WMA calls for the determination of death to be
conducted in accordance with its Declaration of Sydney on the Determination of
Death.
8. The risk of diseases (e.g. infections, malignant tumors) being transmitted by trans-
planted tissue must be minimized through appropriate testing that does not merely
comply with sufficient standards, but additionally reflects the respective, nationally
implemented state of medical science and technology.
9. In the case of a delayed diagnosis for infectious disease or malignancy of the donor,
an alert should immediately be reported to all tissue recipients in order to institute the
appropriate precautionary steps.
10. Contamination must be avoided when removing, storing, processing and transplanting
tissue.
11. Unethical allocation formulas for tissue transplants are to be rejected. Allocation
should be based on the medical indication, urgency and prospects of success.
12. Experimental and clinical studies, as well as open discussions on ethical and moral
principles in society, are important for establishing new therapeutic methods. All
experimental and clinical studies are to be conducted in accordance with the WMA
Declaration of Helsinki. Scientists and physicians should continuously inform the
public about developments in tissue medicine and its therapeutic options.
13. International exchange of tissue for transplantation should be properly regulated ac-
cording to agreed upon standards.
14. Information on tissue donors should be stored and maintained by national transplant
organizations and should be provided only if the living donor or family of the de-
ceased donor provides free and informed consent.
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World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
ETHICS
OF
TELEMEDICINE
Adopted by the 58th
WMA General Assembly, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2007
DEFINITION
Telemedicine is the practice of medicine over a distance, in which interventions, diagno-
stic and treatment decisions and recommendations are based on data, documents and other
information transmitted through telecommunication systems.
PREAMBLE
The development and implementation of information and communication technology are
creating new modalities for providing care for patients. These enabling tools offer dif-
ferent ways of practising medicine. The adoption of telemedicine is justified because of its
speed and its capacity to reach patients with limited access to medical assistance, in ad-
dition to its power to improve health care.
Physicians must respect the following ethical guidelines when practising telemedicine.
PRINCIPLES
Patient-‐physician
relationship
and
confidentiality
The patient-physician relationship should be based on a personal encounter and sufficient
knowledge of the patient’s personal history. Telemedicine should be employed primarily
in situations in which a physician cannot be physically present within a safe and accepta-
ble time period.
The patient-physician relationship must be based on mutual trust and respect. It is there-
fore essential that the physician and patient be able to identify each other reliably when
telemedicine is employed.
Ideally, telemedicine should be employed only in cases in which a prior in-person relation-
ship exists between the patient and the physician involved in arranging or providing the
telemedicine service.
The physician must aim to ensure that patient confidentiality and data integrity are not
compromised. Data obtained during a telemedical consultation must be secured through
encryption and other security precautions must be taken to prevent access by unauthorized
persons.
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Telemedicine
Responsibilities
of
the
physician
A physician whose advice is sought through the use of telemedicine should keep a detailed
record of the advice he/she delivers as well as the information he/she received and on
which the advice was based.
It is the obligation of the physician to ensure that the patient and the health professionals
or family members caring for the patient are able to use the necessary telecommunication
system and necessary instruments. The physician must seek to ensure that the patient has
understood the advice and treatment suggestions given and that the continuity of care is
guaranteed.
The physician asking for another physician’s advice or second opinion remains responsible
for treatment and other decisions and recommendations given to the patient.
A physician should be aware of and respect the special difficulties and uncertainties that
may arise when he/she is in contact with the patient through means of tele-communication.
A physician must be prepared to recommend direct patient-doctor contact when he/she feels
that the situation calls for it.
Quality
of
care
Quality assessment measures must be used regularly to ensure the best possible diagnostic
and treatment practices in telemedicine.
The possibilities and weaknesses of telemedicine in emergencies must be acknowledged.
If it is necessary to use telemedicine in an emergency situation, the advice and treatment
suggestions are influenced by the level of threat to the patient and the know-how and ca-
pacity of the persons who are with the patient.
RECOMMENDATION
The WMA and National Medical Associations should encourage the development of na-
tional legislation and international agreements on subjects related to the practise of tele-
medicine, such as e-prescribing, physician registration, liability and the legal status of
electronic medical records.
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World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
REDUCING
DIETARY
SODIUM
INTAKE
Adopted by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
INTRODUCTION
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain a leading cause of mortality throughout the world.
Risk factors include high blood cholesterol, hypertension, cigarette smoking, physical
inactivity, obesity, and diabetes. These risk factors are largely preventable and modifiable.
Globally, about 25% of all deaths from cardiovascular diseases are due to hypertension.
This figure may underestimate the true impact of elevated blood pressure since the blood
pressure cardiovascular risk continuum begins at 115/75 mm Hg. There is overwhelming
evidence that excessive sodium intake is a risk factor for the development, or worsening of
hypertension, and it may also be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases as
well as all-cause mortality.
Substantial overall benefits can accrue from even small reductions in the population’s
blood pressure. Depending upon an individual’s salt sensitivity, sodium may cause great
damage to both normotensive and hypertensive populations. Therefore, population-wide
efforts to reduce dietary sodium intake are a cost-effective way to reduce overall hyper-
tension levels and subsequent cardiovascular disease.
BACKGROUND
In acculturated populations, the level of blood pressure, the incremental rise in blood pres-
sure with age, and the prevalence of hypertension are related to salt intake. Observational
studies and randomized controlled trials document a clear and consistent effect of salt con-
sumption on increased blood pressure. Blood pressure is also affected by other foods and
nutrients, and a reduced salt intake should be only one component of a comprehensive
strategy to lower blood pressure. Increasing physical activity, consuming a diet high in
fruits and vegetables and low in saturated and total fats, maintenance of optimal body
weight, and moderation in alcohol intake are also recommended lifestyle approaches to
preventing and managing hypertension and reducing its impact on cardiovascular disease.
The World Health Organization recommends that average daily sodium consumption in
adults should be less than 2000 mg (5 g salt). Epidemiologic evidence, including the
marked reduction of either hypertension or of a progressive rise in blood pressure with
advancing age in populations with an average sodium ingestion <1500 mg (3.8 g salt) per
day, supports the concept of such a threshold, above which the risk for harmful cardio-
vascular disease consequences begins to increase.
Seoul
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Dietary
Sodium
Intake
The world's population consumes 2300-4600 mg of sodium (5.8 - 11.5 g salt) per day per
2000 calories. In developed countries, it is estimated that 75% to 80% of the daily intake
of sodium comes from processed foods and foods that are prepared outside of the home
(e.g., fast food or restaurant meals). Therefore, any meaningful strategy to reduce popula-
tion salt intake must rely on food manufacturers and preparers to reduce the amount added
during preparation as well as on nutritional education programs. The largest impact on
sodium in the food supply of developed countries may derive from the stepwise lowering
of sodium in foods that are most commonly eaten and are large contributors to sodium
intake. In less developed countries, reductions in sodium are more likely to be achieved by
adding less salt during cooking inside the home.
RECOMMENDATIONS
National Medical Associations should:
• In cooperation with national and international health organizations, work to
educate consumers about the effects of sodium intake on hypertension and cardio-
vascular disease, the benefits of long-term reductions in sodium intake, and about
the dietary sources of salt/sodium and how these can be reduced.
• Call for a stepwise 50% reduction in the sodium content of processed foods, "fast"
food products, and restaurant meals over the next decade.
• Urge physicians to counsel patients about the major sources of sodium in their
diets and how to reduce sodium intake, including reducing the amount of salt used
in cooking at home.
• In cooperation with the food industry and government regulators, discuss ways to
improve labeling of food products and develop label markings and warnings for
foods high in sodium.
• Encourage government authorities to create national laws and regulations that
enforce the reduction of sodium in processed foods to acceptable levels. Establish
a deadline for industries to comply with new laws and regulations.
• Stimulate debate on the issue at conferences, symposia, and teleconferences in an
effort to promote awareness among the medical profession regarding sodium in
food and its consequences. Doctors who are well-informed will transmit the infor-
mation to their patients and may be able to prescribe fewer antihypertensive medi-
cations.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2008-‐02-‐2008
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
REDUCING
THE
GLOBAL
BURDEN
OF
MERCURY
Adopted by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
Mercury is a naturally occurring heavy metal that is a potent neurotoxin. The most likely
routes of human exposure on a population basis are ingestion of methylmercury from con-
taminated fish. Less commonly, individuals are exposed via inhalation of inorganic mer-
cury vapor after a spill or during a manufacturing process.
Mercury has been the ideal choice for use in medical devices that measure temperature
and pressure. Therefore, a typical large hospital may have more than a hundred pounds of
mercury onsite incorporated into various devices in separate locations.
Hospitals and clinics can avoid the occupational or environmental risk of mercury by
using products that don't rely on mercury-based technology. Major healthcare institutions
around the world have demonstrated that safe, effective alternative products exist, and can
be safely used for most situations.
Although the rationale for instituting voluntary mercury replacement initiatives is com-
pelling from both occupational and environmental perspectives, financial considera-tions
may ultimately motivate hospitals to undertake a mercury replacement program. Haz-
ardous waste clean-up costs, reporting requirements for spills, disruptions in services, and
staff training are costly. The cost of cleaning up one significant contamination can be sub-
stantially higher than the cost of converting to mercury-free alternatives.
By implementing a "best practices" management method for mercury use, the need for
increased government regulations in the future, may be avoided. Such regulations may
create costly burdens that some facilities may not be able to meet.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations are based on the urgent need to reduce both the supply
and demand of mercury in the health care sector:
Global
The World Medical Association and its member national medical associations should:
• Advocate for the United Nations and individual governments to voluntarily co-
operate to implement key features of the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) Mercury Programme, which provides a framework for reducing the use,
release, trade and risk related to mercury.
• Enhance the activity of existing partnerships.
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Mercury
Regional/National
National medical associations should advocate that their governments work to reduce risks
related to mercury in the environment by:
• reducing reliance on mercury mining in favor of environmentally-friendly sources
of mercury, such as recycled mercury.
• developing options and scientifically sound plans for the long term safe storage of
excess mercury supplies.
• urging governments and other stakeholders to continue to enhance their support of
the UNEP Mercury Programme partnerships, through the provision of technical
and financial resources.
• encouraging a phase-out of mercury use in the health care sector
• designing and implementing regulations and/or requirements designed to signifi-
cantly reduce mercury emissions from coal combustion and cement production by
using specific mercury emission controls.
Local
Physicians should:
• Explore eliminating mercury-containing products in their offices and clinical
practices, including thermometers, sphygmomanometers, gastrointestinal tubes, bat-
teries, lamps, electrical supplies, thermostats, pressure gauges, and other laboratory
reagents and devices.
• Ensure that local hospitals and medical facilities have a plan to identify sources of
mercury in their workplace, a commitment to mercury reduction, and a mercury
management policy regarding recycling, disposal and education.
• Encourage local hospitals and medical facilities to phase out mercury-containing
products and switch to non-mercury equivalents.
• Counsel patients about local and national advisories related to fish consumption
designed to limit exposure to mercury in children and women of childbearing age.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
CONFLICT
OF
INTEREST
Adopted by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
PREAMBLE
This policy is intended to identify areas where a conflict of interest might occur during the
day-to-day practice of medicine, and to assist physicians in resolving such conflicts in the
best interests of their patients. A conflict of interest is understood to exist when profes-
sional judgement concerning direct patient care might be unduly influenced by a second-
ary interest.
In some cases, it may be enough to acknowledge that a potential or perceived conflict
exists. In others, specific steps to resolve the conflict may be required. Some conflicts of
interest are inevitable and there is nothing inherently unethical in the occurrence of con-
flicts of interest in medicine but it is the manner in which they are addressed that is cru-
cial.
In addition to the clinical practice of medicine and direct patient care, physicians have
traditionally served in several different roles and pursued various other interests, such as
participation in research, the education of future physicians and physicians in training and
the occupation of administrative or managerial positions. As private interests within medi-
cine have expanded in many locales, physicians have occasionally provided their expertise
to these endeavours as well, acting as consultants (and sometimes employees) for private
enterprise.
Although the participation of physicians in many of these activities will ultimately serve
the greater public good, the primary obligation of the individual physician continues to be
the health and well-being of his or her patients. Other interests must not be allowed to
influence clinical decision-making (or even have the potential to do so).
Each doctor has a moral duty to scrutinise his or her own behaviour for potential conflicts
of interest, even if the conflicts fall outside the kinds of examples or situations addressed
in this document. If unacknowledged, conflicts of interest can seriously undermine patient
trust in the medical profession as well as in the individual practitioner.
Physicians may also wish to avail themselves of additional resources such as specialty
societies, national medical associations or regulatory authorities, and should be aware of
applicable national regulations and laws.
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Delhi
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Conflict
of
Interest
RECOMMENDATION
Research
The interests of the clinician and the researcher may not be the same. If the same indivi-
dual is assuming both roles, as is often the case, the potential conflict should be addressed
by ensuring that appropriate steps are put in place to protect the patient, including dis-
closure of the potential conflict to the patient.
As stated in the Declaration of Helsinki:
• The Declaration of Geneva of the World Medical Association states that, "The
health of my patient will be my first consideration," and the International Code of
Medical Ethics declares that, "A physician shall act only in the patient's interest
when providing medical care which might have the effect of weakening the phy-
sical and mental condition of the patient."
• The Declaration of Helsinki states that “In medical research involving human
subjects, the well-being of the individual research subject must take precedence
over all other interests.”
Research should be conducted primarily for the advancement of medical science. A
physician should never place his or her financial interests above the welfare of his or her
patient. Patient interests and scientific integrity must be paramount.
All relevant and material physician-researcher relationships and interests must be dis-
closed to potential research participants, research ethics boards, appropriate regulatory
oversight bodies, medical journals, conference participants and the medical centre where
the research is conducted.
All hypothesis-testing research trials should be registered with a publicly-accessible re-
search registry.
A clear contract should be signed by all parties, including sponsors, investigators and
program participants, clarifying terms relating to, at a minimum:
• financial compensation for the physician-researcher (which should approximate
lost clinical earnings)
• ownership of research results (which should rest with the investigator)
• the right of the investigator to publish negative results
• the right of the investigator to release relevant information to trial participants at
any point during the study.
Physician-researchers should retain control of and should have full access to all trial data,
and should decline non-disclosure clauses.
Physician-researchers should ensure that, regardless of the trial results, the presentation or
publication of the results of hypothesis-testing trials will not be unduly delayed or other-
wise obstructed.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
Referral fees should not be accepted for providing the names of potential trial participants,
and patient information should not be released without the consent of the patient, except
where required by legislation or regulatory authorities.
Any compensation received from trial sponsors should approximately replace lost clinical
income and should be commensurate with the efforts and responsibilities of the physician
performing the research. When enrolment is particularly challenging and time-consuming,
reasonable additional payments may be made to compensate the clinical investigator or
institution specifically for time and effort spent on extra recruiting efforts to enrol appro-
priate research participants. Escalating bonuses designed to increase trial enrolment should
not be accepted.
Physician-researchers should decline requests to review grant applications or research
paper submissions from colleagues or competitors where their relationship would have the
potential to influence their judgment on the matter.
Payments or compensation of any sort should not be tied to the outcome of clinical trials.
Physician-researchers should not have a financial interest in a company sponsoring a trial
or a product being studied in a clinical trial if this financial interest could be affected
positively or negatively by the results of the trial; they should have no direct financial
stake in the results of the trial. They should not purchase, buy or sell stock (shares) in the
company while the trial is ongoing and until the results have been made public. This
might not apply for those physicians who have developed a medication but are not part of
the enrolment process.
Physician-researchers should only participate in clinical trials when they relate to their
area of medical expertise and they should have adequate training in the conduct of re-
search and the principles of research ethics.
Authorship should be determined prior to the start of the trial and should be based on
substantive scientific contribution.
Education
The educational needs of students and the quality of their training experience must be
balanced with the best interests of patients. Where these are in conflict, the interests of
patients will take precedence.
While recognizing that medical trainees require experience with real patients, physician-
educators must ensure that these trainees receive supervision commensurate with their
level of training.
Patients should be made aware that their medical care may be performed in part by stu-
dents and physicians in training, including the performance of procedures and surgery, and
where possible should give appropriate informed consent to this effect.
Patients should be made aware of the identity and qualifications of the individuals in-
volved in their care.
Refusal by a patient to involve trainees in their care should not affect the amount or
quality of care they subsequently receive.
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Delhi
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Conflict
of
Interest
Self-‐referrals
and
fee-‐splitting
All referrals and prescriptions (whether for specific goods or services) should be based on
an objective assessment of the quality of the service or of the physician to whom the pa-
tient has been referred.
Referral by physicians to health care facilities (such as laboratories) where they do not
engage in professional activities but in which they have a financial interest is called self-
referral. This practice has the potential to significantly influence clinical decision-making
and is not generally considered acceptable unless there is a need in that particular com-
munity for the facility and other ownership is not a possibility (for example, in small rural
communities). The physician in this situation should receive no more financial interest
than would an ordinary investor.
Kickbacks (or fee-splitting) occur when a physician receives financial consideration for
referring a patient to a specific practitioner or for a specific service for which a fee is
charged. This practice is not acceptable.
Physician
offices
For reasons of patient convenience, many physician offices are located in close geographic
proximity to other medical services such as laboratories, pharmacies and opticians. The
physician should not receive any financial compensation or other consideration either for
referring a patient to these services, or for being located in close geographical proximity to
them. Physician-owned buildings should not charge above-market or below-market rates
to tenants.
Non-medical products (those having nothing to do with patient health or the practice of
medicine) and scientifically non-validated medical products should not be sold out of the
physician’s office. If scientifically validated medical products are sold out of the physi-
cian’s office charges should be limited to the costs incurred in making them available and
the products should be offered in such a way that the patient does not feel pressured to
purchase them.
Organizational/institutional
conflicts
Health care institutions in particular are increasingly subject to a number of pressures that
threaten several of their roles, and many academic medical centres have begun to identify
alternate sources of revenue. Policies should be in place to ensure that these new sources
are not in conflict with the values and mission of the institution (for example, tobacco
funding in medical schools).
Individual medical organizations and institutions (including, but not limited to, medical
schools, hospitals, national medical associations, official/state regulators and research in-
stitutions) should develop and, where possible, enforce conflict of interest guidelines for
their employees and members.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
Physician-researchers and others will benefit from the development of institutional con-
flict of interest guidelines to assist them in making appropriate disclosure and clearly
identifying situations where a conflict would preclude them from participating in a re-
search study or other activity.
Academic health care institutions should have a clear demarcation between investment
decision-making committees, technology transfer and the research arm of the institution.
Written policies should provide guidelines for disclosure requirements, or for disconti-
nuing participation in the decision-making process, for those individuals who are con-
flicted due to sponsored research, consulting agreements, private holdings or licensing
agreements.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
EMBRYONIC
STEM
CELL
RESEARCH
Adopted by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
PREAMBLE
The field of stem cell research has been developing during the last decade and is now one
of the fastest growing areas of biotechnology.
Stem cells can be harvested from an established tissue (adult stem cell) or from the blood
of the umbilical cord and these sources, for many, create no specific ethical dilemma.
Stem cells can also be obtained from the embryo (embryonic stem cells). Obtaining and
using these stem cells raises specific ethical questions and is, for some, problematic.
Some legislatures have prohibited obtaining and using embryonic stem cells. Others have
allowed using so-called spare or excess embryos from assisted reproduction cycles for re-
search purposes, but often the production of embryos solely for research purposes is prohi-
bited. Many jurisdictions have no specific legislative provisions with respect to embryonic
stem cells.
The basis of legal and ethical consideration is that human embryos have a specific and
special ethical status. This has generated debate amongst ethicists, philosophers, clini-
cians, scientists, health workers, the public and legislators.
Some assisted reproductive technology, specifically in vitro fertilisation, involves the pro-
duction of embryos outside of the human body. In many cases not all of these are needed
to achieve pregnancies. Those not used, so called “spare or excess embryos”, may be do-
nated for the treatment of others or for research or stored for some time and then des-
troyed.
The differing legislative approaches to the use of embryos for research, may be reflected
in law prohibiting the public funding of such research.
Stem cells can be used to conduct research into human disease and basic developmental
biology. There are many current research programs investigating the use of stem cells to
treat human disease. Although clinical studies have not yet validated the use of stem cells
in therapy, the potential for therapeutic use in the future has been widely acknowledged by
members of the medical and scientific community.
It is too early to assess the likelihood of success in any specific therapy and the place of
stem cells amongst a variety of forms of treatments.
S-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
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New
Delhi
Embryonic
Stem
Cell
Research
Public views of stem cell research are at least as varied as those of doctors and scientists.
Much public debate centres on concerns of abuse of the technology as well as specific
concerns about the use of embryos.
Regulation according to established ethical principles is likely to alleviate concerns for
many members of the public, especially if associated with careful and credible policing of
the regulations.
RECOMMENDATION
Whenever possible research should be carried out using stem cells that are not of embryo-
nic origin. However, there will be circumstances where only embryonic stem cells will be
suitable for the research model.
All research on stem cells, regardless of their origin, must be carried out according to
agreed ethical principles. Regulation and legislation must also accord with these principles
to avoid confusion or conflicts between law and ethics.
The ethical principles should, where possible, follow international agreement. Recogni-
sing that different groups have widely varying views on the use, especially, of embryonic
stem cells, these principles should be drafted to allow different jurisdictions to limit their
allowed levels of research as locally appropriate.
All and any research using embryos must only occur when written informed consent has
been obtained from both donors of the genetic material that created the embryo.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2009-‐03-‐2009
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
INEQUALITIES
IN
HEALTH
Adopted by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
PREAMBLE
For over 150 years, the existence of health inequality has been acknowledged worldwide.
The recently published Final Report of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of
Health has highlighted the critical importance of health equity to the health, economy and
social cohesiveness of all countries. It is clear that while there are major differences be-
tween countries, especially between the developing and developed countries, there are also
substantial disparities within countries with respect to various measures of socio-economic
and cultural diversity. Disparities in health can be defined as either disparities in access to
healthcare, disparities in quality of care received, or both. The differences manifest them-
selves in a wide variety of health measures, such as life expectancy, infant mortality, and
childhood mortality. Particularly disturbing is evidence of the gradual and ongoing widen-
ing of specific disparities.
At the core of this issue is the healthcare provided by physicians. National medical asso-
ciations should take an active role in combating social and health inequalities in order to
allow their physician members the ability to provide equal, quality service to all.
The Role of the Health Care System:
While the major causes of health disparities lie in the socio-economic and cultural di-
versity of population groups, there is a very significant role for the health care system in
their prevention and reduction. This role can be summarized as follows:
• To prevent the health effects of socio-economic and cultural inequality and in-
equity – especially by health promotion and disease prevention activities (Primary
Prevention)
• To Identify, treat and reduce existing health inequality, e.g. early diagnosis of
disease, quality management of chronic disease, rehabilitation (Secondary and Ter-
tiary Prevention).
RECOMMENDATIONS
The members of the medical profession, faced with treating the results of this inequity,
have a major responsibility and call on their national medical associations to:
• Recognize the importance of health inequality and the need to influence national
policy and action for its prevention and reduction
S-‐2009-‐03-‐2009
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New
Delhi
Inequalities
in
Health
• Identify the social and cultural risk factors to which patients and families are ex-
posed and to plan clinical activities (diagnostic and treatment) to counter their con-
sequences.
• Advocate for the abolishment of financial barriers to obtaining needed medical
care.
• Advocate for equal access for all to health care services irrespective of geographic,
social, age, gender, religious, ethnic and economic differences or sexual orienta-
tion.
• Require the inclusion of health inequality studies (including the scope, severity,
causes, health, economic and social implications) as well as the provision of cul-
tural competence tools, at all levels of academic medical training, including further
training for those already in clinical practice.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2009-‐04-‐2009
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
GUIDING
PRINCIPLES
FOR
THE
USE
OF
TELEHEALTH
FOR
THE
PROVISION
OF
HEALTH
CARE
Adopted by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
DEFINITION
Telehealth is the use of information and communications technology to deliver health and
healthcare services and information over large and small distances.
PREAMBLE
The prevalence of telemedicine and telehealth in most countries in the world has led the
World Medical Association (WMA) to develop ethical guidelines for physicians who use
this modality to provide health care services. The WMA defines telemedicine as “the prac-
tice of medicine over a distance, in which interventions, diagnostics and treatment deci-
sions and recommendations are based on data, including voice and images, documents and
other information transmitted through telecommunication systems”. This could include
telephone and internet.
A broader telehealth definition brings into play the entire range of activities that support
the patient and the public in being healthy: prevention, promotion, diagnostics self-care
and treatment are all areas where physicians play an important role. It is this broader defi-
nition that the WMA endorses.
Telehealth/telemedicine helps eliminate distance barriers and improve equity of access to
services that otherwise often would not be available in remote, rural and increasingly ur-
ban communities. It is about transmitting voice, data, images, and information rather than
physically moving patients, health professionals and educators – thereby improving ac-
cess, timeliness and convenience and reducing travel costs. It also has the added benefit
that the patients more easily can become active participants in their own health and well-
being and are able to engage in educational programs aimed at fostering wellness from the
comfort, convenience and safety of their own homes. While this statement focuses mainly
on telehealth encounters between patients and health professionals, it should be noted that
another important aspect of telehealth is the use of tele-communication between health
professionals when providing health care.
The telemedicine/telehealth agenda will become an integral part of the larger eHealth
programs that most countries in the developed world are pursuing, as are many countries
in the developing world. More and more solutions are being introduced that provide the
ability to deliver care through an e-channel and therefore more physicians will have access
to this capability to provide care to their patients.
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New
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Telehealth
GUIDING
PRINCIPLES
Duty
of
Care
While the practice of telehealth challenges the conventional perception of the physician-
patient relationship, there is a “duty of care” established in all telehealth encounters be-
tween the physician and the patient as in any healthcare encounter.
The physician needs to give clear and explicit direction to the patient during the telehealth
encounter as to who has ongoing responsibility for any required follow-up and ongoing
health care. Physician supervision regarding protocols, conferencing and medical record
review is required in all settings and circumstances. Physicians should have the capability
to immediately contact nonphysician providers and technicians as well as patients.
The physician needs to clarify ongoing responsibility for the patient with any other health
care providers who are involved in the patient’s care.
The legal responsibility of health professionals providing health care through means of
telehealth must be clearly defined by the appropriate jurisdiction.
Communication
with
Patients
The physician will take steps to ensure that quality of communication during a telehealth
encounter is maximized. Any significant technical deficiencies should be noted in the
documentation of the consultation.
The physician providing telehealth services should be familiar with the technology.
The physician should be aware of and accommodate the limitations of video/audio in the
provision of telehealth health care services.
The physician should receive education/orientation in telehealth communication skills prior
to the initial telehealth encounter.
The physician needs to determine to the best of his or her ability each patient’s appropria-
teness for, and level of comfort with, telehealth prior to or at the encounter, while recog-
nizing that this will not be possible in all situations.
The physician, to the extent possible, should ensure that the patient receives sufficient
education/orientation to the telehealth process and communication issues prior to their ini-
tial telehealth encounter.
Standards
of
Practice/Quality
of
Clinical
Care
The physician must be satisfied that the standard of care delivered via telehealth is
“reasonable” and at least equivalent to any other type of care that can be delivered to the
patient/client, considering the specific context, location and timing, and relative avail-
ability of traditional care. If the “reasonable” standard cannot be satisfied via telehealth,
the physician should inform the patient and suggest an alternative type of health care
delivery/service.
The physician should use existing clinical practice guidelines, whenever possible, to guide
the delivery of care in the telehealth setting, recognizing that certain modifications may
need to be made to accommodate specific circumstances.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2009-‐04-‐2009
The physician should ensure that any modifications to clinical practice guidelines for the
telehealth setting are approved by the discipline's clinical governing body or association.
The physician providing telehealth services should follow all relevant protocols and pro-
cedures related to: informed consent (verbal, written, and recorded); privacy and confi-
dentiality; documentation; ownership of patient/client record; and appropriate video/tele-
phone behaviours.
The physician providing telehealth services ensures compliance with the relevant legisla-
tion and professional guidelines of the jurisdiction from which the services are provided as
well as the jurisdiction from which the service is administered.
The physician providing telehealth services should possess the following: required skills
expected in the professional's field of practice; competent communication skills; an under-
standing of the scope of service being provided via telehealth; orientation to and ability to
navigate the technology system and environment; an understanding of the telehealth
operational protocols and procedures; and an understanding of any limitations of the tech-
nology being used.
Clinical
Outcomes
Organizations providing telehealth programs should monitor and continuously strive to
improve the quality of services in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Organizations providing telehealth programs should have in place a systematic method of
collecting, evaluating and reporting meaningful health care outcome data and clinical ef-
fectiveness. Quality indicators should be identified and utilized.
Patient
Confidentiality
The confidentiality of patient information should be protected.
The health care organization and physician providing telehealth services should be aware
of, and ensure compliance with, relevant legislation and regulations designed to protect the
confidentiality of patient/client information and have its own confidentiality guidelines.
The health care organizations and the physician are encouraged to consult with legal
counsel and relevant professional licensing/regulatory bodies when determining confi-
dentiality policy.
Informed
Consent
Relevant legislation and regulations that relate to patient decision-making and consent
should be applied.
To the extent possible, informed consent shall be obtained by the physician before starting
any service or intervention. Where appropriate the patient’s consent should be noted in the
documentation of the consultation.
Consent for telehealth should follow similar principles and processes as those used for
other health services.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2010-‐01-‐2010
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION
AND
SOUND
MANAGEMENT
OF
CHEMICALS
Adopted by the 61st
WMA General Assembly, Vancouver, Canada, October 2010
PREAMBLE
This Statement focuses on one important aspect of environmental degradation, which is
environmental contamination by harmful domestic and industrial substances. It empha-
sizes the harmful chemical contribution to environmental degradation and physicians’ role
in promoting sound management of chemicals as part of sustainable development, es-
pecially in the healthcare environment.
Most chemicals to which humans are exposed come from industrial sources and include,
food additives, household consumer and cosmetic products, agrochemicals, and other sub-
stances (drugs; dietary supplements) used for therapeutic purposes. Recently, attention has
been concentrated on the effects of human engineered (or synthetic) chemicals on the
environment, including specific industrial or agrochemicals and on new patterns of distri-
bution of natural substances due to human activity. As the number of such compounds has
multiplied, governments and international organizations have begun to develop a more
comprehensive approach to their safe regulation.
While governments have the primary responsibility for establishing a framework to pro-
tect the public’s health from chemical hazards, the World Medical Association, on behalf
of its members, emphasizes the need to highlight the human health risks and make recom-
mendations for further action.
BACKGROUND
Chemicals
of
Concern
During the last half-century, the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers dominated agri-
cultural practice and manufacturing industries rapidly expanded their use of synthetic che-
micals in the production of consumer and industrial goods1
. The greatest concern relates to
chemicals, which persist in the environment, have low rates of degradation, bioaccumu-
late in human and animal tissue (concentrating as they move up the food chain), and which
have significant harmful impacts on human health and the environment (particularly at
low concentrations)2
. Some naturally occurring metals including lead, mercury, and cad-
mium have industrial sources and are also of concern. Advances in environmental health
research including environmental and human sampling and measuring techniques, and
better information about the potential of low dose human health effects have helped to
underscore emerging concerns.
Vancouver
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Environmental
Degradation
Health effects from chemical emissions can be direct (occurring as an immediate effect of
the emission) or indirect. Indirect health effects are caused by the emissions' effects on
water, air and food quality as well as the alterations in regional and global systems, such
as red tide in many oceans, and the ozone layer and the climate, to which the emissions
may contribute.
National
and
International
Actions
The model of regulation of chemicals varies widely both within and between countries,
from voluntary controls to statutory legislation. It is important that all countries move to a
coherent, standardized national legislated approach to regulatory control. Furthermore,
international regulations must be coherent such that developing countries will not be
forced by economic circumstances to circumvent potentially weak national regulations.
An example of a legislative framework can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/
chemicals/index.htm.
Synthetic chemicals include all substances that are produced by, or result from, human
activities including industrial and household chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals
contained in products and in wastes, prescription and over-the-counter drug products and
dietary supplements, and unintentionally produced byproducts of industrial processes or
incineration, like dioxins. Furthermore, nanomaterials, in some circumstances, can be re-
gulated by synthetic chemicals regulations but in other cases, may need explicit regulation.
Notable
International
Agreements
on
Chemicals
Several notable agreements on chemicals exist. These were prompted by the first United
Nations Conference on the Human Environment declaration in 1972 (Stockholm) on the
discharge of toxic substances into the environment3
. These agreements include the 1989
Basel Convention to control/prevent trans-boundary movements of hazardous wastes, the
1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the 1998 Rotterdam Convention
on informed consent and shipment of hazardous substances, and the 2001 Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants4 5 6.
It should be noted that little information
is available on the efficacy of the controls.
STRATEGIC
APPROACH
TO
INTERNATIONAL
CHEMICALS
MANAGEMENT
Worldwide hazardous environmental contamination persists despite these agreements,
making a more comprehensive approach to chemicals essential. Reasons for ongoing con-
tamination include persistence of companies, absolute lack of controls in some countries,
lack of awareness of the potential hazards, inability to apply the precautionary principle,
non-adherence to the various conventions and treaties and lack of political will. The Stra-
tegic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) was adopted in Dubai,
on February 6, 2006 by delegates from over 100 governments and representatives of civil
society. This is a voluntary global plan of action designed to assure the sound management
of chemicals throughout their life cycle so that, by 2020, chemicals are used and produced
in ways that minimize significant adverse effects on human health and the environment.
The SAICM addresses both agricultural and industrial chemicals, covers all stages of the
chemical life cycle of manufacture, use and disposal, and includes chemicals in products
and in wastes7
.
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World
Medical
Association
WORLD
MEDICAL
ASSOCIATION
(WMA)
RECOMMENDATIONS
Despite these national and international initiatives, chemical contamination of the environ-
ment due to inadequately controlled chemical production and usage continues to exert
harmful effects on global public health. Evidence linking some chemicals to some health
issues is strong, but there is not evidence for all chemicals, especially newer or nano ma-
terials, particularly at low doses over long periods of time. Physicians and the healthcare
sector are frequently required to make decisions concerning individual patient and the pu-
blic as a whole based on existing data. Physicians therefore caution that they, too, have a
significant role to play in closing the gap between policy formation and chemicals manage-
ment and in reducing risks to human health.
The
World
Medical
Association
Recommends
That:
ADVOCACY
• National Medical Associations (NMAs) advocate for legislation that reduces che-
mical pollution, reduces human exposure to chemicals, detects and monitors harm-
ful chemicals in both humans and the environment, and mitigates the health effects
of toxic exposures with special attention to vulnerability during pregnancy and
early childhood.
• NMAs urge their governments to support international efforts to restrict chemical
pollution through safe management, or phase out and safer substitution when un-
manageable (e.g. asbestos), with particular attention to developed countries aiding
developing countries to achieve a safe environment and good health for all.
• NMAs facilitate better communication between government ministries/depart-
ments responsible for the environment and public health.
• Physicians and their medical associations advocate for environmental protection,
disclosure of product constituents, sustainable development, and green chemistry
within their communities, countries and regions.
• Physicians and their medical associations should support the phase out of mercury
and persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals in health care devices and pro-
ducts.
• Physicians and their medical associations should support legislation to require an
environmental and health impact assessment prior to the introduction of a new
chemical or a new industrial facility.
• Physicians should encourage the publication of evidence of the effects of different
chemicals and dosages on human health and the environment. These publications
should be accessible internationally and readily available to media, non-govern-
mental organizations (NGOs) and concerned citizens locally.
• Physicians and their medical associations advocate for the development of effec-
tive and safe systems to collect and dispose of pharmaceuticals that are not con-
sumed.
• Physicians and their medical associations should support efforts to rehabilitate or
clean areas of environmental degradation based on a “polluter pays” and pre-
cautionary principles and ensure that moving forward, such principles are built into
legislation.
• The WMA, NMAs and physicians should urge governments to collaborate within
and between departments to ensure coherent regulations are developed.
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Environmental
Degradation
LEADERSHIP
The
WMA:
• Supports the goals of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Manage-
ment (SAICM), which promotes best practices in the handling of chemicals by
utilizing safer substitution, waste reduction, sustainable non-toxic building, recy-
cling, as well as safe and sustainable waste handling in the health care sector.
• Cautions that these chemical practices must be coordinated with efforts to reduce
green house gas emissions from health care to mitigate its contribution to global
warming.
• Urges physicians, medical associations and countries to work collaboratively to
develop systems for event alerts to ensure that health care systems and physicians
are aware of high-risk industrial accidents as they occur, and receive timely accu-
rate information regarding the management of these emergencies.
• Urges local, national and international organizations to focus on sustainable pro-
duction, safer substitution, green safe jobs, and consultation with the health care
community to ensure that damaging health impacts of development are anticipated
and minimized.
• Emphasizes the importance of the safe disposal of pharmaceuticals as one aspect of
health care’s responsibility and the need for collaborative work in developing best
practice models to reduce this part of the chemical waste problem.
• Encourages environmental classification of pharmaceuticals in order to stimulate
prescription of environmentally less harmful pharmaceuticals.
• Encourages ongoing outcomes research on the impact of regulations and moni-
toring of chemicals on human health and the environment.
The
WMA
recommends
that
Physicians;
• Work to reduce toxic medical waste and exposures within their professional set-
tings as part of the World Health Professional Alliance’s campaign for Positive
Practice Environments.
• Work to provide information on the health impacts associated with exposure to
toxic chemicals, how to reduce patient exposure to specific agents and encourage
behaviors that improve overall health.
• Inform patients about the importance of safe disposal of pharmaceuticals that are
not consumed.
• Work with others to help address the gaps in research regarding the environment
and health (i.e., patterns and burden of disease attributed to environmental degra-
dation; community and household impacts of industrial chemicals; the most vul-
nerable populations and protections for such populations).
PROFESSIONAL
EDUCATION
&
CAPACITY
BUILDING
The
WMA
recommends
that:
• Physicians and their professional associations assist in building professional and
public awareness of the importance of the environment and global chemical pol-
lutants on personal health.
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World
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Association
• National Medical Associations (NMAs) and physician professional associations
develop tools for physicians to help assess their patients’ risk from chemical ex-
posures.
• Physicians and their professional associations develop locally appropriate conti-
nuing medical education on the clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of diseases
that are introduced into communities as a result of chemical pollution and exacer-
bated by climate change.
• Environmental health and occupational medicine should become a core theme in
medical education. Medical schools should encourage in the training of sufficient
specialists in environmental health and occupational medicine.
1
Wiser G, Center for International Environmental Law, UNEP Forum, Sept. 2005
2
http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Introduction/tabid/258/language/en-US/Default.aspx
3
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=97&ArticleID=1503&l=en
4
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=78&ArticleID=1163
5
Wiser G, Center for International Environmental Law, UNEP Forum, Sept. 2005
6
http://chm.pops.int/Convention/tabid/54/language/en-US/Default.aspx
7
http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/SAICM%20texts/SAICM%20documents.htm
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WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
GLOBAL
BURDEN
OF
CHRONIC
DISEASE
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
INTRODUCTION
Chronic diseases, including cardiovascular and circulatory diseases, diabetes, cancer, and
chronic lung disease are the leading cause of death and disability in both the developed
and developing world. Chronic diseases are not replacing existing causes of disease and
disability (infectious disease and trauma), but are adding to the disease burden. Develop-
ing countries now face the triple burden of infectious disease, trauma and chronic disease.
This increased burden is straining the capacity of many countries to provide adequate
health care services. This burden is also undermining these nations' efforts to increase life
expectancy and spur economic growth.
Ongoing and anticipated global trends that will lead to more chronic disease problems in
the future include an aging population, urbanization and community planning, increasingly
sedentary lifestyles, climate change and the rapidly increasing cost of medical technology
to treat chronic disease. Chronic disease prevalence is closely linked to global social and
economic development, globalization and mass marketing of unhealthy foods and other
products. The prevalence and cost of addressing the chronic disease burden is expected to
rise in coming years.
POSSIBLE
SOLUTIONS
The primary solution is disease prevention. National policies that help people achieve
healthy lifestyles and behaviors are the foundation for all possible solutions.
Increased access to primary care combined with well designed and affordable disease -
control programs can greatly improve health care. Partnerships of national ministries of
health with institutions in developed countries may overcome many barriers in the poorest
settings. Effective partnerships currently exist in rural Malawi, Rwanda and Haiti. In these
settings where no oncologists are available, care is provided by local physicians and nurse
teams. These teams deliver chemotherapy to patients with a variety of treatable malig-
nancies.
Medical education systems should become more socially accountable. The World Health
Organization (WHO) defines social accountability of medical schools as the obligation to
direct their education, research and service activities towards addressing the priority health
concerns of the community, region, or nation they have a mandate to serve. The priority
health concerns are to be identified jointly by governments, health care organizations,
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Chronic
Disease
health professionals and the public. There is an urgent need to adopt accreditation stand-
ards and norms that support social accountability. Educating physicians and other health
care professionals to deliver health care that is concordant with the resources of the coun-
try must be a primary consideration. Led by primary care physicians, teams of physicians,
nurses and community health workers will provide care that is driven by the princi-ples of
quality, equity, relevance and effectiveness. [see WMA Resolution on Medical Work-
force]
Strengthening the health care infrastructure is important in caring for the increasing num-
bers of people with chronic disease. Components of this infrastructure include training the
primary health care team, improved facilities, chronic disease surveillance, public health
promotion campaigns, quality assurance and establishment of national and local standards
of care. One of the most important components of health care infrastructure is human re-
sources; well-trained and motivated health care professionals led by primary care physi-
cians are crucial to success. International aid and development programs need to move
from "vertical focus" on single diseases or objectives to a more sustainable and effective
primary care health infrastructure development.
For
World
Governments:
1. Support global immunization strategies;
2. Support global tobacco and alcohol control strategies;
3. Promote healthy living and implement policies that support prevention and healthy
lifestyle behaviors;
4. Set aside a fixed percentage of national budget for health infrastructure develop-
ment and promotion of healthy lifestyles.
5. Promote trade policy that protects public health;
6. Promote research for prevention and treatment of chronic disease;
7. Develop global strategies for the prevention of obesity.
For
National
Medical
Associations:
1. Work to create communities that promote healthy lifestyles and prevention beha-
viors and to increase physician awareness of optimal disease prevention behaviors;
2. Offer patients smoking cessation, weight control strategies, substance abuse coun-
seling, self-management education and support, and nutritional counseling;
3. Promote a team-based approach to chronic disease management;
4. Advocate for integration of chronic disease prevention and control strategies in
government-wide policies;
5. Invest in high quality training for more primary care physicians and an equitable
distribution of them among populations;
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6. Provide high quality accessible resources for continuing medical education;
7. Support establishing evidence-based standards of care for chronic disease;
8. Establish, support and strengthen professional associations for primary care physi-
cians
9. Promote medical education that is responsive to societal needs;
10. Promote an environment of support for continuity of care for chronic disease, in-
cluding patient education and self-management;
11. Advocate for policies and regulations to reduce factors that promote chronic dis-
ease such as smoking cessation and blood pressure control;
12. Support strong public health infrastructure; and
13. Support the concept that social determinants are part of prevention and health care.
For
Medical
Schools:
1. Develop curriculum objectives that meet societal needs; e.g., social accountability;
2. Focus on providing primary care training opportunities that highlight the integra-
tive and continuity elements of the primary care specialties including family medi-
cine;
3. Provide community-oriented and community-based primary care educational ve-
nues so that students become acquainted with the basic elements of chronic care
infrastructure and continuity care provision;
4. Create departments of family medicine that are of equal academic standing in the
university; and
5. Promote the use of interdisciplinary and other collaborative training methodologies
within primary and continuing education programs.
6. Include instruction in prevention of chronic diseases in the general curriculum.
For
Individual
Physicians:
1. Work to create communities that promote healthy lifestyles and prevention beha-
viors;
2. Offer patients smoking cessation, weight control strategies, substance abuse coun-
seling, self-management education and support, and nutritional counseling;
3. Promote a team-based approach to chronic disease management;
4. Ensure continuity of care for patients with chronic disease;
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Chronic
Disease
5. Model prevention behaviors to patients by maintaining personal health;
6. Become community advocates for positive social determinants of health and for
best prevention methods;
7. Work with parents and the community to ensure that the parents have the best
advice on maintaining the health of their children.
8. Physicians should collaborate with patients' associations in designing and deliver-
ing prevention education.
Note: Depending on the country, different stakeholders will assume greater or lesser responsibility
for change.
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WMA
RECOMMENDATION
ON
THE
DEVELOPMENT
OF
A
MONITORING
AND
REPORTING
MECHANISM
TO
PERMIT
AUDIT
OF
ADHERENCE
OF
STATES
TO
THE
DECLARATION
OF
TOKYO
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
The
WMA
recommends
that
1.
1. Where physicians are working in situations of dual loyalties, support must be
offered to ensure they are not put in positions that might lead to violations of
fundamental professional ethics, whether by active breaches of medical ethics or
omission of ethical conduct, and/or of human rights, as laid out in the Declaration
of Tokyo.
2. National Medical Associations (NMA's) should offer support for physicians in
difficult situations, including, as feasible and without endangering either patients
or doctors, helping individuals to report violations of patients' health rights and
physicians' professional ethics in custodial settings.
3. The WMA should review the evidence available, in cases brought to it by its mem-
bers, of the violation of human rights codes by states and/or the forcing of physi-
cians to violate the Declaration of Tokyo, and refer as appropriate such cases to the
relevant national and international authorities.
4. The WMA should contact member associations and encourage them to investigate
accusations of physician involvement in torture and similar abuses of human rights
reported to it from reputable sources, and to report back in particular on whether
physicians are at risk and in need of support. The WMA should provide support to
the NMAs and their members to resist such violations, and as far as realistically
possible, stand firm in their ethical convictions.
5. The WMA shall encourage and support NMAs in their calls for investigations by
the relevant special rapporteur (or other individual or organization) when NMAs
and their members raise valid concerns.
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World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
PROTECTION
AND
INTEGRITY
OF
MEDICAL
PERSONNEL
IN
ARMED
CONFLICTS
AND
OTHER
SITUATIONS
OF
VIOLENCE
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
PREAMBLE
During wars and armed conflicts hospitals and other medical facilities have often been
attacked and misused and patients and medical personnel have been killed or wounded.
Such attacks are a violation of the Geneva Conventions (1949), Additional Protocols to the
Geneva Conventions (1977) and WMA regulations in times of war (2006).
The World Medical Association (WMA) has been active in condemning documented at-
tacks on medical personnel and facilities in armed conflicts. The International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols shall protect
medical personnel in international and non-international armed conflicts. The warring
parties have duty not to interfere with medical care for wounded or sick combatants and
civilians, and not attack, threaten or impede medical functions. Physicians and other health
care personnel must be considered as neutral and must not be prevented from fulfilling
their duties.
The lack of systematic reporting and documentation of violence against medical personnel
and facilities creates threats to both civilians and military personnel. The development of
strategies for protection and efforts to improve compliance with the laws of war are im-
peded as long as such information is not available.
STATEMENT
The World Medical Association condemns all attacks on and misuse of medical personnel,
facilities and vehicles in armed conflicts. These attacks put people in need of help in great
danger and can lead to the flight of physicians and other health personnel from the conflict
areas with a lack of available medical personnel as a result.
Currently no party is responsible for collecting data regarding assaults on medical person-
nel and facilities. Data collection after attacks is vital to identify the reasons why medical
personnel and facilities are attacked. Such data are important in order to understand the
nature of the attacks and to take necessary steps to prevent attacks in the future. All attacks
must also be properly investigated and those responsible for the violations of the Geneva
Conventions and Protocols must be brought to justice.
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Protection
and
Integrity
of
Medical
Personnel
The WMA requests that appropriate international bodies establish mechanisms with the
necessary resources to collect and disseminate data regarding assaults on physicians, other
health care personnel and medical facilities in armed conflicts. Such mechanisms could in-
clude the establishment of a new United Nations post of Rapporteur on the independence
and integrity of health professionals. As stated in the WMA proposal for a United Nations
Rapporteur on the Independence and Integrity of Health Professionals (1997), "The new
rapporteur would be charged with the task of monitoring that doctors are allowed to move
freely and that patients have access to medical treatment, without discrimination as to na-
tionality or ethnic origin, in war zones or in situations of political tension".
When a reporting system is established the WMA will recommend to their member or-
ganisations reporting armed conflicts which they become aware of.
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World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS
OF
HEALTH
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
The social determinants of health are: the conditions in which people are born, grow, live,
work and age; and the societal influences on these conditions. The social determinants of
health are major influences on both quality of life, including good health, and length of
disability-free life expectancy. While health care will attempt to pick up the pieces and
repair the damage caused by premature ill health, it is these social, cultural, environ-
mental, economic and other factors that are the major causes of rates of illness and, in
particular, the magnitude of health inequalities.
Historically, the primary role of doctors and other health care professionals has been to
treat the sick - a vital and much cherished role in all societies. To a lesser extent, health
care professionals have dealt with individual exposures to the causes of disease - smoking,
obesity, and alcohol in chronic disease, for example. These familiar aspects of life style
can be thought of as ‘proximate' causes of disease.
The work on social determinants goes far beyond this focus on proximate causes and
considers the "causes of the causes". For example, smoking, obesity, alcohol, sedentary
life style are all causes of illness. A social determinants approach addresses the causes of
these causes; and in particular how they contribute to social inequalities in health. It
focuses not only on individual behaviours but seeks to address the social and economic
circumstances that give rise to premature ill health, throughout the life course: early child
development, education, work and living conditions, and the structural causes that give
rise to these living and working conditions. In many societies, unhealthy behaviours fol-
low the social gradient: the lower people are in the socioeconomic hierarchy, the more
they smoke, the worse their diet, and the less physical activity they engage in. A major,
but not the only, cause of the social distribution of these causes is level of education. Other
specific examples of addressing the causes of the causes: price and availability, which are
key drivers of alcohol consumption; taxation, package labeling, bans on advertising, and
smoking in public places, which have had demonstrable effects on tobacco consumption.
The voice of the medical profession has been most important in these examples of tackling
the causes of the causes.
There is a growing movement, globally, that seeks to address gross inequalities in health
and length of life through action on the social determinants of health. This movement has
involved the World Health Organisation, several national governments, civil society organi-
zation, and academics. Solutions are being sought and learning shared. Doctors should be
well informed participants in this debate. There is much that can happen within the prac-
tice of medicine that can contribute directly and through working with other sectors. The
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Social
Determinants
of
Health
medical profession can be advocates for action on those social conditions that have im-
portant effects on health.
The WMA could add significant value to the global efforts to address these social deter-
minants by helping doctors, other health professionals and National Medical Associations
understand what the emerging evidence shows and what works, in different circumstances.
It could help doctors to lobby more effectively within their countries and across interna-
tional borders, and ensure that medical knowledge and skills are shared.
The WMA should help to gather data of examples that are working, and help to engage
doctors and other health professionals in trying new and innovative solutions. It should
work with national associations to educate and inform their members and put pressure on
national governments to take the appropriate steps to try to minimise these root causes of
premature ill health. In Britain, for example, the national government has issued a public
health white paper that has at its heart reduction of health inequalities through action on
the social determinants of health; several local areas have drawn up plans of action; there
are good examples of general practice that work across sectors improve the quality of
people's lives and hence reduce health inequalities. The WMA should gather examples of
good practice from its members and promote further work in this area.
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World
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WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
PROFESSIONAL
AND
ETHICAL
USE
OF
SOCIAL
MEDIA
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Urugay, October 2011
DEFINITION
Social Media is generally understood to be a collective term for the different platforms and
applications that allow user-generated content to be created and shared electronically.
PREAMBLE
The objectives of the proposed policy are to:
• Examine the professional and ethical challenges related to the increasing usage of
social media by physicians, medical students and patients.
• Establish a framework that protects their respective interests.
• Ensure trust and reputation by maintaining high professional and ethical standards.
The use of social media has become a fact of life for many millions of people world wide
including physicians, medical students and patients.
Interactive, collaborative tools such as wikis, social networks, chat rooms and blogs have
transformed passive Internet users into active participants. They are means for gathering,
sharing and disseminating personal information, including health information, socializing
and connecting with friends, relatives, professionals etc. They can be used to seek medical
advice, and patients with chronic diseases can share their experiences with each other.
They can also been used in research, public health, education and direct or indirect pro-
fessional promotion.
The positive aspects of social media should be recognized such as in promoting healthy
life style, in empowering patients and in reducing patients' isolation.
Areas, which may require special attention:
• Sensitive content, photographs, other personal materials posted on online social
forums often exists in the public domain and have the capacity to remain on the
internet permanently. Individuals may not have control over the ultimate distribu-
tion of material they post on-line.
• Patient portal, blogs and tweets are not a substitute for one on one consultation
with physicians but may widen engagement with health services amongst certain
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Social
Media
groups. Online "friendships" with patients may also alter the patient-physician
relationship, and may result in unnecessary, possibly problematic physician and
patient self-disclosure.
• Each party's privacy may be compromised in the absence of adequate and con-
servative privacy settings or by their inappropriate use. Privacy settings are not
absolute; social media sites may change default privacy settings unilaterally, without
the user's knowledge. Social media sites may also make communications available
to third parties.
•
Interested stakeholders such as current/prospective employers, insurance companies and
commercial entities may monitor these Internet web sites for various purposes such as to
better understand their customer's needs and expectations, to profile job candidates or to
improve a product or a service.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA urges their NMA´s to establish guidelines for their physicians addressing the
following issues:
1.
1. To maintain appropriate boundaries of the patient-physician relationship in accor-
dance with professional ethical guidelines just as they would in any other context.
2. To study carefully and understand the privacy provisions of social networking
sites, bearing in mind their limitations.
3. For physicians to routinely monitor their own Internet presence to ensure that the
personal and professional information on their own sites and, to the extent possi-
ble, content posted about them by others is accurate and appropriate.
4. To consider the intended audience and assess whether it is technically feasible to
restrict access to the content to pre-defined individuals or groups.
5. To adopt a conservative approach when disclosing personal information as patients
can access the profile. The professional boundaries that should exist between the
physician and the patient can thereby be blurred. Physicians should acknowledge
the potential associated risks of social media and accept them, and carefully select
the recipients and privacy settings.
6. To provide factual and concise information, declare any conflicts of interest and
adopt a sober tone when discussing professional matters.
7. To ensure that no identifiable patient information be posted in any social media by
their physician. Breaching confidentiality undermines the public's trust in the medi-
cal profession, impairing the ability to treat patients effectively.
8. To draw the attention of medical students and physicians to the fact that online
posting may contribute also to the public perception of the profession.
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9. To consider the inclusion of educational programs with relevant case studies and
appropriate guidelines in medical curricula and continuing medical education.
10. To bring their concerns to a colleague when observing his or her clearly inappro-
priate behavior. If the behaviour significantly violates professional norms and the
individual does not take appropriate action to resolve the situation, physicians should
report the conduct to appropriate authorities.
•
Handbook
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World
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Association
⏐
S-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ELECTRONIC
CIGARETTES
AND
OTHER
ELECTRONIC
NICOTINE
DELIVERY
SYSTEMS
Adopted by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
INTRODUCTION
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are products designed to deliver nicotine to a user in the
form of a vapor. They are usually composed of a rechargeable battery-operated heating
element, a replaceable cartridge that contains nicotine and/or other chemicals, and an
atomizer that, when heated, turns the contents of the cartridge into a vapor (not smoke).
This vapor is then inhaled by the user. These products are often made to look like other
tobacco-derived products like cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. They can also be made to look
like everyday items such as pens and USB memory sticks.
No standard definition of e-cigarettes exists and different manufacturers use different
designs and different ingredients. Quality control processes used to manufacture these
products are substandard or non-existent. Few studies have been done to analyze the level
of nicotine delivered to the user and the composition of the vapor produced.
Manufacturers and marketers of e-cigarettes often claim that use of their products is a safe
alternative to smoking, particularly since they do not produce carcinogenic smoke.
However, no studies have been conducted to determine that the vapor is not carcinogenic,
and there are other potential risks associated with these devices: Appeal to children,
especially when flavors like strawberry or chocolate are added to the cartridges. E-
cigarettes can increase nicotine addiction among young people and their use may lead to
experimenting with other tobacco products.
Manufacturers and distributors mislead people into believing these devices are acceptable
alternatives to scientifically proven cessation techniques, thus delaying actual smoking
cessation. E-cigarettes are not comparable to scientifically-proven methods of smoking
cessation. Their dosage, manufacture, and ingredients are not consistent or clearly la-
belled. Brand stretching by using known cigarette logos is to be deplored.
Unknown amounts of nicotine are delivered to the user, and the level of absorption is
unclear, leading to potentially toxic levels of nicotine in the system. These products may
also contain other ingredients toxic to humans.
High potential of toxic exposure to nicotine by children, either by ingestion or dermal
absorption, because the nicotine cartridges and refill liquid are readily available over the
Internet and are not sold in child resistant packaging.
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Due to the lack of rigorous chemical and animal studies, as well as clinical trials on com-
mercially available e-cigarettes, neither their value as therapeutic aids for smoking ces-
sation nor their safety as cigarette replacements is established. Lack of product testing
does not permit the conclusion that e-cigarettes do not produce any harmful products even
if they produce fewer dangerous substances than conventional cigarettes.
Clinical testing, large population studies and full analyses of e-cigarette ingredients and
manufacturing processes need to be conducted before their safety, viability and impacts
can be determined as either clinical tools or as widely available effective alternatives to
tobacco use.
RECOMMENDATIONS
That the manufacture and sale of e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery sys-
tems be subject to national regulatory bodies prior approval based on testing and research
as either a new form of tobacco product or as a drug delivery device.
That the marketing of e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems as a valid
method for smoking cessation must be based on evidence and must be approved by ap-
propriate regulatory bodies based on safety and efficacy data.
That e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems be included in smoke free
laws.
Physicians should inform their patients of the risks of using e-cigarettes even if regulatory
authorities have not taken a position on the efficacy and safety of these products.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
ETHICAL
IMPLICATIONS
OF
COLLECTIVE
ACTION
BY
PHYSICIANS
Adopted by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
PREAMBLE
In recent years, in countries where physicians' satisfaction with their working conditions
has decreased, collective action by physicians has become increasingly common.
Physicians may carry out protest action and sanctions in order to improve direct and
indirect working conditions that also may affect patient care. Physicians must consider not
only their duty to individual patients, but also their responsibility to improve the system
such that it meets the requirements of accessibility and quality.
In addition to their professional obligations, physicians are often also employees. There
may be tension between physicians' duty not to cause harm, and their rights as employees.
Therefore, physicians' strikes or other forms of collective action often give rise to public
debate on ethical and moral issues. This statement attempts to address these issues.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The World Medical Association recommends that National Medical Associations (NMAs)
adopt the following guidelines for physicians with regard to collective action:
Physicians who take part in collective action are not exempt from their ethical or pro-
fessional obligations to patients.
Even when the action taken is not organized by or associated with the National Medical
Association, the NMA should ensure that the individual physician is aware of and abides
by his or her ethical obligations.
Whenever possible, physicians should press for reforms through non-violent public de-
monstrations, lobbying and publicity or informational campaigns or negotiation or media-
tion.
If involved in collective action, NMAs should act to minimize the harm to the public and
ensure that essential and emergency health services, and the continuity of care, are pro-
vided throughout a strike. Further, NMAs should advocate for measures to review excep-
tional cases.If involved in collective action, NMAs should provide continuous and up-to-
date information to their patients and the general public with regard to the demands of the
conflict and the actions being undertaken. The general public must be kept informed in a
timely manner about any strike actions and the restrictions they may have on health care.
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of
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World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
FORCED
AND
COERCED
STERILISATION
Adopted by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
The WMA recognises that no person, regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic
status, medical condition or disability, should be subjected to forced or coerced permanent
sterilisation.
A full range of contraceptive services, including sterilisation, should be accessible and
affordable to every individual. The state may have a role to play in ensuring that such ser-
vices are available, along with private, charitable and third sector organisations. The
decision to undergo contraception, including sterilisation, must be the sole decision of the
individual concerned.
As with all other medical treatments, sterilisation should only be performed on a com-
petent patient after an informed choice has been made and the free and valid consent of the
individual has been obtained. Where a patient is incompetent, a valid decision about treat-
ment must be made in accordance with relevant legal requirements and the ethical
standards of the WMA before the procedure is carried out. Sterilization of those unable to
give consent would be extremely rare and done only with the consent of the surrogate
decision maker.
Such consent should be obtained when the patient is not facing a medical emergency, or
other major stressor.
The WMA condemns practices where a state or any other actor attempts to bypass ethical
requirements necessary for obtaining free and valid consent.
Consent to sterilisation should be free from material or social incentives which might
distort freedom of choice and should not be a condition of other medical care (including
safe abortion), social, insurance, institutional or other benefits.
The WMA calls on national medical associations to advocate against forced and coerced
sterilisation in their own countries and globally.
Handbook
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World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2012-‐04-‐2012
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
ORGAN
AND
TISSUE
DONATION
Adopted by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
PREAMBLE
Advances in medical sciences, especially surgical techniques, tissue typing and immuno-
suppressive drugs, have made possible a significant increase in the rates of successful
transplantation of human organs and tissue. Yet, in all countries, a shortage of organ donors
results in potentially avoidable loss of life. National medical associations should support
attempts to maximise the number of donor organs available in their countries and to ensure
that the highest ethical standards are maintained. The World Medical Association has
developed this policy to assist medical associations, physicians, other health care pro-
viders and policy makers to achieve this.
• This policy is based on a number of core principles: altruism, autonomy, benefi-
cence, equity and justice. These principles should guide those developing local
policies and those operating within it, both in relation to organ procurement and to
the distribution and transplantation of donor organs. All systems and processes
should be transparent and open to scrutiny.
• This statement applies to organ and tissue donation from both deceased and living
donors. It does not apply to blood donation.
RAISING
PUBLIC
AWARENESS
It is important that individuals are aware of the option of donation and have the oppor-
tunity to choose whether or not to donate organs and/or tissue after their death. Awareness
and choice should be facilitated in a coordinated multi-faceted approach by a variety of
stakeholders and means, including media awareness and public campaigns. In designing
such campaigns account needs to be taken of any religious or cultural sensitivities of the
target audience.
Through awareness raising campaigns, individuals should be informed of the benefits of
transplantation, the impact on the lives of those who are waiting for a transplant and the
shortage of donors available. They should be encouraged to think about their own wishes
about donation, to discuss their wishes with their family and friends and to use established
mechanisms to formally record them by opting into, or out of, donation.
The WMA advocates informed donor choice. National medical associations in countries
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Organ
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Donation
that have adopted or are considering a policy of "presumed consent" (or opt-out), in which
there is an assumption that the individual wishes to donate unless there is evidence to the
contrary, or "mandated choice", in which all persons would be required to declare whether
they wish to donate, should make every effort to ensure that these policies have been
adequately publicised and do not diminish informed donor choice, including the patient's
right not to donate.
Consideration should be given to the establishment of national donor registries to collect
and maintain a list of citizens who have chosen either to donate or not to donate their
organs and/or tissue. Any such registry must protect individual privacy and the indi-
vidual's ability to control the collection, use, disclosure of, and access to, his or her health
information for other purposes. Provisions must be in place to ensure that the decision to
sign up to a register is adequately informed and that registrants can withdraw from the
registry easily and quickly and without prejudice.
Living organ donation is becoming an increasingly important component of transplanta-
tion programmes in many countries. Most living donation is between related or emo-
tionally close individuals but small but increasing numbers are donating to people they do
not know. Given that there are health risks associated with living organ donation, proper
controls and safeguards are essential. Information aimed at informing people about the
possibility of donating organs as a living donor should be carefully designed so as not to
put pressure on them to donate. Potential donors should know where to obtain detailed
information about what is involved, should be informed of the inherent risks and should
know that there are safeguard in place to protect those offering to donate.
PROTOCOLS
FOR
ORGAN
AND
TISSUE
DONATION
FROM
DECEASED
DONORS
The WMA encourages its members to support the development of comprehensive, coordi-
nated national protocols for deceased (also referred to as cadaveric) organ and tissue
procurement in consultation and cooperation with all relevant stakeholders. Ethical, cul-
tural and societal issues arising in connection with donation and transplantation should be
resolved, wherever possible, in an open process involving public debate informed by
sound evidence.
National and local protocols should provide detailed information about the identification,
referral and management of potential donors as well as communication with those close to
people who have died. They should encourage the procurement of organs and tissues con-
sistent with this statement. Protocols should uphold the following key principles:
• Decisions to withhold or withdraw life-prolonging treatment should be based on an
assessment of whether the treatment is able to benefit the patient. Such decisions
must be, and must be seen to be, completely separate from any decisions about do-
nation
• The diagnosis of death should be made according to national guidelines and as
outlined in the WMA's Declaration of Sydney on the Determination of Death and
Recovery of Organs.
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• There should be a clear separation between the treating team and the transplant
team. In particular, the physician who declares or certifies the death of a potential
donor should not be involved in the transplantation procedure. Nor should he/she be
responsible for the care of the organ recipient.
• Countries that carry out donation following circulatory death should have specific
and detailed protocols for this practice.
• Where an individual has expressed a clear and voluntary wish to donate organs and/
or tissue after death, steps should be taken to facilitate that wish wherever possi-
ble. This is part of the treating team's responsibility to the dying patient.
• The WMA considers that the potential donor's wishes are paramount. Relatives and
those close to the patient should be strongly encouraged to support a deceased per-
son's previously expressed wish to donate organs and/or tissues.
• Those charged with approaching the patient, family members or other designated
decision maker about organ and tissue donation should possess the appropriate com-
bination of knowledge, skill and sensitivity for engaging in such discussions. Medi-
cal students and practising physicians should seek the necessary training for this
task, and the appropriate authorities should provide the resources necessary to secure
that training.
• Donation should be unconditional. In exceptional cases, requests by potential do-
nors, or their substitute decision makers, for the organ or tissue to be given to a
particular recipient may be considered if permitted by national law. Donors seeking
to apply conditions that could be seen as discriminatory against certain groups, how-
ever, should be declined.
Hospitals and other institutions where donation occurs should ensure that donation pro-
tocols are publicised amongst those likely to use them and that adequate resources are
available for their implementation. They should also foster a pro-donation culture within
the institution in which consideration of donation is the norm, rather than the exception,
when a patient dies.
The role of transplant coordination is critical to organ donation. Those performing coordi-
nation act as the key point of contact between the bereaved family and the donation team
and usually also undertake the complex logistical arrangements to make donation happen.
Their role should be recognised and supported.
Deceased organ donation must be based on the notion of a gift, freely and voluntarily
given. It should involve the voluntary and unpressured consent of the individual provided
before death (by opting in or opting out of donation depending upon the jurisdiction) or
the voluntary authorisation of those close to the deceased patient if that person's wishes
are unknown. The WMA is strongly opposed to the commercialisation of donation and
transplantation.
Prospective donors or their substitute health care decision makers1
should have access to
accurate and relevant information, including through their general practitioners. Normally,
this will include information about:
• the procedures and definitions involved in the determination of death,
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• the testing that is undertaken to determine the suitability of the organs and/or tissue
for transplantation and that this may reveal previously unsuspected health risks in
prospective donors and their families,
• measures that may be required to preserve organ function until death is determined
and transplantation can occur,
• what will happen to the body once death has been declared,
• what organs and tissues can be donated,
• the protocol that will be followed in the event that the family objects to donation,
and
• the possibility of withdrawing consent.
Prospective donors or their substitute health care decision makers should be given the
opportunity to ask questions about donation and should have their questions answered
sensitively and intelligibly.
Where both organs and tissues are to be donated, information should be provided, and
consent obtained, for both together in order to minimise distress and disruption to those
close to the deceased.
In some parts of the world a contribution towards funeral costs is given to the family of
those who donate. This can be viewed either as appropriate recognition of their altruistic
act or as a payment that compromises the voluntariness of the choice and the altruistic basis
for donation. The interpretation may depend, in part, on the way it is set up and managed.
When considering the introduction of such a system, care needs to be taken to ensure that
the core principles of altruism, autonomy, beneficence, equity and justice are met.
Free and informed decision making requires not only the provision of information but also
the absence of coercion. Any concerns about pressure or coercion should be resolved
before the decision to donate organs or tissue is made.
Prisoners and other people who are effectively detained in institutions should be eligible to
donate after death only in exceptional circumstances where:
• there is evidence that this represents their long-standing and considered wish and
safeguards are in place to confirm this; and
• their death is from natural causes; and
• the organs are donated to a first or second degree relative either directly or through a
properly regulated pool.
In jurisdictions where the death penalty is practised, executed prisoners must not be con-
sidered as organ and/or tissue donors. While there may be individual cases where pri-
soners are acting voluntarily and free from pressure, it is impossible to put in place ade-
quate safeguards to protect against coercion in all cases.
Handbook
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Policies
World
Medical
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⏐
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ALLOCATION
OF
ORGANS
FROM
DECEASED
DONORS
The WMA considers there should be explicit policies, open to public scrutiny, governing
all aspects of organ and tissue donation and transplantation, including the management of
waiting lists for organs to ensure fair and appropriate access.
Policies governing the management of waiting lists should ensure efficiency and fairness.
Criteria that should be considered in allocating organs or tissue include:
• severity and urgency of medical need
• length of time on the waiting list
• medical probability of success measured by such factors as age, type of disease,
likely improvements in quality of life, other complications, and histocompatibility.
There should be no discrimination based on social status, lifestyle or behaviour. Non-
medical criteria should not be considered.
Living donation is becoming increasingly common as a way to overcome the shortage of
organs from deceased donors. In most cases donors provide organs to relatives or people
to whom they are emotionally close. A small number of individuals choose to donate an
organ altruistically to a stranger. Another scenario is where one or more donor and re-
cipient pairs are incompatible with each other but donate in the form of a cross-over or
pooled donation system (for example, donor A donates to recipient B, donor B donates to
recipient C and donor C donates to recipient A).
All potential donors should be given accurate and up to date information about the pro-
cedure and the risks of donation and have the opportunity to discuss the issue privately
with a member of the healthcare team or a counsellor. Normally this information will
include:
• the risks of becoming a living donor,
• the tests that are undertaken to assess suitability for donation and that this may
reveal previously unsuspected health problems,
• what will happen before, during and after donation takes place, and
• in the case of solid organs, the long-term implications of living without the donated
organ.
Prospective donors should be given the opportunity to ask questions about donation and
should have their questions answered sensitively and intelligibly.
Procedures should be in place to ensure that living donors are acting voluntarily and free
from pressure or coercion. In order to avoid donors being paid and then posing as a known
donor, independent checks should also be undertaken to verify the claimed relationship
and, where this cannot be proven, the donation should not proceed. Such checks should be
independent of the transplant team and those who are caring for the potential recipient.
Additional safeguards should be in place for vulnerable donors, including but not only,
people who are dependent in some way (such as competent minors donating to a parent or
sibling).
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Donation
Prisoners should be eligible to be living donors only in exceptional circumstances, to first
or second degree family members; evidence should be provided of any claimed rela-
tionship before the donation may proceed. Where prisoners are to be considered as living
donors, extra safeguards are required to ensure they are acting voluntarily and are not
subject to coercion.
Those who lack the capacity to consent should not be considered as living organ donors
because of their inability to understand and decide voluntarily. Exceptions may be made in
very limited circumstances, following legal and ethical review.
Donors should not lose out financially as a result of their donation and so should be
reimbursed for general and medical expenses and any loss of earnings incurred.
In some parts of the world individuals are paid for donating a kidney, although in virtually
all countries the sale of organs is unlawful. The WMA is opposed to a market in organs.
Protocols for free and informed decision making should be followed in the case of re-
cipients of organs or tissue. Normally, this will include providing information about:
• the risks of the procedure,
• the likely short, medium and long-term survival, morbidity, and quality-of-life
prospects,
• alternatives to transplantation, and
• how organs and tissues are obtained.
Organs or tissue suspected to have been obtained through unlawful means must not be
accepted for transplantation
Organs and tissues must not be sold for profit. In calculating the cost of transplantation,
charges related to the organ or tissue itself should be restricted to those costs directly
associated with its retrieval, storage, allocation and transplantation.
Transplant surgeons should seek to ensure that the organs and tissues they transplant have
been obtained in accordance with the provisions of this policy and should refrain from
transplanting organs and tissues that they know, or suspect, have not been procured in a
legal and ethical manner.
In the case of a delayed diagnosis for infection, disease or malignancy in the donor, there
should be a strong presumption that the recipient will be informed of any risk to which
they may have been exposed. Individual decisions about disclosure need to take account of
the particular circumstances, including the level and severity of risk. In most cases dis-
closure will be appropriate and should be managed carefully and sensitively.
FUTURE
OPTIONS
Public health measures to reduce the demand for donated organs should be seen as a
priority, alongside moves to increase the effectiveness and success of organ donation
systems.
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New developments and possibilities, such as xenotransplantation and the use of stem cell
technology to repair damaged organs, should be monitored. Before their introduction into
clinical practice such technologies should be subject to scientific review and robust safety
checks as well as ethical review. Where, as with xenotransplantation, there are potential
risks that go beyond individual recipients, this process should also involve public debate.
1
The term "substitute health care decision maker" is intended to refer to any person properly
designated to make health care related decisions on behalf of the patient.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
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⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
PRIORITISATION
OF
IMMUNISATION
Adopted by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
PREAMBLE
Vaccination use to prevent against disease was first done successfully by Jenner in 1796
when he used cowpox material for vaccination against smallpox. Since then, vaccination
and immunisation have been acknowledged as an effective preventive strategy for several
communicable diseases and are now being developed for the control of some non-
communicable diseases.
Vaccine development and administration are some of the most significant interventions to
influence global health in modern times. It is estimated that immunisation currently pre-
vents approximately 2.5 million deaths every year, saving lives from diseases such as
diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis) and measles. Approximately 109 million
children under the age of one are fully vaccinated with the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis
(DTP3) vaccine alone.
Mostly the ultimate goal of immunisation is the total eradication of a communicable
disease. This was achieved for smallpox in 1980 and there is a realistic goal for the eradi-
cation of polio within the next few years.
The Global Immunisation Vision Strategy (GIVS) 2006-2015 was developed by the WHO
and UNICEF in the hope of reaching target populations who currently do not have im-
munisation services or who do not have an adequate level of coverage.
The four strategies promoted in this vision are:
• Protecting more people in a changing world
• Introducing new vaccines and technologies
• Integrating immunisation, other linked health interventions and
• Surveillance in the health systems context
• Immunizing in the context of global interdependence1
Vaccine research is constantly revealing new possibilities to protect populations from
serious health threats. Additionally, new strains of diseases emerge requiring the adapta-
tion of vaccines in order to offer protection.
The process of immunisation requires an environment that is resourced with appropriate
materials and health workers to ensure the safe and effective administration of vaccines.
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Prioritisation
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Immunisation
Administration of vaccines often requires injections, and safety procedures for injections
must always be followed.
Immunisation schedules can vary according to the type of vaccine, with some requiring
multiple administrations to be effective. It is vitally important that the full schedule is
followed otherwise the effectiveness of the vaccine may be compromised.
The benefits of immunisation have had a profound effect on populations, not only in terms
of preventing ill health but also in permitting resources previously required to treat the
diseases to be redirected to other health priorities. Healthier populations are economically
beneficial and can contribute more to society.
Reducing child mortality is the fourth of the United Nation's Millennium Development
Goals, with immunisation of children having a significant impact on mortality rates on
children aged under five. According to the WHO, there are still more than 19 million
children who have not received the DTP3 vaccine. In addition, basic health care services
for maternal health with qualified health care personnel must be established.
Immunisation of adults for diseases such as influenza and pneumococcal infections has
been shown to be effective, not only in decreasing the number of cases amongst those that
have received immunisation but also in decreasing the disease burden in society.
The medical profession denounce any claims that are unfounded and inaccurate with res-
pect to the possible dangers of vaccine administration. Claims such as these have resulted
in diminished immunisation rates in some countries. The result is that the incidences of the
diseases to be prevented have increased with serious consequences for a number of
persons.
Countries differ in immunisation priorities, with the prevalence and risk of diseases
varying among populations. Not all countries have the same coverage rates, nor do they
have the resources to acquire, coordinate, distribute or effectively administer vaccines to
their populations, often relying on non-governmental organizations to support immuni-
sation programmes. These organizations in turn often rely on external funding that may
not be secure. In times of global financial crisis, funding for such programmes is under
considerable pressure.
The risk of health complications from vaccine-preventable diseases is greatest in those
who experience barriers in accessing immunisation services. These barriers could be cost,
location, lack of awareness of immunisation services and their health benefits or other
limiting factors.
Those with chronic diseases, underlying health issues or other risk factors such as age are
at particular risk of major complications due to vaccine-preventable diseases and therefore
should be targeted to ensure adequate immunisation.
Supply chains can be difficult to secure, particularly in countries that lack coordination or
support of their immunisation programmes. Securing the appropriate resources, such as
qualified health professionals, equipment and administrative support can present signifi-
cant challenges.
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Data collection on vaccine administration rates, side effects of vaccines and disease sur-
veillance can often be difficult to achieve, particularly in isolated and under-resourced
areas. Nevertheless, reporting incidents and monitoring disease spread are vital tools in
combating global health threats.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA supports the recommendations of the Global Immunisation Vision Strategy
(GIVS) 2006-2015, and calls on the international community to:
• Encourage governments to commit resources to immunisation programmes targeted
to meet country specific needs.
• Recognise the importance of vaccination/immunisation through the continued sup-
port and adoption of measures to achieve global vaccination targets and to meet the
Millennium Development Goals, especially four (reduce child mortality), five (im-
prove maternal health) and six (combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases).
• Recognise the global responsibility of immunisation against preventable diseases
and support work in countries that have difficulties in meeting the 2012 targets in
the Global Polio Eradication Initiative2
.
• Support national governments with vulnerable populations at risk of vaccine-pre-
ventable diseases, and the local agencies that work to deliver immunisation services
and to work with them to alleviate retrictions in accessing services.
• Support vaccine research and development and ensure commitment through the ade-
quate funding of vital vaccine research.
• Promote vaccination and the benefits of immunisation, particularly targeting those
at-risk and those who are difficult to reach. Comply with monitoring activities
undertaken by WHO and other health authorities. Promote high standards in the
research, development and administration of vaccines to ensure patient safety. Vac-
cines need to be thoroughly tested before implemented on a large scale and subse-
quently monitored in order to identify possible complications and untoward side
effects. In order to be successful, immunisation programmes need public trust which
depends on safety.
In delivering vaccination programmes, the WMA recommends that:
• The full immunisation schedule is delivered to provide optimum coverage. Where
possible, the schedule should be managed and monitored by suitably trained indi-
viduals to ensure consistent delivery and prompt appropriate management of adverse
reactions to vaccines.
• Strategies are employed to reach populations that may be isolated because of loca-
tion, race, religion, economic status, social marginalization, gender and/or age.
• Ensure that qualified health professionals receive comprehensive training to safely
deliver vaccinations and immunisations, and that vaccination/immunisations are tar-
geted to those whose need is greatest.
• Educate people on the benefits of immunisation and how to access immunisation
services.
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• Maintain accurate medical records to ensure that valid data on vaccine admin-
istration and coverage rates are available, enabling immunisation policies to be
based upon sound and reliable evidence.
• Healthcare professionals should be seen as a priority population for the receipt of
immunisation services due to their exposure to patients and to diseases.
The WMA calls upon its members to advocate the following:
• To increase awareness of national immunisation schedules and of their own (and
their dependents) personal immunisation history.
• To work with national and local governments to ensure that immunisation pro-
grammes are resourced and implemented.
• To ensure that health personnel delivering vaccines and immunisation services re-
ceive proper education and training.
• To promote the evidence base and increase awareness about the benefits of im-
munisation amongst physicians and the public.
1
World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund. Global Immunisation Vision and
Strategy, 2006-2015. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization and United Nations Child-
ren's Fund; 2005. Available at: http://www.who.int/immunisation/givs/related_docs/en/index.html
2
World Health Organization. Global Polio Eradication Initiative: Strategic Plan 2010-2012.
Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2010. Available at:
http://www.polioeradication.org/Portals/0/Document/StrategicPlan/StratPlan2010_2012_ENG.pdf
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World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
VIOLENCE
IN
THE
HEALTH
SECTOR
BY
PATIENTS
AND
THOSE
CLOSE
TO
THEM
Adopted by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
PREAMBLE
All persons have the right to work in a safe environment without the threat of violence.
Workplace violence includes both physical and non-physical (psychological) violence.
Given that non-physical abuse, such as harassment and threats, can have severe psy-
chological consequences, a broad definition of workplace violence should be used. For
the purposes of this statement we will use the widely accepted definition of workplace
violence, as used by the WHO: "The intentional use of power, threatened or actual, against
another person or against a group, in work-related circumstances, that either results in or
has a high degree of likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-
development, or deprivation".
Violence, apart from the numerous health effects it can have on its victims, also has
potentially destructive social effects. Violence against health workers, including physi-
cians, not only affects the individuals directly involved, but also impacts the entire health-
care system and its delivery. Such acts of violence affect the quality of the working
environment, which has the potential to detrimentally impact the quality of patient care.
Further, violence can affect the availability of care, particularly in impoverished areas.
While workplace violence is indisputably a global issue, various cultural differences
among countries must be taken into consideration in order to accurately understand the
concept of violence on a universal level. Significant differences exist in terms of what
constitutes violence and what specific forms of workplace violence are most likely to
occur. Threats and other forms of psychological violence are widely recognized to be
more prevalent than physical violence. Reasons and causes of violence in the healthcare
setting are extremely complex.
Several studies have identified common triggers for acts of violence in the health sector to
be delays in receiving treatment and dissatisfaction with the treatment provided1
.
Moreover, patients may act aggressively as a result of their medical condition, the medi-
cation they take or the use of alcohol and other drugs. Another important example is that
individuals may threaten or perpetrate physical violence against healthcare workers
because they oppose, on the basis of their social, political or religious beliefs, a specific
area of medical practice.
A multi-faceted approach encompassing the areas of legislation, security, data collection,
training, environmental factors, public awareness and financial incentives is required in
order to successfully address the issue of violence in the health sector.
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Violence
in
the
Health
Sector
In addition, collaboration among various stakeholders (including governments, National
Medical Associations (NMAs), hospitals, general health services, management, insurance
companies, trainers, preceptors, researchers, police and legal authorities) is more effective
than the individual efforts of any one party. As the representatives of physicians, NMAs
should take an active role in combating violence in the health sector and also encourage
other key stakeholders to act, thus further protecting the quality of the working environ-
ment for healthcare employees and the quality of patient care.
This collaborative approach to addressing violence in the health sector must be promoted
throughout the world.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA encourages National Medical Associations (NMAs) to act in the following areas:
Strategy - NMAs should encourage healthcare institutions to develop and implement a
protocol to deal with acts of violence. The protocol should include the following:
• A zero-tolerance policy towards workplace violence.
• A universal definition of workplace violence.
• A predetermined plan for maintaining security in the workplace.
• A designated plan of action for healthcare professionals to take when violence takes
place.
• A system for reporting and recording acts of violence, which may include reporting
to legal and/or police authorities.
• A means to ensure that employees who report violence do not face reprisals.
In order for this protocol to be effective, it is necessary for the management and admin-
istration of healthcare institutions to communicate and take the necessary steps to ensure
that all staff are aware of the strategy.
Policymaking - In order to help increase patient satisfaction, national priorities and limita-
tions on medical care should be clearly addressed by government institutions.
The state has obligations to ensure the safety and security of patients, physicians, and
other healthcare workers. This includes providing an appropriate physical environment.
Hence, healthcare systems should be designed to promote the safety of healthcare staff and
patients. An institution which has experienced an act of violence by a patient may require
the provision of extra security, as all healthcare workers have the right to be protected in
their work place.
In some jurisdictions, physicians might have the right to refuse to treat a violent patient.
In such cases, they must ensure that adequate alternative arrangements are made by the
relevant authorities in order to safeguard the patient's health and treatment.
Patients with acute, chronic or illness-induced mental health disturbances may act
violently toward caregivers; those offering care to these patients must be adequately pro-
tected.
Training - A well-trained and vigilant staff supported by management can be a key
deterrent of violent acts. NMAs should work with undergraduate and postgraduate edu-
cation providers to ensure that healthcare professionals are trained in the following: com-
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World
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Association
munication skills and recognising and handling potentially violent persons and high risk
situations in order to prevent incidents of violence. The cultivation of physician-patient
relationships based on respect and mutual trust will not only improve the quality of patient
care, but will also foster feelings of security resulting in a reduced risk of violence.
Communication - NMAs should work with other key stakeholders to increase awareness
of violence in the health sector. When appropriate, they should inform healthcare workers
and the public when acts of violence occur and encourage physicians to report acts of
violence through the appropriate channels.
Further, once an act of violence has taken place, the victim should be informed about the
procedures undertaken thereafter.
Support to victims - Medical, psychological and legal counselling and support should be
provided to staff members who have been the victims of threats and/or acts of violence
while at work.
Data Collection - NMAs should lobby their governments and/or hospital boards to
establish appropriate reporting systems enabling all healthcare workers to report anony-
mously and without reprisal, any threats or incidents of violence. Such a system should
assess in terms of number, type and severity, incidents of violence within an institution
and resulting injuries. The system should be used to analyse the effectiveness of pre-
ventative strategies. Aggregated data and analyses should be made available to NMAs.
Investigation - In all cases of violence there should be some form of investigation to
better understand the causes and to aid in prevention of future violence. In some cases, the
investigation may lead to prosecution under civil or criminal codes. The procedure should
be, as much as possible, authoritative-led and uncomplicated for the victim.
Security - NMAs should work to ensure that appropriate security measures are in place in
all healthcare institutions and that acts of violence in the healthcare sector are given a high
priority by law-enforcement institutions. A routine violence risk audit should be imple-
mented in order to identify which jobs and locations are at highest risk for violence.
Examples of high risk areas include general practice premises, mental health treatment
facilities and high traffic areas of hospitals including the emergency department.
The risk of violence may be ameliorated by a variety of means which could include
placing security guards in these high risk areas and at the entrance of buildings, by the
installation of security cameras and alarm devices for use by health professionals, and by
maintaining sufficient lighting in work areas, contributing to an environment conducive to
vigilance and safety.
Financial - NMAs should encourage their governments to allocate appropriate funds in
order to effectively tackle violence in the health sector.
1
Carmi-Iluz T, Peleg R, Freud T, Shvartzman P. Verbal and physical violence towards hospital-
and community- based physicians in the Negev: an observational study BMC Health Service
Research 2005; 5: 54
Derazon H, Nissimian S, Yosefy C, Peled R, Hay E. Violence in the emergency department
(Article in Hebrew) Harefuah. 1999 Aug; 137(3-4): 95-101, 175
Landua SF. Violence against medical and non-medical personnel in hospital emergency wards
in Israel Research Report, Submitted to the Israel National Institute for Health Policyand Health
Services Research, December 2004
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World
Medical
Association
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WMA
STATEMENT
ON
FUNGAL
DISEASE
DIAGNOSIS
AND
MANAGEMENT
Adopted by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
Annual WHO Global Burden of Disease estimates recognize that fungal diseases account
for a significant proportion of health problems worldwide. These include cutaneous fungal
infections which affect up to a billion persons and vulvovaginal candidiasis which affects
tens of millions of women, often multiple times annually.
Even more serious are invasive and chronic fungal diseases that lead to estimated annual
morbidity rates that are similar to those caused by commonly recognized global health
concerns such as malaria and tuberculosis. In addition to death, these fungal diseases
commonly lead to chronic ill health, including blindness with keratitis, respiratory distress
with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), severe asthma with fungal sensiti-
sation (SAFS) and chronic pulmunary aspergillosis (CPA), weight loss and nutritional
deficiency with oesophageal candidiasis and CPA, and inability to engage in healthy
sexual activity with vulvovaginal candidiasis.
Serious fungal diseases are often opportunistic, occurring as a consequence of other condi-
tions that suppress the immune system, such as asthma, AIDS, cancer, post-transplant im-
munosuppressive drugs and corticosteroid therapies. Some occur in critically ill patients.
Despite the fact that many fungal diseases can be treated relatively simply, in many cases,
these diseases go untreated. Fungal infections alone are often not distinctive enough to
allow a clinical diagnosis, and as cultures are frequently falsely negative, missed diagnosis
is common. In addition, a relatively narrow diagnostic window to cure the patient is fre-
quently missed, resulting in prolonged expensive hospital stays, often with a fatal out-
come. Despite the existence of effective medicine to treat fungal infections, these are often
not available when and where they are needed.
STATEMENT
The WMA stresses the need to support the diagnosis and management of fungal diseases
and urges national governments to ensure that both diagnostic tests and antifungal ther-
apies are available for their populations. Depending on the prevalence of fungal diseases
and their underlying conditions, specific antigen testing or microscopy and culture are
essential. These tests, and personnel trained to administer and interpret the tests, should be
available in all countries where systemic fungal infections occur. This will likely include
developing at least one diagnostic centre of excellence with a sufficient staff of trained
diagnostic personnel. Monitoring for antifungal toxicities should be available.
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Fortaleza
Fungal
Disease
Physicians will be the first point of contact for most patients with a fungal infection and
should be sufficiently educated about the topic in order to ensure an effective diagnostic
approach.
The WMA encourages its members to undertake and support epidemiologic studies on the
burden of fungal disease in their country and to inform the national government of the
results.
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World
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Association
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S-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
HUMAN
PAPILLOMAVIRUS
VACCINATION
Adopted by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
PREAMBLE
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination presents a unique and valuable opportunity for
physicians to substantially prevent morbidity and mortality from certain cancers in all
populations, and to improve maternal health. The HPV vaccine therefore merits considera-
tion by the World Medical Association (WMA) separately from other vaccines.
HPV is a sexually transmitted virus and is so common that most sexually active adults
become infected at some point in their lives. Most infections are asymptomatic and resolve
without medical intervention. However, some of the 40 types of HPV can cause cervical
cancer. HPV is the cause of nearly 100% of cervical cancer cases and may also cause
cancer of the vagina, vulva, anus, penis and the head and neck. Cervical cancer accounts
for more than 10% of all female cancers, and the majority of cervical cancer deaths are in
developing countries.
Vaccines can protect against infection by the most common HPV types and afford pro-
tection against cancer. The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recom-
mends HPV vaccination for both females and males starting at age 11 years up to age 26
years. Benefits of vaccinating young men include protection against genital warts and
cancer in addition to preventing transmission of HPV to sexual partners. The additional
protection afforded by the quadrivalent vaccine against genital warts as well as cervical
and other cancers should be taken into consideration when developing HPV vaccination
programmes. The HPV vaccines are effective; post-marketing studies have shown decreases
in HPV prevalence and HPV related disorders such as genital warts and abnormal cervical
cytology. Studies concerning the safety of HPV vaccines have been reassuring.
These vaccines should be made widely available and should be promoted by physicians as
a matter of individual patient wellbeing and public health.
RECOMMANDATIONS
The WMA urges physicians to educate themselves and their patients about HPV and
associated diseases, HPV vaccination and routine cervical cancer screening; and encourages
the development and funding of programs to make HPV vaccine available and to provide
cervical cancer screening in countries without organized cervical cancer screening pro-
grams.
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Fortaleza
Human
Papillomavirus
Vaccination
National medical associations (NMAs) are encouraged to carry out intensive education of
and advocacy efforts toward their members to:
• Improve awareness and understanding of HPV and associated diseases;
• Understand the availability and efficacy of HPV vaccines;
• Understand the desirability of including HPV vaccines in national immunization
programs;
• Understand the need for routine cervical cancer screening; and
• Integrate HPV cancer prevention methods, early detection and screening, diagnosis,
treatment and palliative care into existing continuing professional development pro-
grams and pre-service training. Such training will leverage existing support for HPV
programs and help in capacity building and quality assurance efforts.
NMAs are also encouraged to:
• Integrate HPV vaccination for all adolescents and routine cervical cancer screening
for young women into all appropriate health care settings and visits;
• Support the availability of the HPV vaccine and routine cervical cancer screening
for appropriate populations that benefit most from preventive measures, including
but not limited to at-risk patients such as low-income, disadvantaged and popula-
tions that are not yet sexually active;
• Recommend HPV vaccination for all appropriate populations;
• Promote member advocacy for HPV prevention, care and treatment; and
• Create a network of physicians and practitioners who are willing and able to mentor
and support one another and establish linkages to existing HPV vaccine and cancer
prevention networks.
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World
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Association
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S-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
NATURAL
VARIATIONS
OF
HUMAN
SEXUALITY
Adopted by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
PREAMBLE
Healthcare professionals encounter many aspects of human diversity when providing care,
including different variations of human sexuality.
A large body of scientific research indicates that homosexuality is a natural variation of
human sexuality without any intrinsically harmful health effects.
As a consequence homosexuality was removed from the American Psychiatric Associa-
tion’s official diagnostic manual in 1973. The World Health Organisation (WHO) removed
it from the ICD in 1990 following a similar process of scientific review. The Pan
American Health Organization (WHO) states: “In none of its individual manifestations
does homosexuality constitute a disorder or an illness, and therefore it requires no cure.”
Direct and indirect discrimination, stigmatisation, peer rejection, and bullying continue to
have a serious impact upon the psychological and physical health of people with a homo-
sexual or bisexual orientation. These negative experiences lead to higher prevalence rates
of depression, anxiety disorders, substance misuse, and suicidal ideations and attempts.
The suicide rate among adolescents and young adults with a homosexual or bisexual
orientation is, consequently, three times higher than that of their peers.
This can be exacerbated by so-called “conversion” or “reparative” procedures, which
claim to be able to convert homosexuality into asexual or heterosexual behaviour and give
the impression that homosexuality is a disease. These methods have been rejected by
many professional organisations due to a lack of evidence of their effectiveness. They
have no medical indication and represent a serious threat to the health and human rights of
those so treated.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA strongly asserts that homosexuality does not represent a disease, but rather a
natural variation within the range of human sexuality.
The WMA condemns all forms of stigmatisation, criminalisation and discrimination of
people based on their sexual orientation.
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Fortaleza
Natural
Variations
of
Human
Sexuality
The WMA calls upon all physicians to classify physical and psychological diseases on the
basis of clinically relevant symptoms according to ICD-10 criteria regardless of sexual
orientation, and to provide therapy in accordance with internationally recognised treat-
ments and protocols.
The WMA asserts that psychiatric or psychotherapeutic approaches to treatment must not
focus upon homosexuality itself, but rather upon conflicts, which arise between homo-
sexuality, and religious, social and internalised norms and prejudices.
The WMA condemns so-called “conversion” or “reparative” methods. These constitute
violations of human rights and are unjustifiable practices that should be denounced and
subject to sanctions and penalties. It is unethical for physicians to participate during any
step of such procedures.
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S-‐2013-‐04-‐2013
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
RIGHT
OF
REHABILITATION
OF
VICTIMS
OF
TORTURE
Adopted by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
PREAMBLE
The World Medical Association notes with grave concern the continued use of torture in
many countries throughout the world.
The WMA reaffirms its total condemnation of all form of torture, and other cruel, in-
human or degrading treatment or punishment, as defined by the UN Convention Against
Torture (CAT, 1984). Torture is one of the gravest violations of international human rights
law and has devastating consequences for victims, their families and society as a whole.
Torture causes severe physical and mental injuries and is a crime absolutely prohibited
under international law.
The WMA reaffirms its policies adopted previously, namely:
• The Declaration of Tokyo laying down Guidelines for Physicians Concerning Tor-
ture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Relation to
Detention and Imprisonment (1975)
• The Declaration of Hamburg concerning Support for Medical Doctors Refusing to
Participate in, or to Condone, the Use of Torture or Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment (1997)
• The Resolution on the Responsibility of Physicians in the Documentation and De-
nunciation of Acts of Torture or Cruel or Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (2003).
The medical evaluation is an essential factor in pursuing the documentation of torture and
the reparation of victims of torture. Physicians have a critical role to play in gathering
information about torture, documenting evidence of torture for legal purposes, as well as
supporting and rehabilitating victims.
The WMA recognizes the adoption, in December 2012, by the UN Committee Against
Torture of the General Comment on the Implementation of article 14 of Convention
against Torture relating to the right to reparation of victims of torture.
The General Comment outlines the right of rehabilitation as an obligation on States and
specifies the scope of these services. The WMA welcomes in particular:
• The obligation of State parties to adopt a “long-term and integrated approach and
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Fortaleza
Victims
of
Torture
ensure that specialized services for the victim of torture or ill treatment are available,
appropriate and promptly accessible” (paragraph 13), without making access to these
services dependent on the victim pursuing judicial remedies.
• The recognition of the right of victims to choose a rehabilitation service provider, be
it a State institution, or a non-State service provider, which is funded by the State.
• The recognition that State parties should provide torture victims with access to
rehabilitation programs as soon as possible following an assessment by qualified
independent healthcare professionals.
• The references in paragraph 18 to measures aimed at protecting health and legal
professionals who assist torture victims, developing specific training on the Istanbul
Protocol for health professionals, and promoting the observance of international
standards and codes of conduct by public servants, including medical, psychological
and social service personnel.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA emphasizes the vital function of reparation for victims of torture and their
families in rebuilding their lives and achieve redress and the important role of physicians
in rehabilitation.
The WMA encourages its member associations to work with relevant agencies – govern-
mental and non-governmental – acting for the reparation of victims of torture, in particular
in the areas of documentation and rehabilitation, as well as prevention.
The WMA encourages its members to support agencies that are under threat of – or
subjected to – reprisals from state parties due to their involvement in the documentation of
torture, rehabilitation and reparation of torture victims.
The WMA calls on its members to use their medical experience to support torture victims
in accordance with article 14 of the UN Convention against Torture.
The WMA calls on its member associations to support and facilitate data collection at the
national level in order to monitor the implementation of the State’s obligation to provide
rehabilitation services.
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World
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S-‐2013-‐05-‐2013
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
UNITED
NATIONS
RESOLUTION
FOR
A
MORATORIUM
ON
THE
USE
OF
THE
DEATH
PENALTY
Adopted by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
PREAMBLE
The WMA Resolution on Physician Participation in Capital Punishment states that it is
unethical for physicians to take part in capital punishment, and the WMA Declaration of
Geneva obliges physicians to maintain the utmost respect for human life.
The WMA acknowledges that the views prevalent in the countries of some of its members
prevent all members unconditionally opposing the death penalty.
The WMA therefore supports the suspension of the use of the death penalty through a
global moratorium.
The WMA has long recognized that it cannot hold its national medical association mem-
bers responsible for the actions and policies of their respective governments.
RECOMMANDATIONS
The World Medical Association supports United Nations General Assembly Resolution
65/206 calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
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S-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
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World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
AESTHETIC
TREATMENT
Adopted by the 65th
WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, Otober 2014
PREAMBLE
Aesthetic treatments have become increasingly common in recent years as society appears
to have become more preoccupied with physical appearance. These treatments are per-
formed by practitioners with widely differing clinical and educational backgrounds.
For the purpose of this statement, aesthetic treatment is defined as an intervention that is
performed not to treat an injury, a disease or a deformity, but for non-therapeutic reasons,
with the sole purpose of enhancing or changing the physical appearance of the individual
concerned. In this statement, the individual undergoing treatment is referred to as the
patient. The treatments available include a great variety of interventions, ranging from
surgical procedures to injections and different kinds of skin treatments. This statement
focuses on interventions that are methodologically similar to those performed in con-
ventional health care. Tattooing, scarring and similar interventions are therefore not con-
sidered in this statement.
Body image affects a person's self-esteem and mental health and is an integral part of a
person's overall health and well-being. However, media images of “perfect bodies” have
become the norm, causing some people, to develop unrealistic and unhealthy body images.
Many aesthetic treatments involve risks and may potentially harm the health of the patient.
Minors1
are particularly vulnerable, as their bodies are often not fully developed. In order
to protect persons considering or undergoing aesthetic treatment the WMA has developed
the following basic principles regarding aesthetic treatments.
Reaffirming the medical ethics principles laid out in the WMA Declaration of Geneva, the
WMA Declaration of Lisbon on the Rights of the Patient and the WMA International
Code of Medical Ethics, and consistent with the mandate of the WMA, this statement is
addressed primarily to physicians. However, the WMA encourages other practitioners per-
forming aesthetic treatments to adopt these principles.
PRINCIPLES
1. The patient´s dignity, integrity and confidentiality must always be respected.
2. Physicians have a role in helping to identify unhealthy body images and to address
and treat disorders when these exist.
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Aesthetic
Treatment
3. Aesthetic treatments must only be performed by practitioners with sufficient knowl-
edge, skills and experience of the interventions performed.
4. All practitioners providing aesthetic treatments must be registered with and/or li-
censed by the appropriate regulatory authority. Ideally, the practitioner should also
be authorized by this authority to provide these specific aesthetic treatments.
5. All aesthetic treatments must be preceded by a thorough examination of the patient.
The practitioner should consider all circumstances, physical and psychological,
that may cause an increased risk of harm for the individual patient and should
refuse to perform the treatment if the risk is unacceptable. This is especially true in
the case of minors. Practitioners should always choose the most appropriate treat-
ment option, rather than the most lucrative one.
6. Minors may need or benefit from plastic medical treatments but pure aesthetic
procedures should not be performed on minors. If, in exceptional cases, aesthetic
treatment is performed on a minors, it should only be done with special care and
consideration and only if the aim of the treatment is to avoid negative attention
rather than gain positive attention. All relevant medical factors, such as whether
the minor is still growing or whether the treatment will need to be repeated at a
later date, must be considered.
7. The patient must consent explicitly to any aesthetic treatment, preferably in writing.
Before seeking consent the practitioner should inform the patient of all relevant
aspects of the treatment, including how the procedure is performed, possible risks
and the fact that many of these treatments may be irreversible. The patient should
be given sufficient time to consider the information before the treatment starts.
Where the patient requesting the treatment is a minor, the informed consent of his
or her parents or legally authorized representative should be obtained.
8. All aesthetic treatments performed should be carefully documented by the practi-
tioner. The documentation should include a detailed description of the treatment
performed, information on medications used, if any, and all other relevant aspects
of the treatment.
9. Aesthetic treatments must only be performed under strictly hygienic and medically
safe conditions on premises that are adequately staffed and equipped. This must
include equipment for treating life-threatening allergic reactions and other poten-
tial complications.
10. Advertising and marketing of aesthetic treatments should be responsible and should
not foster unrealistic expectations of treatment results. Unrealistic or altered pho-
tographs showing patients before and after treatments must not be used in adver-
tising.
11. Advertising and marketing of aesthetic treatments should never be targeted to
minors.
12. Practitioners should never offer or promote financial loans as a means of paying
for aesthetic treatment.
1
For the purpose of this statement minor is defined as a person who, according to applicable
national legislation, is not an adult.
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World
Medical
Association
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
THE
PREVENTION
OF
AIR
POLLUTION
DUE
TO
VEHICLE
EMISSIONS
Adopted by the 65th
WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014
PREAMBLE
There are a number of ways in which the volume of harmful emissions can be reduced.
These include encouraging fewer road traffic journeys, active transport for individuals
undertaking relatively short journeys, the use of mass public transit in preference to
individual vehicles, and alternative energy sources for vehicles, including electric and
hybrid technologies. Where vehicle use is essential, means of reducing harmful emissions
should be used.
Physicians around the world are aware of air pollution. It impacts the quality of life for
hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing both, a large burden of disease as well
as economic losses and increased health care costs. According to WHO estimates, in 2012,
urban outdoor air pollution was responsible for 3.7 million annual deaths, representing
6.7% of the total deaths (WHO, 2014).
Especially, diesel soot is acknowledged as a proven carcinogen (IARC, 07/2012). Further-
more, it has many other toxic effects, most prominently in the cardiovascular (Brook et al.,
2010) and respiratory systems (ERS, 2010). Moreover, in the context of global warming,
soot, along with methane, is identified as the second most important greenhouse driving
force substance after CO2 (Kerr, 2013).
Despite the fact that new vehicles will have to comply with stricter emission standards
which take into account most harmful ultra fine particles too, a high-polluting in-use fleet,
including off-road vehicles such as construction engines and ships, will continue polluting
for many more years.
BACKGROUND
In many densely populated cities around the world, fine dust concentrations measurable as
aerosols exceed up to 50 times the maximum WHO recommendation. High volumes of
transport, power generated from coal, and pollution caused by construction machinery are
among the contributing factors. People living and working near major (high density
volume traffic) streets are most affected by pollutants. For fighting the health risks men-
tioned above, there exist a variety of highly efficient and reliable filter systems on the
market (Best Available Technology (BAT) filters1
). They are applicable to all internal
combustion engines and they reduce even most harmful ultra-fine particles by a factor of
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Air
Pollution
over one hundred. As soon as 90% of heavy duty vehicles, both, new and upgraded ones,
satisfy this standard, health problems attributable to emissions of heavy duty traffic will be
greatly reduced, and no further tightening of emission standards will be possible or even
needed at all because of an almost total elimination of the pollutant as such.
In a variety of countries on different continents and under varying conditions retrofit or
upgrading programs have been successfully performed. The UN’s Working Party on Pol-
lution Prevention and Energy in Geneva has just proposed a technical standard for
regulation in their member states, which will be applicable worldwide.
The WMA supports these efforts and calls on policy makers in all countries, especially in
urban regions, to introduce regulatory restrictions of access for vehicles without filter,
and/or to provide financial assistance to support the retrofitting of in-use vehicles.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA therefore recommends that all NMAs should encourage their respective govern-
ments to:
1. Introduce BAT standards for all new diesel vehicles (on road and off-road)
2. Incentivise retrofitting with BAT filters for all in-use engines
3. Monitor and limit the concentration of nanosize soot particles in the urban breathing
air
4. Conduct epidemiological studies detecting and differentiating the health effects of
ultrafine particles
5. Build professional and public awareness of the importance of diesel soot and the
existing methods of eliminating the particles
6. Contribute to developing strategies to protect people from soot particles in aircraft
passenger cabins, trains, homes and in the general environment. These strategies
should include plans to develop and increase use of public transportation systems.
ABBREVIATIONS:
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency (US)
ERS: European Respiratory Society
IARC: International Agency for Research of Cancer
BAT Standards: Emission standards for passenger cars, heavy-duty vehicles and off-road
machinery, based on count of ultrafine particles rather than mass and aimed at the
protection of human health from the most hazardous soot particles, the lung and even cell
membrane penetrating ultra-fines.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
S-‐2014-‐02-‐2014
⏐
World
Medical
Association
REFERENCES:
• Brook, Robert D. et al. (2010): AHA Scientific Statement: Particulate Matter Air
Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease. An Update to the Scientific Statement from
the American Heart Association. Circulation 121: 2331-2378.
• ERS (2010): The ERS report on air pollution and public health. European
Respiratory Society, Lausanne, Switzerland. ISBN: 978-1-84984-008-8
• IARC (2012): “IARC: Diesel Engine Exhaust Carcinogenic”. Press Release No.
213.http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2012/pdfs/pr213_E.pdf. (access: 14/02/14)
• Kerr, Richard R. (2013): “Soot is Warming the World Even More Than Thought”.
In: Science 339(6118), p. 382.
• WHO (2014): “Burden of disease from Ambient Air Pollution for 2012.” http://
www.who.int/phe/health_topics/outdoorair/databases/AAP_BoD_results_March20
14.pdf?ua=1 (access: 26/08/14)
1
Euro 6/VI, US/EPA/CARB, Chinese and equivalent standards.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2014-‐03-‐2014
WMA
STATEMENT
ON
SOLITARY
CONFINEMENT
Adopted by the 65th
WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014
PREAMBLE
In many countries substantial numbers of prisoners are held at times in solitary confine-
ment. Prisoners are typically kept in isolation for most of the day, and are allowed out of
their cells only a short period of time of solitary exercise. Meaningful contact with other
people (prisoners, prison staff, outside world) is kept to a minimum. Some countries have
strict provisions on how long and how often prisoners can be kept in solitary confinement,
but many countries lack clear rules on this.
The reasons for the use of solitary confinement vary in different jurisdictions. It may be
used as a disciplinary measure when a prisoner does not respond to other sanctions in-
tended to address his or her behaviour, for example, in response to seriously disruptive
behaviour, threats of violence or suspected acts of violence.
The legal authorities in some nations allow individuals to be held in solitary confinement
during an on-going criminal investigation or to be sentenced to solitary confinement, even
when the individual poses no threat to others. Individuals with mental illness may be
kept in high-security or super-maximum security (supermax) units or prisons. Solitary con-
finement can be imposed for hours to days or even years.
Reliable data on the use of solitary confinement are lacking. Various studies estimate that
tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of prisoners are currently held in soli-
tary confinement worldwide.
People react to isolation in different ways. For a significant number of prisoners, solitary
confinement has been documented to cause serious psychological, psychiatric, and some-
times physiological effects, including insomnia, confusion, hallucinations and psycho-
sis. Solitary confinement is also associated with a high rate of suicidal behaviour. Nega-
tive health effects can occur after only a few days, and may in some cases persist when
isolation ends.
Certain populations are particularly vulnerable to the negative health effects of solitary
confinement. For example, persons with psychotic disorders, major depression, or post-
traumatic stress disorder or people with severe personality disorders may find isolation
unbearable and suffer health harms. Solitary confinement may complicate treating such
individuals and their associated health problems successfully later in the prison environ-
ment or when they are released back into the community.
S-‐2014-‐03-‐2014
⏐
Durban
Solitary
Confinement
Human rights conventions prohibit the use of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treat-
ment or punishment. The use of pronged solitary confinement against a prisoner´s own
will or the use of solitary confinement during pre-trial detention or against minors can
be regarded as a breach of international human rights law, and must be avoided.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA urges National Medical Associations and governments to promote the follow-
ing principles:
1. Solitary confinement should be imposed only as a last resort whether to protect
others or the individual prisoner, and only for the shortest period of time pos-
sible. The human dignity of prisoners confined in isolation must always be res-
pected.
2. Authorities responsible for overseeing solitary confinement should take account of
the individual’s health and medical condition and regularly re-evaluate and docu-
ment the individual’s status. Adverse health consequences should lead to the im-
mediate cessation of solitary confinement.
3. All decisions on solitary confinement must be transparent and regulated by law.
The use of solitary confinement should be time-limited by law. Prisoners sub-
ject to solitary confinement should have a right of appeal.
4. Prolonged solitary confinement, against the will of the prisoner, must be avoided.
Where prisoners seek prolonged solitary confinement, for whatever reason, they
should be medically and psychologically assessed to ensure it is unlikely to lead to
harm.
5. Solitary confinement should not be imposed when it would adversely affect the
medical condition of prisoners with a mental illness. If it is essential to provide
safety for the prisoner or other prisoners then especially careful and frequent
monitoring must occur, and an alternative found as soon as possible.
6. Prisoners in isolation should be allowed a reasonable amount of regular human
contact. As with all prisoners, they must not be subjected to extreme physical
and mentally taxing conditions.
7. The health of prisoners in solitary confinement must be monitored regularly by a
qualified physician. For this purpose, a physician should be allowed to check both
the documentation of solitary confinement decisions in the institution and the
actual health of the confined prisoners on a regular basis.
8. Prisoners who have been in solitary confinement should have an adjustment period
before they are released from prison. This must never extend their period of in-
carceration.
Handbook
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WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
S-‐2014-‐03-‐2014
9. Physician´s role is to protect, advocate for, and improve prisoners´ physical and
mental health, not to inflict punishment. Therefore, physicians should never parti-
cipate in any part of the decision-making process resulting in solitary confine-
ment.
10. Doctors have a duty to consider the conditions in solitary confinement and to pro-
test to the authorities if they believe that they are unacceptable or might amount to
inhumane or degrading treatment.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐1981-‐01-‐2008
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
PHYSICIAN
PARTICIPATION
IN
CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT
Adopted by the 34th
World Medical Assembly, Lisbon, Portugal, September/October 1981
and amended by the 52nd
WMA General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland, October 2000
and the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
RESOLVED, that it is unethical for physicians to participate in capital punishment, in any
way, or during any step of the execution process, including its planning and the instruction
and/or training of persons to perform executions.
The World Medical Association
REQUESTS firmly its constituent members to advise all physicians that any participation
in capital punishment as stated above is unethical.
URGES its constituent members to lobby actively national governments and legislators
against any participation of physicians in capital punishment.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐1988-‐01-‐2015
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
ACADEMIC
SANCTIONS
OR
BOYCOTTS
Adopted by the 40th
World Medical Assembly, Vienna, Austria, September 1988
and editorially revised by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France,
May 2005
and reaffirmed by the 200th
WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015
WHEREAS
academic sanctions or boycotts are discriminatory restrictions on academic, professional
and scientific freedoms that deny or exclude physicians and others from educational, cul-
tural and scientific meetings and other opportunities for the exchange of information and
knowledge, the purpose of such restrictions being to protest the social and political poli-
cies of governments, and
WHEREAS
such restrictions are in direct conflict with the major objectives of the WMA, viz., to
achieve the highest international standards in medical education, medical science, medical
art and medical ethics, and
WHEREAS
such restrictions adversely affect health care, particularly of the disadvantaged, and there-
fore thwart the WMA's objective of obtaining the best possible health care for all people
of the world, and
WHEREAS
such restrictions discriminate against physicians and patients on grounds of political per-
suasion or of political decisions taken by governments and are therefore in conflict with
the WMA's Declaration of Geneva, Statement on Non-Discrimination in Professional Mem-
bership and Activities of Physicians and Statement on Freedom to Attend Medical Meet-
ings, and
WHEREAS
a basic rule of medical practice is "primum non nocere", i.e. first, do no harm,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,
that the WMA regards the application of such restrictions as arbitrary political decisions
designed to deny international scholarly exchange and to blacklist particular physicians or
R-‐1988-‐01-‐2015
⏐Oslo
Academic
Sanctions
Boycotts
bodies of physicians because of their nationality or because of the political policies of their
governments. The WMA is unalterably opposed to such restrictions and calls on all Na-
tional Medical Associations to resist the imposition of such restrictions by every means at
their disposal and to heed the WMA's Statement on Non-Discrimination in Professional
Membership and Activities of Physicians and the WMA Statement on Freedom to Attend
Medical Meetings.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐1997-‐02-‐2007
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
ECONOMIC
EMBARGOES
AND
HEALTH
Adopted by the 49th WMA General Assembly, Hamburg, Germany, November 1997
and reaffirmed by the 58th
WMA General Assembly, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2007
RECOGNISING
THAT:
all people have the right to the preservation of health; and,
the Geneva Convention (Article 23, Number IV, 1949) requires the free passage of medi-
cal supplies intended for civilians;
THE WMA URGES national medical associations to ensure that Governments employing
economic sanctions against other States respect the agreed exemptions for medicines, me-
dical supplies and basic food items.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐1997-‐03-‐2008
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
ACCESS
OF
WOMEN
AND
CHILDREN
TO
HEALTH
CARE
AND
THE
ROLE
OF
WOMEN
IN
THE
MEDICAL
PROFESSION
Adopted by the 49th
WMA General Assembly, Hamburg, Germany, November 1997
and amended by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
PREAMBLE
For years women and girls worldwide have been suffering increasing violations of their
human rights. These violations often arise from historically based gender bias where
women and girls are restricted in their access to, inter alia, employment, education and
health care.
In many countries, due to, inter alia, religious and cultural convictions, female doctors and
nurses have been prevented from exercising their profession, which may lead to female
patients and their children not having access to health care.
Girls have the same rights as boys, and women have the same rights as men. Discrimina-
ting against girls and women damages their health expectation. Education of girl children
is a major factor affecting their likelihood of experiencing health and well-being as adults.
It also improves the chances of their children surviving infancy. Secondary discrimination
due to social, religious and cultural practices - which diminishes women's freedom to
make decisions for themselves and to access work and healthcare - should be condemned.
RECOMMANDATIONS:
Therefore, the World Medical Association urges its constituent members to:
• Categorically condemn violations of the basic human rights of women and child-
ren, including violations stemming from social, religious and cultural practices;
• Insist on the rights of women and children to full and adequate medical care, espe-
cially where religious and cultural restrictions hinder access to such medical care;
• Promote women's and children's health rights as human rights;
• Sensitize their membership on issues of gender equality and on participation of
women in decision-making and health related activities;
• Increase broad-based representation and effective participation of women in the
medical profession, especially in light of the increased enrolment of women in
medical schools;
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Woman
and
Children
to
Health
Care
• Promote the achievement of the human right to equality of opportunity, equality of
treatment and non-sexism;
• Promote a higher growth rate of membership in National Medical Associations
amongst women through empowerment, career development, appropriate training to
improve knowledge and skills, and other strategic initiatives.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐1998-‐03-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
IMPROVED
INVESTMENT
IN
PUBLIC
HEALTH
Adopted by the 50th
World Medical Assembly, Ottawa, Canada, October 1998
and amended by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
INTRODUCTION
Each country should have a health system with enough resources to attend to the needs of
its population. However today, many countries across the world are suffering wide in-
equities and inequalities in health care and this is causing problems of access to health ser-
vices for the poorer segments of society [the weak or underprivileged]. The situation is
especially serious in low-income countries.
The international community has attempted to improve the situation. The 20/20 initiative
of 1995, the 1996 Initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), and Objectives
for Millennium 2000 Development (MDGs) are all initiatives aimed at reducing poverty
and dealing with poor health, inequities and inequalities between the sexes, education,
insufficient access to drinking water and environmental contamination.
The objectives are formed as an agreement with acknowledgement of the contributions
which developed countries can make, in the shape of trade relations, development assis-
tance, reduction of the burden of debt, improving access to essential medication and the
transfer of technology. Three of the eight objectives are directly related to health, which
has a considerable influence on various other objectives that interact to support each of the
others within a structural framework, these are designed to increase human development
globally. The eight Millennium Development Objectives (MDO) foresee a development
vision based on health and education, thus affirming that development does not only refer
(allude) to economic growth.
Various reports from the World Health Organization have underlined the opportunities
and skills [or techniques] which are currently involved in bringing about significant im-
provements in health, as well as helping to reduce poverty and encourage growth. Addi-
tionally, the reports highlight the fact that it is of fundamental importance to reduce limita-
tions on human resources, in order to increase the achievements of the public health sys-
tem, a situation which requires urgent attention. These limitations are related to work, train-
ing and payment conditions, and play a substantial role in determining capacity for sus-
tained growth of access to health services.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The World Medical Association urges National Medical Associations to:
New
Delhi
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R-‐1998-‐03-‐2009
Investment
in
Public
Health
1. Advocate that their governments should adhere to and promote the proposals to in-
crease investment in the health sector; and to adhere to and promote initiatives to re-
duce the debt burden for the poorest countries on the planet.
2. Advocate [defend] the inclusion of public health factors in all fields of policy pro-
vision, since health is mostly determined by factors that are external to the area of
healthcare, for example, housing and education. [Health is not only medicine, it also
depends on living standards].
3. Encourage and support countries in the planning and implementation of investment
plans, which invest in health for the poor; guarantee that more resources be used for
health in general, with greater efficiency and impact; and reduce limitations for the
most effective use of the additional investments.
4. Maintain vigilance to ensure that the investment plans focus maximum attention on
generating capacity, that they promote leadership skills and promote incentives to
retain and place qualified personnel, whilst it is taken into consideration that the limi-
tations in relation to the previous matter currently constitute the greatest obstacle for
progress.
5. Urge international financial institutions and other important donors to: i) Adopt the
necessary measures to help the countries that have already organised mechanisms to
prepare their investment plans, and provide assistance to those countries that have be-
gun to take the necessary steps, with the support and participation of the international
community; ii) Help countries to obtain funds to develop and implement their invest-
ment plans; iii) Continue providing technical assistance to the countries for their plans.
6. Exchange information in order to coordinate efforts to change policies in these areas.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐1998-‐04-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
MEDICAL
WORKFORCE
Adopted by the 50th
World Medical Assembly, Ottawa, Canada, October 1998
and amended by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
PREAMBLE
The health of our countries depends upon keeping the population healthy. Health care is a
key right of individuals. This care is dependent upon access to highly-trained medical and
other healthcare professionals. Well-functioning health care systems depend upon these
sufficient human resources. Comprehensive and extensive planning on a national level is
required in order to ensure that a country has a medical workforce in all fields of medicine
that meets the present and future health needs of the entire population of that country.
There are currently significant shortages in the area of health human resources. These
shortages are present in all countries but are especially pronounced in developing coun-
tries where health human resources are more limited.
The problem is made more severe by the fact that many countries have not invested ade-
quately in the education, training, recruitment and retention of their medical workforce.
The ageing population in developed countries has also been reflected by an ageing medi-
cal workforce. Many developed countries address their medical workforce shortages by
employing health care professionals from developing countries to bolster their own health
care systems.
The migration of health care professionals from developing countries to developed coun-
tries has, over the past ten years, impaired the performance of health systems in develop-
ing countries. Economic realities of insufficient investments in health care and inadequate
facilities and support for health care professionals have continued to be responsible for
this migration.
The World Health Organization has recognized that the crisis of health workforce short-
ages is impeding the provision of essential, life-saving interventions. It has therefore esta-
blished structures such as the Global Health Workforce Alliance, a partnership dedicated
to identifying and implementing solutions to the health workforce problems. The WHO is
promoting the development of a cadre of medical/clinical assistants who propose to join
the medical workforce to partially address these shortages.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recognizing that health care systems require adequate numbers of qualified and com-
petent health care professionals, the World Medical Association asks all National Medical
Associations to participate and be active in addressing these requirements and to:
New
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R-‐1998-‐04-‐2009
Medical
Workforce
1. Call on their respective governments to allocate sufficient financial resources for the
education, training, development, recruitment and retention of physicians to meet the
medical needs of the entire population in their countries.
2. Call on their respective governments to ensure that the education, training and develop-
ment of healthcare professionals meets the highest possible standards including:
• The training and development of medical/clinical assistants where this is applica-
ble and appropriate and
• Ensuring clear definitions of scope of practice and conditions for adequate support
and supervision;
3. Call on governments to ensure that appropriate ratios are maintained between popula-
tion and the medical workforce at all levels, including mechanisms to address reduced
access to care in rural and remote areas, based on accepted international norms and
standards where these are available;
4. Take measures to attract and support individuals within their countries to enter the
medical profession and also call on their respective governments to take such action;
5. Actively advocate for programs that will ensure the retention of physicians within
their respective countries and ensure governments’ recognition of this need;
6. Call on governments to improve the health care working environment (including ac-
cess to appropriate facilities, equipment, treatment modalities and professional sup-
port), physician remuneration, physician living environment and career development
of the medical workforce at all levels;
7. Advocate for the development of transparent memoranda of understanding between
countries where migration of trained health care professionals is an issue of concern
and enlist where possible the NMA of origin and receiving NMA’s to support these
physicians.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐1998-‐05-‐2008
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
SUPPORTING
THE
OTTAWA
CONVENTION
(Convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production
and transfer of anti-personnel mines and on their destruction)
Adopted by the 50th
World Medical Assembly, Ottawa, Canada, October 1998
and amended by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
The World Medical Association:
• expresses its support for the Ottawa Convention (also known as the landmine ban
convention); and
• urges its member National Medical Associations to press their governments to sign
and ratify the Convention.
• urges its member National Medical Associations to press their governments to
cease manufacture, sale, deployment and use of landmines.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐1999-‐01-‐1999
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
INCLUSION
OF
MEDICAL
ETHICS
AND
HUMAN
RIGHTS
IN
THE
CURRICULUM
OF
MEDICAL
SCHOOLS
WORLD-‐WIDE
Adopted by the 51st
World Medical Assembly, Tel Aviv, Israel, October 1999
1. Whereas Medical Ethics and Human Rights form an integral part of the work and cul-
ture of the medical profession, and
2. Whereas Medical Ethics and Human Rights form an integral part of the history, struc-
ture and objectives of the World Medical Association
3. It is hereby resolved that the WMA strongly recommends to Medical Schools world-
wide that the teaching of Medical Ethics and Human Rights be included as an obli-
gatory course in their curricula.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2002-‐01-‐2013
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
EUTHANASIA
Adopted by the 53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington, DC, USA, October 2002
and reaffirmed with minor revision by the 194th
WMA Council Session,
Bali, Indonesia, April 2013
The World Medical Association's Declaration on Euthanasia, adopted by the 38th
World
Medical Assembly, Madrid, Spain, October 1987 and reaffirmed by the 170th
WMA
Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2005 states:
"Euthanasia, that is the act of deliberately ending the life of a patient, even at the
patient's own request or at the request of close relatives, is unethical. This does not
prevent the physician from respecting the desire of a patient to allow the natural pro-
cess of death to follow its course in the terminal phase of sickness."
The WMA Statement on Physician-Assisted Suicide, adopted by the 44th
World Medical
Assembly, Marbella, Spain, September 1992 and editorially revised by the 170th
WMA
Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2005 likewise states:
"Physicians-assisted suicide, like euthanasia, is unethical and must be condemned by
the medical profession. Where the assistance of the physician is intentionally and
deliberately directed at enabling an individual to end his or her own life, the physi-
cian acts unethically. However the right to decline medical treatment is a basic right
of the patient and the physician does not act unethically even if respecting such a
wish results in the death of the patient."
The World Medical Association has noted that the practice of active euthanasia with
physician assistance, has been adopted into law in some countries.
BE
IT
RESOLVED
that:
The World Medical Association reaffirms its strong belief that euthanasia is in conflict
with basic ethical principles of medical practice, and
The World Medical Association strongly encourages all National Medical Associations
and physicians to refrain from participating in euthanasia, even if national law allows it or
decriminalizes it under certain conditions.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2002-‐02-‐2012
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
FEMALE
FOETICIDE
Adopted by the 53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington, DC, USA, October 2002
and reaffirmed by the 191st
WMA Council Session, Prague, Czech Republic, April 2012
1. Whereas there is grave concern that in certain countries female foeticide is commonly
practised.
2. The WMA denounces female foeticide as a totally unacceptable example of gender
discrimination.
3. The World Medical Association calls on National Medical Associations:
1. To denounce the practice of female foeticide and the use of selective sex
determination for that purpose and;
2. To advise their governments accordingly.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2002-‐05-‐2012
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
ABUSE
OF
PSYCHIATRY
Adopted by the 53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington, DC, USA, October 2002
and revised by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thiland, October 2012
The World Medical Association (WMA) notes with concern evidence from a number of
countries that political dissidents, practitioners of various religions and social activists
have been detained in psychiatric institutions and subjected to unnecessary psychiatric
treatment as a punishment and not to treat a substantiated psychiatric illness.
The WMA:
• Declares that such detention and unwarranted treatment is abusive, unethical and
unacceptable;
• Calls on physicians and psychiatrists to resist involvement in these abusive prac-
tices;
• Calls on member NMAs to support their physician members who resist involve-
ment in these abuses, and
• Calls on governments to stop abusing medicine and psychiatry in this manner, and
on non-governmental organizations and the World Health Organization to work to
end these abuses; and
• Calls on governments to uphold the United Nations International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which states that "all persons are equal before the law
and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law."
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2002-‐06-‐2013
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
WOMEN'S
RIGHTS
TO
HEALTH
CARE
AND
HOW
THAT
RELATES
TO
THE
PREVENTION
OF
MOTHER-‐TO-‐CHILD
HIV
INFECTION
Adopted by the 53rd
WMA General Assembly, Washington, DC, USA, October 2002
and amended by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
PREAMBLE
In many parts of the world the prevalence of HIV infection continues to increase. One of
the Millennium Development Goals (MDG 6), specifically targets combating HIV/AIDS,
malaria and other diseases, with 2015 being its target year to halt HIV/AIDS infection and
to begin reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS. In addition, it was hoped that by 2010
universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those requiring it would be achieved. A
December 2012 UN resolution declared that countries must develop programmes for
Universal Health Access after 2015 when the MDGs end.
HIV/AIDS is a disease that disproportionately affects people in their reproductive years
although today, due to better management of the condition, there are also many older
people who are infected. In addition, many who were infected as infants are now reaching
reproductive maturity.
In developed countries men who have sex with men and injection drug users constitute
significant risk groups for contracting HIV. In many developing countries, women are at
risk due to heterosexual contact with HIV infected partners. In 2011 approximately 58
percent of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa were women, equating to about
13.6 million women living with HIV and AIDS, compared to about 9.9 million men
(UNAIDS 'Global Fact Sheet 2012: World AIDS Day 2012).
In the absence of HIV, maternal mortality worldwide would be significantly (20% ) lower
(Murray et al. Maternal mortality for 181 countries, 1980~2008: a systematic analysis of
progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5).
HIV infection increases the risk of invasive cervical cancer 2 to 22 fold. Some evidence
exists that the use of antiretroviral therapy may decrease this risk. Hence, the appropriate
management of patients infected with HIV may have a long-term impact on other aspects
of women’s health.
The WMA believes that access to healthcare, including both therapeutic and preventative
strategies, is a fundamental human right. This imposes an obligation on government to
R-‐2002-‐06-‐2013
⏐
Fortaleza
Women’s
Right
to
Health
Care
ensure that these human rights are fully respected and protected. Gender inequalities must
be addressed and eradicated. This should impact every aspect of healthcare.
The promotion and protection of the reproductive rights of women are critical to the
ultimate success of confronting and resolving the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Many of the MDGs address empowering women and promoting their role in society and
specifically in healthcare. MDG 5B, in particular, promotes universal access to repro-
ductive health including contraceptive access, reduction in adolescent birth rate, antenatal
care coverage and addressing unmet needs for family planning. In addition, MDG 3
which promotes gender equality and empowers women, and MDGs 1 and 2 will influence
women’s status in society and therefore their access to healthcare and health promotion.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA requests all national member associations to encourage their governments to
undertake and promote the following actions:
• Develop empowerment programs for women of all ages to ensure that women are
free from discrimination and enjoy universal and free access to reproductive health
education and life skills training. It is recommended that campaigns be initiated and
activated in the media, including social media and popular programmes on radio and
television in order to eradicate myths, stigma and stereotypes that might degrade or
dehumanise women. This must include campaigns against genital mutilation and
forced adolescent marriages and unwanted pregnancies. In addition, promoting the
availability and choice of contraception for women, without necessarily having to
get input from their partners, and promoting the availability of HIV testing and treat-
ment are essential for reproductive health. It is also important to provide for the eco-
nomic means for the infected populations in terms of prevention, treatment and
medical follow-up.
• Women must have the same access as men, without discrimination to education,
employment, economic independence, information about healthcare and health ser-
vices.
• Laws, policies and practices that facilitate the full recognition and respect of human
rights and the fundamental freedom of women should be initiated or reviewed and
revised where appropriate. It is essential that women are empowered to make deci-
sions regarding their children, their financial status and their future.
• All governments should develop programmes to provide prophylactic treatment in
the form of antiretrovirals to women who have been raped or sexually assaulted.
Universal and free access to antiretroviral therapy must also be provided to all HIV
infected women.
• HIV infected women who are pregnant should receive counselling and access to
anti-retroviral prophylaxis or treatment in order to prevent mother to child trans-
mission of HIV.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2003-‐01-‐2013
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
DESIGNATION
OF
AN
ANNUAL
MEDICAL
ETHICS
DAY
Adopted by the 54th
WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, September 2003
and reaffirmed by the 194th
WMA Council Session, Bali, Indonesia, April 2013
Whereas the World Medical Association has a specific focus and function in the field of
medical ethics, and came into being on 18 September 1947 during the first General
Assembly, it is resolved that NMAs are encouraged to annually observe the 18th
September as "Medical Ethics Day".
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2003-‐02-‐2007
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
RESPONSIBILITY
OF
PHYSICIANS
IN
THE
DOCUMENTATION
AND
DENUNCIATION
OF
ACTS
OF
TORTURE
OR
CRUEL
OR
INHUMAN
OR
DEGRADING
TREATMENT
Adopted by the 54th
WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, September 2003
and amended by the 58th
WMA General Assembly, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2007
The World Medical Association,
1. Considering the Preamble to the United Nations Charter of 26 June 1945 solemnly
proclaiming the faith of the people of the United Nations in the fundamental human
rights, the dignity and value of the human person,
2. Considering the Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 De-
cember 1948 which states that disregard and contempt for human rights have re-
sulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind,
3. Considering Article 5 of that Declaration which proclaims that no one shall be sub-
jected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,
4. Considering the American Convention on Human Rights, which was adopted by the
Organization of American States on 22 November 1969 and entered into force on 18
July 1978, and the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture, which
entered into force on 28 February 1987,
5. Considering the Declaration of Tokyo, adopted by the World Medical Association in
1975, which reaffirms the prohibition of any form of medical involvement or presence
of a physician during torture or inhuman or degrading treatment,
6. Considering the Declaration of Hawaii, adopted by the World Psychiatric Association
in 1977,
7. Considering the Declaration of Kuwait, adopted by the International Conference of
Islamic Medical Associations in 1981,
8. Considering the Principles of Medical Ethics Relevant to the Role of Health Person-
nel, Particularly Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees Against Tor-
ture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted by
the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 1982, and particularly Princi-
ple 2, which states: "It is a gross contravention of medical ethics… for health person-
nel, particularly physicians, to engage, actively or passively, in acts which constitute
participation in, complicity in, incitement to or attempts to commit torture or other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment…",
Copenhagen
⏐
R-‐2003-‐02-‐2007
Denunciation
of
Acts
of
Torture
9. Considering the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assem-
bly on December 1984 and entered into force on 26 June, 1987,
10. Considering the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which was adopted by the Council of Europe on
26 June 1987 and entered into force on 1 February 1989,
11. Considering the Resolution on Human Rights adopted by the World Medical Asso-
ciation in Rancho Mirage, in October 1990 during the 42nd
General Assembly and
amended by the 45th
, 46th
and 47th
General Assemblies,
12. Considering the Declaration of Hamburg, adopted by the World Medical Association
in November 1997 during the 49th
General Assembly, calling on physicians to protest
individually against ill-treatment and on national and international medical organiza-
tions to support physicians in such actions,
13. Considering the Istanbul Protocol (Manual on the Effective Investigation and Docu-
mentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punish-
ment), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 4 December 2000,
14. Considering the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the
United Nations on 20 November 1989 and entered into force on 2 September 1990,
and
15. Considering the World Medical Association Declaration of Malta on Hunger Strikers,
adopted by the 43rd
World Medical Assembly Malta, November 1991and amended by
the WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October, 2006,
RECOGNIZING
1. That careful and consistent documentation and denunciation by physicians of cases of
torture and of those responsible contributes to the protection of the physical and men-
tal integrity of victims and in a general way to the struggle against a major affront to
human dignity,
2. That physicians, by ascertaining the sequelae and treating the victims of torture, either
early or late after the event, are privileged witnesses of this violation of human rights,
3. That the victims, because of the psychological sequelae from which they suffer or the
pressures brought on them, are often unable to formulate by themselves complaints
against those responsible for the ill-treatment they have undergone,
4. That the absence of documenting and denouncing acts of torture may be considered as
a form of tolerance thereof and of non-assistance to the victims,
5. That nevertheless there is no consistent and explicit reference in the professional
codes of medical ethics and legislative texts of the obligation upon physicians to
document, report or denounce acts of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment of
which they are aware,
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2003-‐02-‐2007
⏐
World
Medical
Association
RECOMMENDS
THAT
NATIONAL
MEDICAL
ASSOCIATIONS
1. Attempt to ensure that detainees or victims of torture or cruelty or mistreatment have
access to immediate and independent health care. Attempt to ensure that physicians
include assessment and documentation of symptoms of torture or ill-treatment in the
medical records using the necessary procedural safeguards to prevent endangering
detainees.
2. Promote awareness of the Istanbul Protocol and its Principles on the Effective Investi-
gation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treat-
ment. This should be done at country level using different methods of information dis-
semination; including trainings, publications and web documents.
3. Disseminate to physicians the Istanbul Protocol.
4. Promote training of physicians on the identification of different modes of torture, in
recognizing physical and psychological symptoms following specific forms of torture
and in using the documentation techniques foreseen in the Istanbul Protocol to create
documentation that can be used as evidence in legal or administrative proceedings.
5. Promote awareness of the correlation between the examination findings, under-
standing torture methods and the patients' allegations of abuse;
6. Facilitate the production of high-quality medical reports on torture victims for sub-
mission to judicial and administrative bodies;
7. Attempt to ensure that physicians observe informed consent and avoid putting indi-
viduals in danger while assessing or documenting signs of torture and ill-treatment;
8. Attempt to ensure that physicians include assessment and documentation of symptoms
of torture or ill-treatment in the medical records using the necessary procedural safe-
guards to prevent endangering detainees.
9. Support the adoption in their country of ethical rules and legislative provisions:
1. aimed at affirming the ethical obligation on physicians to report or denounce acts
of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of which they are aware; de-
pending on the circumstances, the report or denunciation would be addressed to
medical, legal, national or international authorities, to non-governmental organiza-
tions or to the International Criminal Court. Doctors should use their discretion in
this matter, bearing in mind paragraph 68 of the Istanbul Protocol.
2. establishing, to that effect, an ethical and legislative exception to professional con-
fidentiality that allows the physician to report abuses, where possible with the sub-
ject's consent, but in certain circumstances where the victim is unable to express
him/herself freely, without explicit consent.
3. cautioning physicians to avoid putting individuals in danger by reporting on a
named basis a victim who is deprived of freedom, subjected to constraint or threat
or in a compromised psychological situation
Copenhagen
⏐
R-‐2003-‐02-‐2007
Denunciation
of
Acts
of
Torture
10. Place at their disposal all useful information on reporting procedures, particularly to
the national authorities, nongovernmental organizations and the International Crimi-
nal Court.
Istanbul Protocol, paragraph 68: "In some cases, two ethical obligations are in conflict.
International codes and ethical principles require the reporting of information concerning
torture or maltreatment to a responsible body. In some jurisdictions, this is also a legal re-
quirement. In some cases, however, patients may refuse to give consent to being exa-
mined for such purposes or to having the information gained from examination disclosed
to others. They may be fearful of the risks of reprisals for themselves or their families. In
such situations, health professionals have dual responsibilities: to the patient and to society
at large, which has an interest in ensuring that justice is done and perpetrators of abuse are
brought to justice. The fundamental principle of avoiding harm must feature prominently
in consideration of such dilemmas. Health professionals should seek solutions that pro-
mote justice without breaking the individual's right to confidentiality. Advice should be
sought from reliable agencies; in some cases this may be the national medical association
or non-governmental agencies. Alternatively, with supportive encouragement, some reluc-
tant patients may agree to disclosure within agreed parameters."
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2003-‐03-‐2014
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
NON-‐COMMERCIALISATION
OF
HUMAN
REPRODUCTIVE
MATERIAL
Adopted by the 54th
WMA General Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, September 2003
and revised by 65th
WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014
PREAMBLE
The rapid advances in biomedical technologies have led to growth of the reproductive
assistance industry, which tends to be poorly regulated. Despite the fact that many govern-
ments have laws prohibiting commercial transactions of reproductive material, most have
not been successful in universally preventing the sale of human ova, sperm and embryos
on the internet and elsewhere. The market value of human material, including cells, tis-
sues, and cellular tissue can be lucrative, creating a potential conflict for physicians and
others between economic interests and professional ethical obligations.
For the purposes of this resolution human reproductive material is defined as human
gametes and embryos.
According to the WHO, transplant commercialism “is a policy or practice in which cells,
tissues or organs are treated as a commodity, including by being bought or sold or used for
material gain.”1
The principle that the “human body and its parts shall not, as such, give rise to financial
gain”2
is laid down in numerous international declarations and recommendations.3
The
2006 WMA Statement on Human Organ Donation and Transplantation and the 2012
WMA Statement on Organ and Tissue Donation call for the prohibition of the sale of or-
gans and tissues for transplantation. The WMA Statement on Assisted Reproductive
Technologies (2006) also states that it is inappropriate to offer financial benefits to en-
courage donation of human reproductive material.
The same principles should be in place for the use of human reproductive material in the
area of medical research. The International Bioethics Committee of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO IBC) in its report on the
ethical aspects of human embryonic stem cell research states that the transfer of human
embryos must not be a commercial transaction and that measures should be taken to
discourage any financial incentive.
It is important to distinguish between the sale of clinical assisted reproductive services,
which is legal, and the sale of the human reproductive materials, which is usually illegal.
Due to the special nature of human embryos, the commercialization of gametes is unlike
that of other cells and tissues as sperm and eggs may develop into a child if fertilization is
successful.
Durban
⏐
R-‐2003-‐03-‐2014
Non-‐Commercialization
of
Human
Reproductive
Material
Before human reproductive material is donated, the donor must give informed consent that
is free of duress. This requires that the individual donor is deemed fully competent and has
been given all the available information regarding the procedure and its outcome. If re-
search is to be conducted on the material, it is subject to a separate consent process that
must be consistent with the provisions in the WMA's Declaration of Helsinki. There must
not be any inducement or other undue pressure to donate or offers of compensation.
Monetary compensation given to individuals for economic losses, expenses or incon-
veniences associated with the retrieval of donated reproductive materials should be dis-
tinguished from payment for the purchase of reproductive materials.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
1. National Medical Associations (NMAs) should urge their governments to prohibit
commercial transactions in human ova, sperm and embryos and any human material
for reproductive purpose.
2. Physicians involved in the procurement and use of human ova, sperm, and em-
bryos should implement protocol to ensure that materials have been acquired ap-
propriately with the consent and authorization of the source individuals. In doing
so, they can uphold the ethical principle of non-commercialization of human repro-
ductive material.
3. Physicians should consult with potential donors prior to donation in order to ensure
free and informed consent.
4. Physicians should adhere to the WMA Statement on Conflict of Interest when
treating patients who seek reproductive services.
1
Global Glossary of Terms and Definitions on Donation and Transplantation, WHO, November
2009
2
European convention of human rights and biomedicine - Article 21 – Prohibition of financial
gain
3
Declaration of Istanbul guiding principle 5
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2004-‐01-‐2014
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
WFME
GLOBAL
STANDARDS
FOR
QUALITY
IMPROVEMENT
OF
MEDICAL
EDUCATION
Approved by the 55th
WMA General Assembly, Tokyo, Japan, October 2004
and reaffirmed by the 197th
WMA Council Session, Tokyo, Japan, April 2014
Whereas the WMA:
1. Recognizes the need and importance for sound global standards for quality improve-
ment of medical education;
2. Acknowledges the WMA's special relationship with the World Federation for Medical
Education (WFME) as one of the founders of the Federation;
3. Recognizes that it is represented in the WFME Executive Council and in this capacity
is co-responsible for the WFME Project on International Standards in Medical Educa-
tion, conducted since 1997 1
;
4. Acknowledges the recent development of the WFME Trilogy of Documents of Global
Standards in Medical Education for Quality Improvement, covering Basic Medical
Education2
, Postgraduate Medical Education3
and the Continuing Professional De-
velopment (CPD) of Medical Doctors4
;
5. Recognizes the endorsement5
of the WFME Global Standards at the World Confer-
ence in Medical Education: Global Standards in Medical Education for Better Health
Care, in Copenhagen, Denmark, March 20036
;
It hereby:
1. Expresses its encouragement and support of the ongoing work of implementing the
Trilogy of WFME Documents on Global Standards in Medical Education.
1
The Executive Council, The World Federation for Medical Education: International standards in
medical education: assessment and accreditation of medical schools´ educational programmes. A
WFME position paper. Med Ed 1998; 32: 549-558.
2
World Federation for Medical Education: Basic Medical Education. WFME Global Standards for
Quality Improvement. WFME, Copenhagen 2003. http://www.wfme.org
3
World Federation for Medical Education. Postgraduate Medical Education. WFME Global
Standards for Quality Improvement. WFME, Copenhagen 2003. http://www.wfme.org
4
World Federation for Medical Education: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of Me-
dical Doctors. WFME Global Standards for Quality Improvement. WFME Copenhagen 2003.
http://www.wfme.org
5
J.P. de V. van Niekerk. WFME Global Standards receive ringing endorsement. Med Ed, 2003;
37: 586-587.
6
WFME website: http://www.wfme.org
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
MEDICAL
ASSISTANCE
IN
AIR
TRAVEL
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
1. Air travel is the preferred mode of long distance transportation for people across the
world. The growing convenience and affordability of air travel has led to an increase
in the number of air passengers, including older passengers and other individuals at
increased risk for health emergencies. In addition, long-duration flights are common,
increasing the risk of in-flight medical emergencies.
2. The environment in normal passenger planes is not conducive to the provision of
quality medical care, especially in the case of medical emergencies. Noise and move-
ment of the plane, a very confined space, the presence of other passengers who may
be experiencing stress or fear as a result of the situation, the insufficiency or complete
lack of diagnostic and therapeutic materials and other factors create extremely diffi-
cult conditions for diagnosis and treatment. Even the most experienced medical pro-
fessional is likely to be challenged by these circumstances.
3. Most airlines require flight personnel to be trained in basic first aid. In addition, many
provide some degree of training beyond this minimum level and may also carry cer-
tain emergency medicines and equipment on board. Some carriers even have the capa-
city to provide remote ECG reading and medical counselling services.
4. Even well-trained flight personnel are limited in their knowledge and experience and
cannot offer the same assistance as a physician or other certified health professional.
Currently, continuing medical education courses are available to physicians to train
them specifically for in-flight emergencies.
5. Physicians are often concerned about providing assistance due to uncertainty re-
garding legal liability, especially on international flights or flights within the United
States. While numerous airlines provide some kind of liability insurance for medical
professionals and lay persons who will provide voluntary assistance during flight, this
is not always the case and even where it does exist, the terms of the insurance cannot
always be adequately explained and understood in a sudden medical crisis. The finan-
cial and professional consequences of litigation against physicians who offer assis-
tance can be very costly.
6. Some important steps have been taken to protect the life and health of airline pas-
sengers, yet the situation is far from ideal and needs improvement. Many of the major
problems could be mitigated by simple actions taken by both airlines and national le-
gislatures, ideally in cooperation with one another and with the International Air Trans-
port Association (IATA) to arrive at coordinated and consensus-based international
policies and programs.
7. National Medical Associations have an important leadership role to play in promoting
measures to improve the availability and efficacy of in-flight medical care.
R-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
⏐
Durban
Air
travel
8. Therefore the World Medical Association calls on its members to encourage national
airlines providing medium and long range passenger flights to take the following ac-
tions:
a. Equip their airplanes with a sufficient and standardised set of medical emergency
materials and drugs that:
1. are packaged in a standardised and easy to identify manner;
2. are accompanied by information and instructions in English as well the main
languages of the countries of departure and arrival; and
3. include Automated External Defibrillators, which are considered essential
equipment in non-professional settings.
b. Provide stand-by medical assistance that can be contacted by radio or telephone to
help either the flight attendants or to support a volunteering health professional, if
one is on board and available to assist.
c. Develop medical emergency plans to guide personnel in responding to the medical
needs of passengers.
d. Provide sufficient medical and organisational instruction to flight personnel, be-
yond basic first aid training, to enable them to better attend to passenger needs
and to assist medical professionals who volunteer their services during emer-
gencies.
e. Provide insurance for medical professionals and assisting lay personnel to protect
them from damages and liabilities (material and non-material) resulting from in-
flight diagnosis and treatment.
9. The World Medical Association calls on its members to encourage their national avia-
tion authorities to provide yearly summarised reports of in-flight medical incidents
based on mandatory standardised incident reports for every medical incident requiring
the administration of first aid or other medical assistance and/or causing a change of
the flight.
10. The World Medical Association calls on its members to encourage their legislators to
enact legislation to provide immunity from legal action to physicians who provide
emergency assistance in in-flight medical incidents.
11. In the absence of legal immunity, the airline must accept all legal and financial conse-
quences of providing assistance by a physician.
12. The World Medical Association calls on its members to:
a. educate physicians about the problems of in-flight medical emergencies;
b. inform physicians of training opportunities or provide or promote the develop-
ment of training programs where they do not exist; and
c. encourage physicians to discuss potential problems with patients at high risk for
requiring in-flight medical attention prior to their flight.
13. The World Medical Association calls on IATA to further develop precise standards in
the following areas and, where appropriate, work with governments to implement these
standards as legal requirements:
a. medical equipment and drugs on board medium and long range flights;
b. packaging and information materials standards, including multilingual descrip-
tions and instructions in appropriate languages;
c. medical emergency organisation procedures and training programs for medical
personal.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2006-‐02-‐2006
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
CHILD
SAFETY
IN
AIR
TRAVEL
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
1. Whereas air travel is a common mode of transportation and is used by people of all
ages every day;
2. Whereas high standards of safety for adult passengers in air travel have been
achieved;
3. Whereas strict safety procedures are being followed in air travel that greatly increase
the chance of survival during emergency situations for properly secured adults;
4. Whereas infants and children are not always guaranteed adequate and appropriate
safety measures during emergency situations in aircraft;
5. Whereas restraint and safety systems for infants and children have been successfully
tested to reduce the risk of suffering injuries during emergency situations in aircraft;
6. Whereas child restraint systems have been approved for usage in standard passenger
aircrafts and successfully introduced by several airlines;
Therefore, the World Medical Association
1. Expresses grave concern regarding the fact that adequate safety systems for infants
and children have not been generally implemented;
2. Calls on all airline companies to take immediate steps to introduce safe, thoroughly
tested and standardized child restraint systems;
3. Calls on all airline companies to train their staff in the appropriate handling and usage
of child restraint systems;
4. Calls for the establishment of a universal standard or specification for the testing and
manufacturing of child restraint systems; and
5. Calls on national legislators and air transportation safety authorities to:
a. require for infants and children, as a matter of law, safe individual child restraint
systems that are approved for use in standard passenger aircraft;
b. ensure that airlines provide child restraint systems or welcome passengers using their
own systems, if the equipment is qualified and approved for the specific aircraft;
c. ban the usage of inappropriate "Loop Belts" frequently used to secure infants and
children in passenger aircraft;
d. provide appropriate information about infant and child safety on board of aircraft to all
airline passengers.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2006-‐03-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
COMBATING
HIV/AIDS
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
MINDFUL that the WMA Statement on HIV/AIDS and the Medical Profession was
adopted at the 57th
WMA General Assembly in Pilanesberg, Republic of South Africa, on
14 October 2006; and
RECOGNIZING the alarming statistic from UNAIDS that some 37-38 million people
worldwide are infected with HIV, with the number increasing daily, and that 60% percent
of them live in sub-Saharan Africa; and
NOTING that there exist evidence-based methods for preventing the spread of the infec-
tion and also for life-prolonging treatment; therefore
The WMA urges governments to work closely with health professionals and their repre-
sentative organizations to identify and implement the critical steps to ensure
1. that all efforts are made to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS;
2. that the diagnosis, counselling and treatment of patients for HIV/AIDS is undertaken
only by appropriately trained physicians and other healthcare personnel, according to
established evidence-based principles;
3. that patients be given accurate, relevant and comprehensive information to enable
them to make informed decisions about their health care treatment; and
4. that barriers preventing people from coming forward for testing and treatment be
identified and eliminated.
The WMA calls on National Medical Associations to use this resolution in their advocacy
efforts to their governments, their patients and the public.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2006-‐04-‐2006
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
NORTH
KOREAN
NUCLEAR
TESTING
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
RECALLING the WMA Declaration on Nuclear Weapons that was adopted at the WMA
General Assembly in Ottawa, Canada, in October 1998;
The WMA:
1. Denounces North Korean nuclear testing conducted at a time of heightened global
vigilance on nuclear testing and arsenals;
2. Calls for the immediate abandonment of the testing of nuclear weapons; and
3. Requests all member National Medical Associations to urge their governments to
understand the adverse health and environmental consequences of the testing and use
of nuclear weapons.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2006-‐05-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
TUBERCULOSIS
Adopted by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
PREAMBLE
1. According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis is a problem affecting over
9 million people every year and ranks among the leading infectious diseases with an
annual incidence rate of 1%. The Eastern European region is particularly affected.
2. In developing countries, the incidence of tuberculosis has risen dramatically due
mainly to its prevalence in areas with a high rate of HIV/AIDS. The increased move-
ment of populations has also exacerbated the problem.
3. The multi-resistant forms of tuberculosis, a by-product of original bacilli resistant to
the action of the main tuberculosis medicines, also present great difficulties in con-
trolling the disease.
4. Radiological detection and sputum examination targeted at high-risk subjects con-
tinues to be an essential element of tuberculosis prevention.
5. Among migrants, the homeless, prisoners and other high risk groups, such a strategy
is particularly efficient in preventing epidemics.
6. The reactivation of screening and follow-up programmes and the application on a
large scale of rapid and strictly supervised daily treatment should help address the epi-
demic.
7. The vaccination policy for BCG (bacille Calmette-Guérin) should be targeted at child-
ren from their first vaccination.
RESOLUTIONS
1. The World Medical Association, in consultation with the WHO and national and
international health authorities and organisations, will continue to work for the im-
provement of tuberculosis treatment and surveillance and will also promote surveys of
individual cases, the reactivation of screening and surveillance programs, and the
large-scale application of daily care delivery and treatment supervision.
Pilanesberg
⏐
R-‐2006-‐05-‐2006
Tuberculosis
2. The WMA supports calls for adequate financial, material and human resources for
tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS prevention, including adequately trained health care pro-
viders and adequate public health infrastructure, and will participate with health pro-
fessionals in providing information on tuberculosis and its treatment.
3. The WMA encourages continuing professional development for healthcare profes-
sionals in the field of tuberculosis. Specialized courses on multi-drug-resistant TB are
particularly important.
4. The WMA calls on its National Member Associations to support the WHO in its
DOTS strategy and in other work to promote the more effective management of tuber-
culosis.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2007-‐01-‐2007
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
HEALTH
AND
HUMAN
RIGHTS
ABUSES
IN
ZIMBABWE
Adopted by the 58th
WMA General Assembly, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2007
PREAMBLE
Noting information and reports of systematic and repeated violations of human rights,
interference with the right to health in Zimbabwe, failure to provide resources essential for
provision of basic health care, declining health status of Zimbabweans, dual loyalties and
threats to health care workers striving to maintain clinical independence, denial of access
to health care for persons deemed to be associated with opposition political parties and
escalating state torture, the WMA wishes to confirm its support of, and commitment to:
• Attaining the World Health Organization principle that the "enjoyment of the
highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every
human being"
• Defending the fundamental purpose of physicians to alleviate distress of patients
and not to let personal, collective or political will prevail against such purpose
• Supporting the role of physicians in upholding the human rights of their patients as
central to their professional obligations
• Supporting physicians who are persecuted because of their adherence to medical
ethics
RECOMMENDATION
Therefore, the World Medical Association, recognizing the collapsing health care system
and public health crisis in Zimbabwe, calls on its affiliated national medical associations to:
1. Publicly denounce all human rights abuses and violations of the right to health in
Zimbabwe
2. Actively protect physicians who are threatened or intimidated for actions which are
part of their ethical and professional obligations
3. Engage with the Zimbabwean Medical Association (ZiMA) to ensure the autonomy of
the medical profession in Zimbabwe
4. Urge and support ZiMA to invite an international fact finding mission to Zimbabwe
as a means for urgent action to address the health and health needs of Zimbabweans
Copenhagen
⏐
R-‐2007-‐01-‐2007
Human
Rights
Abuses
in
Zimbabwe
In addition, the WMA encourages ZiMA, as a member organization of the WMA, to:
1. Uphold its commitment to the WMA Declarations of Tokyo, Hamburg and Madrid as
well as the WMA Statement on Access to Health Care
2. Facilitate an environment where all Zimbabweans have equal access to quality health
care and medical treatment, irrespective of their political affiliations
3. Commit to eradicating torture and inhumane, degrading treatment of citizens in Zim-
babwe
4. Reaffirm their support for the clinical independence of physicians treating any citizen
of Zimbabwe
5. Obtain and publicize accurate and necessary information on the state of health ser-
vices in Zimbabwe
6. Advocate for inclusion in medical curricula, teachings on human rights and the ethical
obligations of physicians to maintain full and clinical independence when dealing
with patients in vulnerable situations
The WMA encourages ZiMA to seek assistance in achieving the above by engaging with
the WMA, the Commonwealth Medical Association and the NMAs of neighboring coun-
tries and to report on its progress from time to time.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2007-‐02-‐2007
⏐
World
Medical
Association
RESOLUTION
IN
SUPPORT
OF
THE
MEDICAL
ASSOCIATIONS
IN
LATIN
AMERICA
AND
THE
CARIBBEAN
Adopted by the 58th
WMA General Assembly, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2007
There are credible reports that arrangements between the Cuban government and certain
Latin American and Caribbean governments to supply Cuban health workers as physicians
to these countries are bypassing systems, established to protect patients, that have been set
up to verify physicians’ credentials and competence.
The World Medical Association is significantly concerned that patients are put at risk by
unregulated medical practices.
There exist already duly constituted and legally authorized medical associations within
this region that are charged with the registration of physicians and which should be con-
sulted by their respective Ministries of Health.
Therefore, the WMA:
1. Condemns any actions by governments in policies and practices that subvert or bypass
the accepted standards of medical credentialing and medical care;
2. Calls upon the governments in Latin America and the Caribbean to work with the me-
dical associations on all matters related to physician certification and the practice of
medicine and to respect the role and rights of these medical associations and the
autonomy of the medical profession.
3. Urges, as a matter of utmost concern, that the governments in Latin America and the
Caribbean respect the WMA International Code of Medical Ethics and the Decla-
ration of Madrid that guide the medical practice of physicians all over the world.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2008-‐01-‐2008
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
ECONOMIC
CRISIS
-‐
IMPLICATIONS
FOR
HEALTH
-‐
Adopted by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
The current global economic crisis is affecting individuals as well as national and global
economies and will have implications for health. Individuals face uncertainties about their
future and psychological consequences are beginning to emerge. Governments facing eco-
nomic downturns have to respond by cutting down national expenses. There is a risk that
expenditure on health care will decrease nominally and proportionally in the coming
years. Experience has shown that this response can have serious consequences on the
health of individuals and on their contribution to the national economy. Any savings will
therefore be reduced.
The WMA therefore urges NMAs to work with their governments to:
• Initiate programs for families and individuals needing medical and psychological
support because of the current economic crisis.
• Preserve at least the current expenditure on health.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2008-‐02-‐2008
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
POPPIES
FOR
MEDICINE
PROJECT
FOR
AFGHANISTAN
Adopted by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
Whereas the World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that a small number of
countries in the world consume 80% of the opiates legally available worldwide, leaving
significant unmet needs in the rest of the world, especially in developing countries;
Whereas morphine and diamorphine play an essential role in the treatment of moderate
and severe pain, especially in meeting the pain needs of the growing number of end-stage
HIV/AIDS and cancer patients;
Whereas the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has asked the international
community to promote the prescription of painkillers, especially in poor countries, as
severe under-treatment is reported in more than 150 countries where hardly anyone in
need of treatment is being treated, and in another 30 countries, where under-treatment is
even more prevalent or where no data are available;
Whereas there exists an illegal opium crisis in Afghanistan, with growing poppy culti-
vation and opium production;
Therefore, the World Medical Association:
• Supports the investigation of possibilities for the controlled production of opium
for medical purposes in Afghanistan through a scientific pilot project in Afgha-
nistan; and
• Urges governments to support a scientific pilot project to investigate whether cer-
tain areas of Afghanistan could provide the right conditions for the strictly con-
trolled production of morphine and diamorphine for medical purposes.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2008-‐03-‐2008
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
COLLABORATION
BETWEEN
HUMAN
AND
VETERINARY
MEDICINE
Adopted by the 59th
WMA General Assembly, Seoul, Korea, October 2008
The majority of the emerging infectious diseases, including the bioterrorist agents, are
zoonoses. Zoonoses can, by definition, infect both animals and humans. By their very
nature, the fields of human medicine and veterinary medicine are complementary and
synergistic in confronting, controlling and preventing zoonotic diseases from infecting
across species.
Collaboration and communication between human medicine and veterinary medicine have
been limited in recent decades, yet the challenges of the 21st
Century demand that these
two professions work together.
An initiative, often called the "One Health" initiative, is being developed to improve the
lives of all species-human and animal-through the integration of human and veterinary
medicine.1
"One Health" aims to promote and implement close meaningful collaboration
and communication between human medicine, veterinary medicine and all allied health
scientists with the goal of hastening human public health efficacy as well as advanced
health care options for humans (and animals) via comparative biomedical research.
The World Medical Association (WMA) recognizes the ways in which animals and animal
care may affect human health and disease through its own current policies, particularly its
statements on Animal Use in Biomedical Research, Resistance to Antimicrobial Drugs and
Avian and Pandemic Influenza. The WMA already works with other health professions
including dentists, nurses and pharmacists though the World Health Professions Alliance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
That the World Medical Association:
• Support collaboration between human and veterinary medicine;
• Support the concept of joint educational efforts between human medical and ve-
terinary medical schools;
• Encourage joint efforts in clinical care through the assessment, treatment, and pre-
vention of cross-species disease transmission;
• Support cross-species disease surveillance and control efforts in public health, par-
ticularly the identification of early disease and outbreak trends;
R-‐2008-‐03-‐2008
⏐
Seoul
Veterinary
Medicine
• Support the need for joint efforts in the development, integration and evaluation of
screening tools, diagnostic methods, medicines, vaccines, surveillance systems and
policies for the prevention, management and control of zoonotic diseases;
• Engage in a dialogue with the World Veterinary Association to discuss strategies
for enhancing collaboration between human and veterinary medical professions in
medical education, clinical care, public health, and biomedical research.
• Encourage National Medical Associations to engage in a dialogue with their veteri-
nary counterparts to discuss strategies for enhancing collaboration between human
and veterinary medical professions within their own countries
1
J. Zinsstag, et al. Lancet 2005; 366: 2142-2145 and E.P.J. Gibbs. Veterinary Record 2005;
157:673-679
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
WMA
EMERGENCY
RESOLUTION
ON
LEGISLATION
AGAINST
ABORTION
IN
NICARAGUA
Adopted by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
WHEREAS,
Legislative changes in Nicaragua (Articles 143, 145, 148 and 149 Law No. 641, revised
Penal Code) criminalise abortion in all circumstances; including any medical treatment of
a pregnant woman which results in the death of or injury to an embryo or fetus; and
This legislation
• may have a negative impact on the health of women in Nicaragua country.
• could result in preventable deaths of women and the embryo or fetus they are
carrying.
• places physicians at risk of imprisonment if they break this law, and at risk of sus-
pension from medical practice if they fail to follow the Nicaraguan Ministry of
Health’s 2006 Obstetric Protocols, which sometimes requires treatment of a preg-
nant woman that is contrary to the legislation.
THEREFORE, the World Medical Association urges the Nicaraguan government to repeal
the above legislation.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
SUPPORTING
THE
RIGHTS
OF
PATIENTS
AND
PHYSICIANS
IN
THE
ISLAMIC
REPUBLIC
OF
IRAN
Adopted by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
WHEREAS,
Physicians in the Islamic Republic of Iran have reported:
Unsettling practices of injured persons being taken to prisons, without adequate medical
treatment or the consensus of the attending physicians;
Physicians being hindered from treating patients;
Concern about the veracity of documentation related to the death of patients and physi-
cians being forced to clinically inaccurate documentation; and
Corpses and badly injured political and religious prisoners who were admitted to hospitals
with signs of brutal torture, including sexual abuse.
THEREFORE, the World Medical Association
1. Reaffirms its Declaration of Lisbon: Declaration on the Rights of the Patient, which
states that whenever legislation, government action or any other administration or
institution denies patients the right to medical care, physicians should pursue appro-
priate means to assure or to restore it.
2. Reaffirms its Declaration of Hamburg: Declaration Concerning Support for Medical
Doctors Refusing to Participate in, or to Condone, the Use of Torture or Other Forms
of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, which encourages doctors to honor their
commitment as physicians to serve humanity and to resist any pressure to act contrary
to the ethical principles governing their dedication to this task.
3. Reaffirms its Declaration of Tokyo: Guidelines for Physicians Concerning Torture
and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Relation to De-
tention and Imprisonment, which:
• prohibits physicians from participating in, or even being present during the
practice of torture or other forms of cruel or inhuman or degrading procedures;
• requires that physicians maintain utmost respect for human life even under
threat, and prohibits them from using any medical knowledge contrary to the
laws of humanity.
New
Delhi
⏐
R-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
Rights
of
Patients
and
Physicians
in
Iran
4. Reaffirms its Resolution on the Responsibility of Physicians in the Documentation
and Denunciation of Acts of Torture or Cruel or Inhuman or Degrading Treatment;
which states that physicians should attempt to:
• ensure that detainees or victims of torture or cruelty or mistreatment have ac-
cess to immediate and independent health care;
• ensure that physicians include assessment and documentation of symptoms of
torture or ill-treatment in the medical records using the necessary procedural
safeguards to prevent endangering detainees.
5. Refers to the WMA International Code of Medical Ethics, which states that physi-
cians shall be dedicated to providing competent medical service in full professional
and moral independence, with compassion and respect for human dignity.
6. Urges the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to respect the International
Code of Medical Ethics and the standards included in the aforementioned declarations
to which physicians are committed.
7. Urges National Medical Associations to speak out in support of this resolution.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2009-‐03-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
TASK
SHIFTING
FROM
THE
MEDICAL
PROFESSION
Adopted by the 60th
WMA General Assembly, New Delhi, India, October 2009
In health care, the term "Task Shifting" is used to describe a situation where a task nor-
mally performed by a physician is transferred to a health professional with a different or
lower level of education and training, or to a person specifically trained to perform a
limited task only, without having a formal health education. Task shifting occurs both in
countries facing shortages of physicians and those not facing shortages.
A major factor leading to task shifting is the shortage of qualified workers resulting from
migration or other factors. In countries facing a critical shortage of physicians, task shift-
ing may be used to train alternate health care workers or laypersons to perform tasks gene-
rally considered to be within the purview of the medical profession. The rationale behind
the transferring of these tasks is that the alternative would be no service to those in
need. In such countries, task shifting is aimed at improving the health of extremely vul-
nerable populations, mostly to address current shortages of healthcare professionals or
tackle specific health issues such as HIV. In countries with the most extreme shortage of
physicians, new cadres of health care workers have been established. However, those per-
sons taking over physicians' tasks lack the broad education and training of physicians and
must perform their tasks according to protocols, but without the knowledge, experience
and professional judgement required to make proper decisions when complications arise
or other deviations occur. This may be appropriate in countries where the alternative to
task shifting is no care at all but should not be extended to countries with different cir-
cumstances.
In countries not facing a critical shortage of physicians, task shifting may occur for
various reasons: social, economic, and professional, sometimes under the guise of effi-
ciency, savings or other unproven claims. It may be spurred, or, conversely, impeded, by
professions seeking to expand or protect their traditional domain. It may be initiated by
health authorities, by alternate health care workers and sometimes by physicians them-
selves. It may be facilitated by the advancement of medical technology, which stand-
ardizes the performance and interpretation of certain tasks, therefore allowing them to be
performed by non-physicians or technical assistants instead of physicians. This has typi-
cally been done in close collaboration with the medical profession. However, it must be
recognized that medicine can never be viewed solely as a technical discipline.
Task shifting may occur within an already existing medical team, resulting in a reshuffling
of the roles and functions performed by the members of such a team. It may also create
new types of personnel whose function is to assist other health professionals, specifically
physicians, as well as personnel trained to independently perform specific tasks.
New
Delhi
⏐
R-‐2009-‐03-‐2009
Task
Shifting
Although task shifting may be useful in certain situations, and may sometimes improve the
level of patient care, it carries with it significant risks. First and foremost among these is
the risk of decreased quality of patient care, particularly if medical judgment and decision
making is transferred. In addition to the fact that the patient may be cared for by a lesser
trained health care worker, there are specific quality issues involved, including reduced
patient-physician contact, fragmented and inefficient service, lack of proper follow up,
incorrect diagnosis and treatment and inability to deal with complications.
In addition, task shifting which deploys assistive personnel may actually increase the
demand on physicians. Physicians will have increasing responsibilities as trainers and
supervisors, diverting scarce time from their many other tasks such as direct patient care.
They may also have increased professional and/or legal responsibility for the care given
by health care workers under their supervision.
The World Medical Association expresses particular apprehension over the fact that task
shifting is often initiated by health authorities, without consultation with physicians and
their professional representative associations.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Therefore, the World Medical Association recommends the following guidelines:
1. Quality and continuity of care and patient safety must never be compromised and
should be the basis for all reforms and legislation dealing with task shifting.
2. When tasks are shifted away from physicians, physicians and their professional repre-
sentative associations should be consulted and closely involved from the beginning in
all aspects concerning the implementation of task shifting, especially in the reform of
legislations and regulations. Physicians might themselves consider initiating and train-
ing a new cadre of assistants under their supervision and in accordance with principles
of safety and proper patient care.
3. Quality assurance standards and treatment protocols must be defined, developed and
supervised by physicians. Credentialing systems should be devised and implemented
alongside the implementation of task shifting in order to ensure quality of care. Tasks
that should be performed only by physicians must be clearly defined. Specifically, the
role of diagnosis and prescribing should be carefully studied.
4. In countries with a critical shortage of physicians, task shifting should be viewed as
an interim strategy with a clearly formulated exit strategy. However, where conditions
in a specific country make it likely that it will be implemented for the longer term, a
strategy of sustainability must be implemented.
5. Task shifting should not replace the development of sustainable, fully functioning
health care systems. Assistive workers should not be employed at the expense of un-
employed and underemployed health care professionals. Task shifting also should not
replace the education and training of physicians and other health care professionals.
The aspiration should be to train and employ more skilled workers rather than shifting
tasks to less skilled workers.
R-‐2009-‐03-‐2009
⏐
New
Delhi
Task
Shifting
6. Task shifting should not be undertaken or viewed solely as a cost saving measure as
the economic benefits of task shifting remain unsubstantiated and because cost driven
measures are unlikely to produce quality results in the best interest of patients. Credi-
ble analysis of the economic benefits of task shifting should be conducted in order to
measure health outcomes, cost effectiveness and productivity.
7. Task shifting should be complemented with incentives for the retention of health pro-
fessionals such as an increase of health professionals' salaries and improvement of
working conditions.
8. The reasons underlying the need for task shifting differ from country to country and
therefore solutions appropriate for one country cannot be automatically adopted by
others.
9. The effect of task shifting on the overall functioning of health systems remains un-
clear. Assessments should be made of the impact of task shifting on patient and health
outcomes as well as on efficiency and effectiveness of health care delivery. In parti-
cular, when task shifting occurs in response to specific health issues, such as HIV,
regular assessment and monitoring should be conducted of the entire health system.
Such work is essential in order to ensure that these programs are improving the health
of patients.
10. Task shifting must be studied and assessed independently and not under the auspices
of those designated to perform or finance task shifting measures.
11. Task shifting is only one response to the health workforce shortage. Other methods,
such as collaborative practice or a team/partner approach, should be developed in pa-
rallel and viewed as the gold standard. Task shifting should not replace the develop-
ment of mutually supportive, interactive health care teams, coordinated by a physi-
cian, where each member can make his or her unique contribution to the care being
provided.
12. In order for collaborative practice to succeed, training in leadership and teamwork
must be improved. There must also be a clear understanding of what each person is
trained for and capable of doing, clear understanding of responsibilities and a defined,
uniformly accepted use of terminology.
13. Task shifting should be preceded by a systematic review, analysis and discussion of
the potential needs, costs and benefits. It should not be instituted solely as a reaction
to other developments in the health care system.
14. Research must be conducted in order to identify successful training models. Work
will need to be aligned to various models currently in existence. Research should also
focus on the collection and sharing of information, evidence and outcomes. Research
and analysis must be comprehensive and physicians must be part of the process.
15. When appropriate, National Medical Associations should collaborate with associa-
tions of other health care professionals in setting the framework for task shifting. The
WMA shall consider establishing a framework for the sharing of information on this
topic where members can discuss developments in their countries and their effects on
patient care and outcomes.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2010-‐01-‐2010
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
DRUG
PRECSRIPTION
Adopted by the 61st
WMA General Assembly, Vancouver, Canada, October 2010
PREAMBLE
From the beginning of their studies and throughout their professional careers, doctors ac-
quire the knowledge, training and competence required to treat their patients with the ut-
most skill and care.
Physicians determine the most accurate diagnosis and the most effective treatment to cure
illness, or alleviate its effects, taking into consideration the overall condition of the patient.
Pharmaceutical products are often an essential part of the treatment approach. In order to
make the right decisions in accordance with the ethical and professional principles of me-
dical practice, the doctor must have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the prin-
ciples of pharmacology and possible interactions among different drugs and their effects
on the health of the patient.
The prescribing of medication is a significant clinical intervention, which should be pre-
ceded by multiple, integrated processes to assess the patient and determine the correct cli-
nical diagnosis. These processes include:
• Taking a history of the current condition and past medical history;
• The ability to make differential diagnosis;
• Understanding any multiple chronic and complex illnesses involved;
• Taking a history of the medications currently being administered successfully or
previously withdrawn and also being aware of possible interactions.
Inappropriate drug prescription without proper knowledge and accurate diagnosis may
cause serious adverse effects on the patient’s health. In view of the possible serious conse-
quences that may result from an inappropriate therapeutic decision, the WMA affirms the
following principles on high quality treatment and ensuring patient safety:
PRINCIPLES
Prescription of drugs should be based on a correct diagnosis of the patient’s condition and
should be performed by those who have successfully completed a curriculum on disease
mechanisms, diagnostic methods and medical treatment of the condition in question.
R-‐2010-‐01-‐2010
⏐
Vancouver
Drug
Prescription
Prescriptions issued by physicians are vital for ensuring patient safety, which in turn is
critical for maintaining the relationship of trust between patients and their physicians.
Although nurses and other healthcare workers cooperate in the overall treatment of
patients, the physician is the best qualified individuals to prescribe independently. In some
countries, laws may allow for other professionals to prescribe drugs under specific circum-
stances, generally with extra training and education and most often under medical super-
vision. In all cases, the responsibility for the patient’s treatment must remain with the phy-
sician. Each country’s medical system should ensure the protection of public interest and
safety in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. If a system fails to comply with this basic
framework due to social, economical or other compelling reasons, it should make every
effort to improve the situation and to protect the safety of the patients.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2010-‐02-‐2010
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
VIOLENCE
AGAINST
WOMEN
AND
GIRLS
Adopted by the 61st
WMA General Assembly, Vancouver, Canada, October 2010
Violence is a worldwide, institutionalised phenomenon, and a complex issue, which in-
cludes many manifestations. The nature of the violence experienced by victims is at least
partly dependent upon the social, cultural, political and economic contexts within which
the victims and their abusers live. Some violence is deliberate, systematic and widespread
while others will experience it in covert circumstances; this is especially true of domestic
violence in settings where women enjoy legislated equal and protected rights to those of
men but culturally still have an increased likelihood of experiencing life-threatening do-
mestic violence.
There is clear evidence in most countries that men can be and are often the victims of
violence, including intimate partner violence. They are also statistically far more likely to
be the victims of random violence on the streets. Research shows that while men fre-
quently experience such events, they are not associated with systemic abuse in terms of
denial of rights, which makes the experience of women so much worse in many cul-
tures. Nothing in this paper suggests that violence against men including boys should be
condoned. Actions to protect women and girls are likely to reduce everyone’s experience
of violence.
DEFINING
VIOLENCE
Definitions of violence vary (see footnote), but it is essential that the various forms vio-
lence may take are recognised by policy makers. Violence against women and girls in-
cludes violence within the family, within the community and violence perpetrated by (or
condoned by) the state. Many excuses are given for violence generally and specifically; in
cultural and societal terms these include tradition, beliefs, customs, values and religion.
Although rarely cited the traditional power differential between men and women is also a
major cause.
Within the family and domestic settings violence includes the denial of rights and free-
doms enjoyed by boys and men. This includes female feticide and infanticide, systematic
and deliberate neglect of girls, including poor nutrition and denial of educational oppor-
tunities1
as well as direct physical, psychological and sexual violence. Specific cultural
practices that harm women, including female genital mutilation, forced marriages, dowry
attacks and so-called “honour” killings are all practices that may occur within the family
setting.
R-‐2010-‐02-‐2010
⏐
Vancouver
Violence
against
Women
and
Girls
Within society, attitudes towards rape, sexual abuse and harassment, intimidation at work
or in education, modern slavery, trafficking and forced prostitution, are all forms of vio-
lence condoned by some societies. One extreme form of such violence is sexual violence
used as a weapon of war. In several recent conflicts (e.g. the Balkans, Rwanda) rape was
both associated with ethnic cleansing and specifically, in some cases, used to introduce
widespread AIDS into a community. The ICRC has examined this issue, and recognises
that sexual violence of this sort may be commonly perpetrated against women and girls.2
Sexual violence or the threat of it can also be used against men, but culturally, women are
more vulnerable and more likely to be targeted. Current conflicts are not based upon
battles fought in far away places, but are increasingly concentrated around dense centres
of population increasing the exposure of women to soldiers and armed groups. In war and
in immediate post-conflict situations, societal fabric can collapse, making women in-
creasingly vulnerable to group attacks.
Lack of economic independence, and of basic education, also mean that women who sur-
vive abuse are more likely to be or to become more dependent upon the state or society
and less able to support themselves and contribute to that society. Biologically and beha-
viourally, women are likely to outlive men; denial of the opportunity to be economically
independent leaves society with a cohort of older, economically dependent women.
All these forms of violence may be condoned by the state, or it may remain silent on them,
refusing to condemn or act against them. In some cases the state may legislate to allow
violent practices (for example rape within marriage) and itself become a perpetrator.
All human beings enjoy certain fundamental human rights; the examples listed above of
violence against women and girls involve denial of many of those rights, and each abuse
can be examined against the UN convention on human rights (and for children the Con-
vention on the Rights of the Child).3
In health terms, the denial of rights and the violence itself have health consequences to the
girls and women and to the society of which they are a part. In addition to the specific and
direct physical and health consequences, the general way in which girls and women are
treated can lead to an excess of mental health problems; suicide is the second leading cause
of premature death in women.
CONSEQUENCES
OF
VIOLENCE
The direct health consequence of the violence depends upon the nature of the act. Female
genital mutilation for example may kill the woman at the time of infliction, may lead to
difficulty in voiding the body of waste products including those of menses, and will give
rise to difficulties in childbearing. It also reinforces the ideological concept of women as
the possessions of men (on its own, a form of abuse) who control their sexuality. Gang
rape or other forms of sexual violence may result in long-term gynaecological, urological
and intestinal difficulties including the development of fistulae and incontinence, which
further diminishes societal support for the abused female.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2010-‐02-‐2010
The short and long term mental health consequences of violence may severely influence
later wellbeing, enjoyment of life, function in society and the ability to provide appropri-
ate care for dependants.
Gathering evidence is an important role for doctors. Currently many countries do not have
mandatory registration of all births, making evidence about infanticide or the effects of
neglect difficult to document. Equally, some countries allow marriage at any age, ex-
posing girls to the high risks associated with childbearing before their own bodies are fully
mature, let alone the mental health risks involved. The health consequences of such poli-
cies and their relationship to other health costs must be better documented.
Denial of good nutritional opportunities leads to generations of women with poorer health,
poorer growth and development leading to women who are less fit to survive pregnancy
and childbirth or to rear their families. Denial of educational opportunities leads to poorer
health for all the family members; good education is a major factor in the mother provi-
ding optimal care for all her family. In addition to being wrong in and of itself, violence
against women is also socially and economically damaging to the family and to society.
There are direct and indirect economic consequences to violence against women that are
far greater than the direct health sector costs.
The costs and consequences of violence, including neglect, against women have been
reported in many fora including by WHO4
. The health consequences to the women, their
children and thus to society are clear and need to be made explicit to policy makers.
WHAT
CAN
THE
WMA
DO?
The WMA has a number of policies on violence including the WMA Statement on
Violence and Health and the WMA Statement on Family Violence. This current (State-
ment/resolution/ declaration) brings some of these policies together with a coordinated set
of action points for the WMA, NMAs and individual physicians.
As most human beings look first for the advantages to themselves, their families and their
societies in enabling change, making the benefits of change obvious from the beginning
creates a “win:win” solution. Concentrating first on the health aspects, for women, their
children, and the broad family is therefore a useful way to enter the debate.
Doctors have a unique insight into the combined effects upon wellbeing of social, cultural,
economic and political environments. If all persons are to achieve health and wellbeing,
all these factors need to operate positively. The holistic view from doctors can be used to
influence society and politicians. Gaining societal support for improving the rights, free-
dom and status of women is essential.
ACTIONS
The
WMA:
• Asserts that violence is not only about physical, psychological and sexual violence
but includes abuses such as harmful cultural and traditional practices, and actions
such as complicity in trafficking of women, and is a major public health crisis.
R-‐2010-‐02-‐2010
⏐
Vancouver
Violence
against
Women
and
Girls
• Recognizes the linkage between better education and other rights for women with
family and societal health and wellbeing and emphasizes that equality in civil li-
berties and human rights is a health issue.
• Will prepare briefing and advocacy materials for NMAs to use with national
governments and intergovernmental groups addressing the health and wellbeing
implications of discrimination against women and girls, including adolescents.
This material will include relevant references about the impact of violence on
family wellbeing and on societal financial sustainability.
• Will work with others to prepare and distribute to physicians and other health
workers briefing and advocacy materials dealing with harmful traditional and cul-
tural practices, including female genital mutilation, dowry, and honour killings,
and emphasizing the health impact as well as the violations of human rights.
• Prepare practical examples of the impact of violence and strategies for reducing it,
such as consensus guidelines that are based upon the best available evidence.
• Will advocate at WHO, other UN agencies and elsewhere for ending discrimina-
tion and violence against women.
• Will work with others to prepare templates of educational materials for use by
individual practitioners for documenting and reporting individual cases of abuse.
• Encourages others to develop free educational materials online to provide guidance
to front line health care workers on abuse and its effects, and on prevention strate-
gies.
• Encourage legislation that classifies gang rape used as a weapon of war as a crime
against humanity that is eligible for litigation through the jurisdiction of the Inter-
national Criminal Court system.
NMAs
should:
• Use and promote the available materials on preventing and treating the conse-
quences of violence against women and girls and act as advocates within their own
country.
• Seek to ensure that those devising and delivering education to doctors and other
health care workers are aware of the likelihood of exposure to violence, its conse-
quences, and the evidence on preventative strategies that work, and place appro-
priate emphasis on this in undergraduate, graduate and continuing education of
health care workers.
• Recognise the importance of more complete reporting of the sequelae of violence
and encourage the development of training that emphasises violence awareness and
prevention, in addition to using better reporting and research into incidence, pre-
valence and health impact of all forms of violence.
• Encourage medical journals to publish more of the research on the complex inter-
actions in this area, thus keeping it in the professions’ awareness and contributing
to the development of a solid research base and ongoing documentation of types
and incidence of violence.
• Encourage medical journals to consider publishing theme issues on violence in-
cluding neglect of women and girls.
• Advocate for universal registration of births, and a higher age limit for marriage.
• Advocate for effective implementation of universal human rights.
• Advocate for parental education and support on the care, nurturing, development,
education and protection of children, especially girls.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2010-‐02-‐2010
• Advocate for the monitoring of statistics on children, including both positive and
negative indicators of health and well-being, and social determinants of health.
• Advocate for legislation against specific harmful practices including female feti-
cide, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, and corporal punishment.
• Advocate for the criminalisation of rape in all circumstances including within mar-
riage.
• Condemn the use of gang rape as a weapon of war and work with others to docu-
ment and report it.
• Advocate for the development of research data on the impact of violence and
neglect upon primary and secondary victims and upon society, and for increased
funding for such research.
• Advocate for the protection of those who speak out against abuse, including physi-
cians and other health workers.
Physicians
should:
• Use the material developed for their education to better inform themselves about
the effects of abuse and the successful strategies for prevention.
• Provide health care and protection to children, (especially in times of crisis) and
document and report all cases of violence against children, taking care to safeguard
the patient’s privacy as much as possible.
• Treat and reverse, where possible, the complications and adverse effects of female
genital mutilation and refer the patient for social support services.
• Oppose the publication or broadcast of victims’ names, addresses or likenesses
without the explicit permission of the victim.
• Assess for risk of family violence in the context of taking a routine social history.
• Be alert to the association between current alcohol or drug dependence among
women and a history of abuse.
• Support colleagues who become personally involved in work to end abuse.
• Work to establish the necessary relationship of trust with abused women and child-
ren including respect for confidentiality.
• Support global and local action to better understand the health consequences both
of abuse and of the denial of rights, and advocate for increased services for vic-
tims.
1
At first glance neglect does not seem to equate with violence. But the acceptance of neglect and
the lesser rights given to women and girls are major factors in reinforcing an acceptance of causal
and systematic violence. In that it denies basic rights, many would classify neglect as a form of
violence in and of itself.
2
Rape is considered to be a method of warfare when armed forces or groups use it to torture, in-
jure, extract information, degrade, displace, intimidate, punish or simply to destroy the fabric of the
community, The mere threat of sexual violence can cause entire communities to flee their homes.
from Women and War, ICRC 2008
3
Women’s Health and Human Rights: the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Health through
International Human Rights Law. Rebecca Cook. Presented at the 1999 Adapting to Change
Core Course
4
Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda. WHO November 2009. ISBN 978
92 4 156385 7
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
ACCESS
TO
ADEQUATE
PAIN
TREATMENT
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
PREAMBLE
Around the world, tens of millions of people with cancer and other diseases and conditions
experience moderate to severe pain without access to adequate treatment. These people
face severe suffering, often for months on end, and many eventually die in pain, which is
unnecessary and almost always preventable and treatable. People who may not be able to
adequately express their pain - such as children and people with intellectual disabilities or
with consciousness impairments - are especially at risk of receiving inadequate pain treat-
ment.
It is important to acknowledge the indirect consequences of inadequate pain treatment,
such as a negative economic impact, as well as the individual human suffering directly
resulting from untreated pain.
In most cases, pain can be stopped or relieved with inexpensive and relatively simple
treatment interventions, which can dramatically improve the quality of life for patients.
It is accepted that some pain is particularly difficult to treat and requires the application of
complex techniques by, for example, multidisciplinary teams. Sometimes, especially in
cases of severe chronic pain, psycho-emotional factors are even more important than bio-
logical factors.
Lack of education for health professionals in the assessment and treatment of pain and
other symptoms, and unnecessarily restrictive government regulations (including limiting
access to opioid pain medications) are two major reasons for this treatment gap.
PRINCIPLES
The right to access to pain treatment for all people without discrimination, as laid down in
professional standards and guidelines and in international law, should be respected and
effectively implemented.
Physicians and other health care professionals have an ethical duty to offer proper clinical
assessments to patients with pain and to offer appropriate treatment, which may require
prescribing medications - including opioid analgesics - as medically indicated. This also
applies to children and other patients who cannot always adequately express their pain.
Montevideo
⏐
R-‐2011-‐01-‐2011
Adequate
Pain
Treatment
Instruction on pain management, including clinical training lectures and practical cases,
should be included in mandatory curricula and continuing education for physicians and
other health professionals. Such education should include evidence-based therapies effec-
tive for pain, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological. Education about opioid
therapy for pain should include the benefits and risks of the therapy. Safety concerns re-
garding opioid therapy should be emphasized to allow the use of adequate doses of analge-
sia while mitigating detrimental effects of the therapy. Training should also include recog-
nition of pain in those who may not be able to adequately express their pain, including
children, and cognitively impaired and mentally challenged individuals.
Governments must ensure the adequate availability of controlled medicines, including opi-
oids, for the relief of pain and suffering. Governmental drug control agencies should re-
cognize severe and/or chronic pain as a serious and common health care issue and appro-
priately balance the need to relieve suffering with the potential for the illegal use of anal-
gesic drugs. Under the right to health, people facing pain have a right to appropriate pain
management, including effective medications such as morphine. Denial of pain treatment
violates the right to health and may be medically unethical.
Many countries lack necessary economic, human and logistic resources to provide optimal
pain treatment to their population. The reasons for not providing adequate pain relief must
therefore be fully clarified and made public before accusations of violating the right to
health are made.
International and national drug control policies should balance the need for adequate avail-
ability and accessibility of controlled medicines like morphine and other opioids for the
relief of pain and suffering with efforts to prevent the misuse of these controlled sub-
stances. Countries should review their drug control policies and regulations to ensure that
they do not contain provisions that unnecessarily restrict the availability and accessibility
of controlled medicines for the treatment of pain. Where unnecessarily or disproportion-
ately restrictive policies exist, they should be revised to ensure the adequate availability of
controlled medicines.
Each government should provide the necessary resources for the development and imple-
mentation of a national pain treatment plan, including a responsive monitoring mechanism
and process for receiving complaints when pain is inadequately treated.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
BAHRAIN
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
The
WMA
General
Assembly
notes
that
A number of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals in the Kingdom of
Bahrain were arrested in March 2011 after the civil unrest in that country and tried under
emergency powers before a special court, led by a military judge. Twenty of this group
were found guilty of a number of charges, on 29 September 2011 and sentenced to fifteen,
ten or five years imprisonment.
These trials failed to meet international standards for fair trials, including the accused not
being allowed to make statements in their own defence, and their lawyers not being
allowed to question all the witnesses. Allegations from the accused and their lawyers of
mistreatment, abuse and other human right violations during arrest and while in detention
have not been investigated.
While various criminal charges were brought it appears that the major offence was treating
all the patients who presented for care, including leaders and members of the rebellion.
Other charges appear to be closely related to providing such treatment and were, in any
case, not proven to the standard expected in court proceedings. In treating patients without
considering the circumstances of their injury these health care professionals were honour-
ing their ethical duty as set out in the Declaration of Geneva.
The WMA welcomes the announcement by the government of Bahrain of 6 October 2011
that all twenty will be re-tried before a full civil court.
Therefore, the WMA requires that no doctor or other health care professional be arrested,
accused or tried for treating patients, regardless of the origins of the patient's injury or
illness.
The WMA demands that all states understand, respect and honour the concept of medical
neutrality. This includes providing working conditions which are as safe as possible, even
under difficult circumstances, including armed conflict or civil unrest.
The WMA expects that if any individual, including health care professionals, are subject
to trial that there is due process of law including during arrest, questioning and trial in
accordance with the highest standards of international law.
The WMA demands that states investigate any allegations of torture or cruel and inhu-
mane treatment by prisoners against its agents, and act quickly to stop such abuses.
Montevideo
⏐
R-‐2011-‐02-‐2011
Bahrain
The WMA recommends that independent international assessors are allowed to observe
the trials and meet privately with the accused, so that the state of Bahrain can prove to the
watching world that the future legal proceedings follow fair process.
The WMA recognises that health care workers and health care facilities are increasingly
under attack during wars, conflicts and civil unrest. We demand that states throughout the
world recognise, respect and honour principles of medical neutrality and their duty to pro-
tect health care institutions and facilities for humanitarian reasons.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2011-‐03-‐2011
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
REAFFIRMING
THE
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
ECONOMIC
EMBARGOES
AND
HEALTH
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
The World Medical Association is deeply concerned about reports of potential serious
health impacts resulting from economic sanctions imposed by the European Union against
Ivory Coast leader, Laurent Gbagbo, and numerous individuals and entities associated
with his regime, including two major ports linked to Gbagbo's government. The sanctions
aim to severely restrict EU-registered vessels from transacting business with these ports,
which could inhibit the delivery of necessary and life-saving medicines.
The WMA General Assembly reiterates the following position from the WMA Resolution
on Economic Embargoes and Health:
• All people have the right to the preservation of health; and,
• the Geneva Convention (Article 23, Number IV, 1949) requires the free passage
of medical supplies intended for civilians;
2.
The WMA therefore urges the European Union to take steps immediately to ensure the
delivery of medical supplies to the Ivory Coast, in order to protect the life and health of
the population.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2011-‐04-‐2011
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
INDEPENDENCE
OF
NATIONAL
MEDICAL
ASSOCIATIONS
Adopted by the 62nd
WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011
National medical associations are established to act as representatives of their physicians,
and to negotiate on their behalf, sometimes as a trade union or regulatory body but also as
a professional association, representing the expertise of medical doctors in relation to mat-
ters of public health and wellbeing.
They represent the views of the medical profession, including attempting to ensure the
practice of ethical medicine, the provision of good quality medical care, and the adherence
to high standards by all practitioners.
These associations may also campaign or advocate on behalf of their members, often in
the field of public health. Such advocacy is not always welcomed by governments who
may consider the advocacy to have oppositional politics attached, when in reality it is
based upon an understanding of the medical evidence and the needs of patients and popu-
lations.
The WMA is aware that because of those advocacy efforts some governments attempt to
silence the medical association by placing it's own nominated representatives into posi-
tions of authority, to subvert the message into one they are better able to tolerate.
The WMA denounces such action and demands that no government interferes with the
independent functioning of national medical associations. It encourages governments to
understand better the reasons behind the work of their national medical association, to
consider the medical evidence and to work with physicians to improve the health and well
being of their populations.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
A
MINIMUM
UNIT
PRICE
FOR
ALCOHOL
Adopted by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
Evidence from epidemiological and other research demonstrates a clear link between the
price of alcohol and levels of consumption, especially amongst young drinkers and those
who are heavy alcohol users.
Setting a minimum unit price at a level that will reduce alcohol consumption is a strong
public health measure, which will both reduce average alcohol consumption throughout
the population and be especially effective in heavy drinkers and young drinkers.
Some states are intending to set a minimum unit price in order to reduce the medical and
social effects of excessive alcohol consumption.
The WMA supports states seeking to use such innovative measures to combat the serious
public and individual health effects of excessive and problem drinking.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
PLAIN
PACKAGING
OF
CIGARETTES
Adopted by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
The WMA recognises that:
• Cigarettes offer a serious threat to the life and health of individuals that use them,
and a considerable cost to the health care services of every country;
• Those who smoke predominantly start to do so while adolescents;
• There is a proven link between brand recognition and likelihood of starting to
smoke;
• Brand recognition is strongly linked to cigarette packaging;
• Plain packaging reduces the impact of branding, promotion and marketing of
cigarettes.
The WMA encourages national governments to support moves to introduce plain packaging
of cigarettes, initially by the Federal Government of Australia, to break the brand recog-
nition/ smoking cycle and commends adoption of this policy to other national govern-
ments and deplores the legal moves being taken by the tobacco industry to oppose this
policy.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
TO
REAFFIRM
THE
WMA’S
PROHIBITION
OF
PHYSICIAN
PARTICIPATION
IN
CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT
Adopted by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
There is universal agreement that physicians must not participate in executions because
such participation is incompatible with the physician's role as healer. The use of a
physician's knowledge and clinical skill for purposes other than promoting health,
wellbeing and welfare undermines a basic ethical foundation of medicine---first, do no
harm.
The WMA Declaration of Geneva states: "I will maintain the utmost respect for human
life"; and, "I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil
liberties, even under threat."
As citizens, physicians have the right to form views about capital punishment based on
their individual moral beliefs. As members of the medical profession, they must uphold
the prohibition against participation in capital punishment.
Therefore, be it RESOLVED that:
• Physicians will not facilitate the importation or prescription of drugs for execution.
• The WMA reaffirms: "that it is unethical for physicians to participate in capital
punishment, in any way, or during any step of the execution process, including its
planning and the instruction and/or training of persons to perform executions", and
• The WMA reaffirms: that physicians "will maintain the utmost respect for human
life and will not use [my] medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil
liberties, even under threat."
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2012-‐04-‐2012
WMA
RESOLUTION
IN
SUPPORT
OF
PROFESSOR
CYRIL
KARABUS
Adopted by the 63rd
WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012
The WMA welcomes the bail granted on the 11th
of October to the retired South African
paediatric haematologist, 78-year-old Professor Cyril Karabus, as a positive step given his
state of health; he has cardiac disease. Dr Karabus had been detained in an Abu Dhabi,
UAE prison since August 18th
2012. He was arrested in Dubai, whilst in transit to South
Africa, owing to alleged charges emanating from a brief period that he worked in the UAE
in 2002.
Professor Karabus was neither informed of the charges leveled against him nor the subse-
quent trial that was held in absentia relating to the unfortunate death of a child with acute
leukemia under his care during his tenure in the UAE in 2002. His defense lawyer has also
been unable to access any documents or files relating to the case that may assist in
providing a fair defense.
Therefore,
The WMA General Assembly urgently calls on the authorities of the United Arab
Emirates to ensure that Professor Karabus:
• Is guaranteed a fair trial according to international standards;
• Has access to the relevant documents or information he may require to prepare his
defense.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
CRIMINALISATION
OF
MEDICAL
PRACTICE
Adopted as a Council Reolution by the 194th
WMA Council Session, Bali, Indonesia,
April 2013
and adopted by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
PREAMBLE
Doctors who commit criminal acts which are not part of patient care must remain as liable
to sanctions as all other members of society. Serious abuses of medical practice must be
subject to sanctions, usually through professional regulatory processes.
Numerous attempts are made by governments to control physicians’ practice of medicine
at local, regional and national levels worldwide. Physicians have seen attempts to:
• Prevent medically indicated procedures;
• Mandate medical procedures that are not indicated; and
• Mandate certain drug prescribing practices.
Criminal penalties have been imposed on physicians for various aspects of medical prac-
tice, including medical errors, despite the availability of adequate non-criminal redress.
Criminalizing medical decision making is a disservice to patients.
In times of war and civil strife, there have also been attempts to criminalize compassionate
medical care to those injured as a result of these conflicts.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Therefore, the WMA recommends that its members:
1. Oppose government intrusions into the practice of medicine and in healthcare
decision making, including the government’s ability to define appropriate medical
practice through imposition of criminal penalties.
2. Oppose criminalizing medical judgment.
3. Oppose criminalizing healthcare decisions, including physician variance from
guidelines and standards.
4. Oppose criminalizing medical care provided to patients injured in civil conflicts.
Fortaleza
⏐
R-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
Criminalisation
of
Medical
Practice
5. Implement action plans to alert opinion leaders, elected officials and the media
about the detrimental effects on healthcare that result from criminalizing healthcare
decision making.
6. Support the principles set forth in the WMA’s Declaration of Madrid on Profes-
sional Autonomy and Self-Regulation.
7. Support the guidance set forth in the WMA’s Regulations in Times of Armed
Conflict and Other Situations of Violence.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
HEALTHCARE
SITUATION
IN
SYRIA
Adopted by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
PREAMBLE
During wars and armed conflicts, hospitals and other medical facilities have often been
attacked and misused and patients and medical personnel have been killed or wounded.
Such attacks are a violation of the Geneva Conventions (1949), Additional Protocols to the
Geneva Conventions (1977) and WMA policies, in particular, the WMA Statement on the
Protection and Integrity of Medical Personnel in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of
Violence (Montevideo 2011) as well as WMA Regulations in Times of Armed Conflicts
and Other Situations of Violence (Bangkok 2012).
The World Medical Association (WMA) has been active in condemning documented
attacks on medical personnel and facilities in armed conflicts, including civil wars. The
Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are designed to protect medical
personnel, medical facilities and their patients in international and non-international armed
conflicts. The parties on both sides of the conflict have legal and moral duties not to inter-
fere with medical care for wounded or sick combatants and civilians, and to not attack,
threaten or impede medical functions. Physicians and other health care personnel must act
as and be considered neutral and must not be prevented from fulfilling their duties.
RECOMMENDATIONS
•
• The WMA calls upon all parties in the Syrian conflict to ensure the safety of
healthcare personnel and their patients, as well as medical facilities and medical
transport.
• The WMA calls upon its members to approach local governments in order to
facilitate international cooperation in the United Nations, the European Union or
other international body with the aim of ensuring the safe provision of health care
to the Syrian people.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
PROHIBITION
OF
CHEMICAL
WEAPONS
Adopted by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
PREAMBLE
It has been recognised for centuries that certain chemical agents can affect consciousness,
or other factors influencing the ability of an individual to take part in fighting, predomi-
nantly during warfare. More recently some agents have been used to temporarily disable
participants in civil unrest, protests or riots. In warfare such agents have, historically, had
a significant morbidity and mortality and included nerve gases and related agents.
Despite widespread condemnation such weapons were extensively used in the early 20th
century. A global movement to outlaw the use of such weapons led to the development of
the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in 1997 having been
opened to signature in 1993. Currently only six countries have not ratified or acceded to
the CWC.
The production, stockpiling and use of CW is prohibited. Despite this, such weapons have
been used by state forces and by non-state actors in a number of countries. By their nature
such weapons are indiscriminate. This use has led to deaths, injuries and human suffering
in those countries.
Chemical agents used in policing actions, including by the military acting in a policing
role, are allowed under the CWC. There is a significant international dialogue underway
on the definition of such agents and the situations in which they can be used. It should be
noted that the CWC appears to assume such agents will not be lethal, but the use of any
agent might have fatal consequences. Those using them, or authorising their use, must
seek to ensure that they are not used in a manner which risks death or serious injury to
targeted persons.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The WMA notes that the development, production, stockpiling and use of Chemical
Weapons is banned under the CWC, and that use of such weapons is regarded by some to
be a crime against humanity, regardless of whether the target populations are civilian or
military.
The WMA urges all relevant parties to make active efforts to abide by the CWC ban on
the development, production, stockpiling and use of Chemical Weapons.
R-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
⏐
Fortaleza
Prohibition
of
Chemical
Weapons
The WMA urges support from all states party to the CWC for the safe destruction of all
stockpiles of Chemical weapons.
The WMA supports UN initiatives to identify anyone who is responsible for the use of
Chemical Weapons and to bring them to justice.
The WMA urges states using chemical agents in riot control and related situations to
carefully consider and minimise the risks and to, wherever possible, refrain from such
use. Any use must follow the establishment of the necessary procedures to reduce the risk
of death or serious injury. They should not be used in a manner, which deliberately
increases the risk of injury, harm or death to their targets.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2013-‐04-‐2013
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
STANDARDISATION
IN
MEDICAL
PRACTICE
AND
PATIENT
SAFETY
Adopted as a Council Resolution by the 194th
WMA Council Session, Bali, Indonesia,
April 2013
and adopted by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
Ensuring patient safety and quality of care is at the core of medical practice. For patients, a
high level of performance can be a matter of life or death. Therefore, guidance and stand-
ardisation in healthcare must be based on solid medical evidence and has to take ethical
considerations into account.
Currently, trends in the European Union can be observed to introduce standards in clinical,
medical care developed by non-medical standardisation bodies, which neither have the
necessary professional ethical and technical competencies nor a public mandate.
The WMA has major concerns about such tendencies which are likely to reduce the
quality of care offered, and calls upon governments and other institutions not to leave
standardisation of medical care up to non-medical self selected bodies.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
R-‐2013-‐05-‐2013
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
IN
SUPPORT
OF
THE
BRAZILIAN
MEDICAL
ASSOCIATION
Adopted by the 64th
WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013
There are credible reports that the Brazilian Government program “Mais Médicos” to
create more medical schools, extend the duration of the medical course, compulsorily
place last years medical students to work in public services and attract foreign physicians
to work in remote areas of the country and in the poorest outskirts of big cities, was
proposed without the appropriate consultation to the medical community and medical
schools, and departs from a wrong diagnosis about the causes of the insufficient health
care provided to the Brazilian population. The program as proposed bypass systems
established to verify physicians' credentials, medical competence and language skills in
order to protect patients.
The World Medical Association is concerned that patients are put at risk by unregulated
medical license, inadequate medical competence and potential misunderstanding of patient
communication and of drugs and medical supplies labels.
Therefore, the WMA:
• Condemns any policy and practice that disrupt the accepted standards of medical
credentialing and medical care;
• Calls upon the Brazilian government to work with the medical community and
medical schools on all matters related to medical education, physician certification
and the practice of medicine, and to respect the role of the Brazilian Medical
Association on behalf of the Brazilian physicians and population;
• Urges, as a matter of utmost concern, that the Brazilian government respect the
WMA International Code of Medical Ethics that guides the medical practice of
physicians all over the world.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
EBOLA
VIRAL
DISEASE
Adopted by the 65th
WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014
BACKGROUND
A number of viral diseases have caused occasional health emergencies in parts of Africa,
with local or wider spread epidemics. These include Lassa, Marburg and Ebola Viral
Diseases (EVD). The 2013-14 outbreak of EVD in West Africa has proven far more dif-
ficult to control than previous epidemics and is now present in Sierra Leone, Liberia and
Guinea with more than 2000 deaths. This epidemic appears to have a case related mor-
tality of approximately 55% against a range for EVD of 50~95%.
Following infection, patients remain asymptomatic for a period of 2~21 days, and during
this time tests for the virus will be negative, and patients are not infectious, posing no
public health risk. Once the patient becomes symptomatic, EVD is spread through contact
with body fluids including blood. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding, and
all these body fluids are potentially sources of infection.
Management is primarily through infection control, the use of personal protective equip-
ment (PPE) by health care workers and those disposing of body fluids and of bodies, and
supportive care for sick patients including using IV fluids and inotropes. Contact tracing is
also important but may be difficult in many of the communities currently affected. Vac-
cines are in development as are some antivirals, but they will arrive late in this epidemic if
they are proven successful.
Evidence from those treating patients in affected communities is that a shortage of re-
sources, including health care workers and PPE, as well as poor infection control training
of health care workers, caregivers and others at risk are making epidemic control difficult.
Some governments have indicated that they will build new treatment centres in affected
areas as a matter of urgency, while others are directly providing personal protective equip-
ment and other supplies.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The WMA honours those working in these exceptional circumstances, and strongly
recommends that national governments and international agencies work with health
care providers on the ground and offer stakeholders training and support to reduce
the risks that they face in treating patients and in seeking to control the epidemic.
R-‐2014-‐01-‐2014
⏐
Durban
Ebola
Viral
Disease
2. The WMA commends those countries that have committed resources for the urgent
establishment of new treatment and isolation centres in the most heavily burdened
countries and regions. The WMA calls upon all nations to commit enhanced sup-
port for combatting the EVD epidemic.
3. The WMA calls on the international community, acting through the United Nations
and its agencies as well as aid agencies, to immediately provide the necessary sup-
plies of PPE to protect health care workers and ancillary staff and reduce the risk
of cross infection. This must include adequate supplies of gloves, masks and gowns,
and distribution must include treatment centres at all levels.
4. The WMA calls on all those managing the epidemic, including local and national
governments and agencies such as WHO, to commit to adequate training in infec-
tion control measures, including PPE for all staff and caregivers who might come
into contact with infective materials.
5. The WMA calls on national and local governments to increase public communica-
tion about basic infection control practices.
6. The WMA calls upon WHO to facilitate research into the timeliness and effective-
ness of international interventions, so that planning and interventions in future health
emergencies can be better informed.
7. The WMA strongly urges all countries, especially those not yet affected, to educate
health care providers about the current case definition in addition to strengthening
infection control methodologies and contact tracing in order to prevent transmis-
sion within their countries.
8. The WMA calls for NMAs to contact their national governments to act as des-
cribed in this document.
Handbook
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WMA
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World
Medical
Association
⏐
R-‐2014-‐02-‐2014
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
MIGRANT
WORKERS'
HEALTH
AND
SAFETY
IN
QATAR
Adopted by the 65th
WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014
PREAMBLE
Reliable reports indicate that migrant workers in Qatar suffer from exploitation and viola-
tion of their rights. Workers basic needs, e.g. access to sufficient water and food, are not
met. Less than half of the workers are entitled to health care. Hundreds of workers have
already died in the construction sites since 2010 as the country prepares to host the 2022
FIFA1 World Cup. Workers are not free to leave when they see their situation hopeless or
health endangered since their passports are confiscated.
Despite the pleas of international labour and human rights organizations, such as ITUC
(International Trade Union Confederation) and Amnesty International, the response of the
Qatar government to solve the situation has not been adequate. FIFA has been inefficient
and has not taken the full responsibility to facilitate the improvements to the worker´s
living and working conditions.
The World Medical Association reminds that health is a human right that should be safe-
guarded in all situations.
The World Medical Association is concerned that migrant workers are continuously put at
risk in construction sites in Qatar, and their right to freedom of movement and right to
health care and safe working conditions are not respected.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The WMA calls upon the Qatar government and construction companies to ensure
the health and safety of migrant workers;
2. The WMA demands the FIFA as the responsible organization of the World Cup to
take immediate action by changing the venue as soon as possible;
3. The WMA calls upon its members to approach local governments in order to fa-
cilitate international cooperation with the aim of ensuring the health and safety of
migrant workers in Qatar.
1
Fédération Internationale de Football Association
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R-‐2014-‐03-‐2014
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
RESOLUTION
ON
UNPROVEN
THERAPY
AND
THE
EBOLA
VIRUS
Adopted by the 65th
WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014
In the case of Ebola virus, the WMA strongly supports the intention of Paragraph 37 of the
2013 revision of the Declaration of Helsinki, which reads:
In the treatment of an individual patient, where proven interventions do not exist or other
known interventions have been ineffective, the physician, after seeking expert advice, with
informed consent from the patient or a legally authorized representative, may use an un-
proven intervention if in the physician’s judgement it offers hope of saving life, re-
establishing health or alleviating suffering. This intervention should subsequently be made
the object of research, designed to evaluate its safety and efficacy. In all cases, new in-
formation must be recorded and, where appropriate, made publicly available.
Handbook
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Medical
Association
⏐
CR-‐2003-‐01-‐2003
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
RELATION
OF
LAW
AND
ETHICS
Adopted by the 164th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2003
Ethical Values and legal principles are usually closely related, but ethical obligations
typically exceed legal duties. In some cases, the law mandates unethical conduct. The fact
that a physician has complied with the law does not necessarily mean that the physician
acted ethically.
When law is in conflict with medical ethics, physicians should work to change the law. In
circumstances of such conflict, ethical responsibilities supersede legal obligations.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
CR-‐2005-‐01-‐2005
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
CHRONIC
NON-‐COMMUNICABLE
DISEASES
Adopted by the 171st
WMA Council Session, Santiago, Chile, October 2005
Chronic non-communicable diseases are a rapidly growing problem worldwide. They have
major adverse health, social and economic effects especially in poor nations.
The WMA Council welcomes the work of the WHO on “Preventing Chronic Diseases, a
vital in-vestment” and recommends that all NMAs work with health professional organi-
zations, interested stakeholders and their governments to prevent and relieve the increas-
ing burden of chronic disease.
Handbook
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Medical
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⏐
CR-‐2005-‐02-‐2005
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
HEALTHCARE
SKILLS
DRAIN
Adopted by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2005
Recognising that the lack of healthcare workers in developing countries, particularly those
in sub-Saharan Africa, is one of the most serious global problems of today and that the
impact of healthcare worker migration from developing to developed countries is a signi-
ficant component in the crisis,
Therefore, be it resolved:
1. That the WMA reaffirms its 2003 Statement on Ethical Guidelines for the Interna-
tional Recruitment of Physicians, particularly para. 14: "Every country should do its
utmost to educate an adequate number of physicians, taking into account its needs
and resources. A country should not rely on immigration from other countries to meet
its need for physicians"; and para. 15: "Every country should do its utmost to retain
its physicians in the profession as well as in the country by providing them with the
support they need to meet their personal and professional goals, taking into account
the country's needs and resources."
2. That developed countries must assist developing countries to expand their capacity to
train and retain physicians and nurses, to enable developing countries to become self-
sufficient.
3. That action to combat the skills drain in this area must balance the right to health of
populations (Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Article 25.1; Interna-
tional Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (1976), Article 12.1.) and
other individual human rights.
4. That the WMA reconvene the expert working group on physician resources to co-
ordinate development of WMA input to WHO preparations for the decade on human
resources for health.
5. That the WMA commend WHO for taking a leadership role in the global challenges
of human resources for health; commend to WHO the afore-mentioned principles (1,
2 and 3); and call upon WHO to convene a global roundtable to discuss HHR issues.
Handbook
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CR-‐2005-‐03-‐2005
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
GENOCIDE
IN
DARFUR
Adopted by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2005
and reaffirmed by the 176th
WMA Council Session, Berlin, Germany, May 2006
WHEREAS, a reported 300,000 Darfurians have been killed and one million refugees dis-
placed since early 2003, on the basis of racial or ethnic origins; and
WHEREAS, there have been official reports of savage killing, torture, rape and mutila-
tion of men, women and children by the Government of Sudan and its allied militia; and
WHEREAS, many of these reports, including that of the UN Commission of Inquiry on
Darfur, have only recently been publicized; and
WHEREAS, genocide, as defined by the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and
Pnishment of the Crime of Genocide, is the killing or destroying of populations on the
basis of their racial or ethnic identity; and
WHEREAS, the WMA, as an international medical organization committed to the pro-
tection of health and human rights for all, has expressed its support for human rights in
statements and resolutions, among them the Resolution on Human Rights, adopted by the
WMA in Rancho Mirage during the 42nd
General Assembly and amended by the 45th
, 46th
and 47th
General Assemblies,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the WMA condemns the genocide in Darfur
and calls upon its member NMAs to urge their governments and the international commu-
nity to take immediate action to stop the mass killings, expulsions, rape and destruction in
Darfur and to protect the health and safety of refugees in the region.
Handbook
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Medical
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⏐
CR-‐2005-‐04-‐2005
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
OBSERVER
STATUS
FOR
TAIWAN
TO
THE
WORLD
HEALTH
ORGANIZATION
(WHO)
AND
INCLUSION
AS
PARTICIPATING
PARTY
TO
THE
INTERNATIONAL
HEALTH
REGULATIONS
(IHR)
Adopted by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2005
PREAMBLE
1. The ethical obligation of health professionals is to serve all human beings irres-
pective of their political or religious affiliation or any other factor. The goal of all
nations must be the protection of health of all human beings without any discrimina-
tion. Protection of human health can only be achieved if all people and health care
systems collaborate. WHO must be able to invite all people and health care systems
to participate in the fight against disease and premature death. Protection of human
health must be separated from politics.
2. A burning example of discrimination in the recent years has been Taiwan. There are
23 million people living in Taiwan, of which a significant number required medical
assistance or help from international relief organizations in the aftermath of the 1999
earthquake. In addition, Taiwan was significantly affected and suffered several deaths
due to the SARS epidemic during 2002 and 2003 and is under threat by the current
outbreak of Avian Flu in South East Asia.
3. There are 23 million people who are willing and take pride in contributing to inter-
national relief efforts when other people are in need, as demonstrated again by gene-
rous donations and significant humanitarian aid support in the aftermath of the
tsunami disaster during 2004.
4. 23 million people should not be excluded from the work of the World Health Organi-
zation, but without taking a stand as to the legal status of Taiwan.
RESOLUTION
5. The World Medical Association (WMA), as a non-governmental organization in offi-
cial relations with WHO, calls on WHO to grant Taiwan observer status to WHO;
6. The WMA calls on WHO and all its Member States to ensure that Taiwan is in-
cluded as a participating party to the WHO International Health Regulations;
7. The World Medical Association further urges its members to call on their national
governments to advocate for observer status for Taiwan at WHO, as well as inclu-
sion as a participating party to the WHO International Health Regulations.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
CR-‐2005-‐05-‐2005
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
IMPLEMENTATION
OF
THE
WHO
FRAMEWORK
CONVENTION
ON
TOBACCO
CONTROL
Adopted by the 170th
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2005
The World Medical Association
Welcomes the recognition of the essential role of health professionals in tobacco control
as the focus of World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2005;
Recognises the importance of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
(FCTC) in furthering the campaign to protect people from exposure and addiction to to-
bacco;
Encourages national medical associations to work assiduously and energetically to get
their governments to ratify and implement the FCTC;
Urges governments to introduce regulation and other measures as set out in the FCTC.
Governments should also introduce a ban on smoking in enclosed public places and work
places as an urgent public health intervention;
Recognises the vital role of health professionals in public health education and in support
for smoking cessation;
Commits, with the other members of the World Health Professions Alliance, to mobilise
health professionals in the fight to implement the FCTC and to reduce the human cost of
tobacco.
Handbook
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WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
CR-‐2006-‐01-‐2006
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
IN
SUPPORT
OF
THE
BOLIVIAN
MEDICAL
ASSOCIATION
Adopted by the 174th
WMA Council Session, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
There are credible reports that arrangements between the Cuban government and the Boli-
vian government to supply Cuban physicians to Bolivia are bypassing systems, esta-
blished to protect patients, that have been set up to verify physicians' credentials and com-
petence.
The World Medical Association is significantly concerned that patients are put at risk by
unregulated medical practices, including the provision of drugs and medical supplies that
are improperly labeled and of uncertain origin.
There exists already a duly constituted and legally authorized Bolivian Medical Associa-
tion, which is charged with the registration of physicians and which is required to be con-
sulted by the Bolivian Ministry of Health.
Therefore, the WMA:
1. Condemns any collusion of two countries in policies and practices that disrupt the
accepted standards of medical credentialing and medical care;
2. Calls upon the Bolivian government to work with the Bolivian Medical Association
on all matters related to physician certification and the practice of medicine and to
respect the role and rights of the Bolivian Medical Association;
3. Urges, as a matter of utmost concern, that the Bolivian government respect the WMA
International Code of Medical Ethics that guides the medical practice of physicians all
over the world.
Handbook
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WMA
Policies
CR-‐2006-‐02-‐2006
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
ORGAN
DONATION
IN
CHINA
Adopted by the 173rd
WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2006
WHEREAS, the WMA Statement on Human Organ and Tissue Donation and Trans-
plantation stresses the importance of free and informed choice in organ donation; and
WHEREAS, the statement explicitly states that prisoners and other individuals in custody
are not in a position to give consent freely, and therefore their organs must not be used for
transplantation; and
WHEREAS, there have been reports of Chinese prisoners being executed and their organs
harvested for donation;
THEREFORE, the WMA reiterates its position that organ donation be achieved through
the free and informed consent of the potential donor.
The WMA demands that the Chinese Medical Association condemn any practice in viola-
tion of these ethical principles and basic human rights and ensure that Chinese doctors are
not involved in the removal or transplantation of organs from executed Chinese prisoners.
The WMA demands that China immediately cease the practice of using prisoners as organ
donors.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
CR-‐2009-‐01-‐2009
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
SUPPORTING
THE
PRESERVATION
OF
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS
OF
MEDICAL
NEUTRALITY
Adopted by the 182nd
WMA Council Session, Tel Aviv, Israel, May 2009
WHEREAS:
Recent international conflicts, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza, the con-
flict in Sri Lanka, the conflict in Darfur, and the conflict in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, have led to loss of life and the impairment of living conditions; and International
standards of medical neutrality must be upheld throughout such conflicts;
THEREFORE,
the
WMA
1. Reaffirms its policy, "Regulations in Time of Armed Conflict" and the obligations of
physicians stated in this document. The WMA calls on its members to act in accor-
dance with all internationally accepted principles of healthcare delivery in times of
conflict.
2. Reiterates its commitment to the universal right to health, and access to the highest
attainable standard of health care. This universal right is not conditional on peaceful
existence, although a peaceful existence accommodates greater ability to provide
health to all.
3. Reaffirms the obligation incumbent on all parties involved in conflict situations to
abide by the rules of international medical ethics, a swell as the provisions of inter-
national humanitarian law, as expressed in the Geneva Conventions, particularly their
common article 3, and, specifically, to assure the provision of medical care and/or
evacuation of the trapped and wounded and to refrain from targeting medical per-
sonnel and medical facilities.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
CR-‐2009-‐02-‐2009
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
PROHIBITION
OF
PHYSICIAN
PARTICIPATION
IN
TORTURE
Adopted by the 182nd
WMA Council Session, Tel Aviv, Israel, May 2009
WHEREAS:
Reports worldwide have alluded to deeply unsettling practices by health professionals,
including direct participation in the infliction of ill-treatment, monitoring specific methods
of ill-treatment, and participation in interrogation processes;
THEREFORE, the WMA
1. Reaffirms its Declaration of Tokyo: Guidelines for Physicians Concerning Torture and
other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Relation to Detention
and Imprisonment, which prohibits physicians from participating in, or even being pre-
sent during, the practice of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading proce-
dures, and urges National Medical Associations to inform physicians and governments
of the Declaration and its contents.
2. Reaffirms its Declaration of Hamburg: Support for Medical Doctors Refusing to Partici-
pate in or to Condone the use of Torture or other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrad-
ing Treatment.
3. Reaffirms its Resolution: Responsibility of Physicians in the Denunciation of Acts of
Torture or Cruel or Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Which they are Aware.
4. Urges national medical associations to speak out in support of this fundamental princi-
ple of medical ethics and to investigate any breach of these principles by association
members of which they are aware.
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⏐
CR-‐2012-‐01-‐2012
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
DANGER
IN
HEALTH
CARE
IN
SYRIA
AND
BAHRAIN
Adopted by the 191st
WMA Council Session, Prague, Czech Republic, April 2012
The WMA recognises that attacks on health care facilities, health care workers and
patients are an increasingly common problem and the WMA Council denounces all such
attacks in any country.
These often occur during armed conflict and also in other situations of violence, including
protests against the state. Patients, including those injured during protests, often come
from the poorest and most marginalised parts of the community and suffer a higher pro-
portion of serious health problems than those from wealthier backgrounds.
Governments have an obligation to ensure that health care facilities and those working in
them can operate in safety and without interference either from state or non-state actors,
and to protect those receiving care.
Where services are not available to patients due to government action or inaction, the
government, not the health practitioners, should be held responsible.
Noting that recent and ongoing conflicts in Bahrain and Syria have seen physicians, other
health care personnel and their patients attacked while in health care facilities, the WMA
demands:
1. That states fulfill their obligations to all their citizens and residents, including
political protestors, patients and health care workers, and protect health care
facilities and their occupants from interference, intimidation or attack.
2. That governments enter into meaningful negotiations wherever such attacks are
possible, likely or already occurring to stop the attacks and protect the institutions
and their occupants, and
3. That governments consider how they can contribute positively to the work of the
International Committee of the Red Cross on promoting the safety of health care
provision through awareness of the concepts within their project Health Care in
Danger.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
CR-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
THREATS
TO
PROFESSIONAL
AUTONOMY
AND
SELF-‐REGULATION
IN
TURKEY
Adopted by the 191st
WMA Council Session, Prague, Czech Republic, April 2012
INTRODUCTION
The WMA is extremely concerned about recent actions by the Turkish government that
drastically reduce the self-governing authority and professional autonomy of the medical
profession in Turkey. In particular, the newly enacted Government Decree 663 on the
Organization and Duties of the Ministry of Health and its Associated Organizations
establishes a Health Professions Board, controlled by the Ministry of Health, and delegates
authority to this Board for certain critical functions that should remain with the Turkish
Medical Association in keeping with the principles of professional autonomy and physi-
cian self governance. The Turkish Medical Association was established by the Turkish
Parliament in 1953, while Decree 663 was passed by the government ministers of Turkey
in an extraordinary process that bypassed the Parliament.
Of grave concern is the fact that the Turkish Medical Association no longer has the
authority to:
• Establish and issue ethical guidelines concerning physician conduct
• Conduct investigations regarding alleged malpractice by physicians
• Determine disciplinary sanctions against physicians in cases of malpractice
• Develop core curricula for medical education, post-graduate medical specialty curri-
cula, and content and accreditation for continuing medical education (all of which
were previously done in partnership between the TMA and universities)
In addition, Decree 663 amends Article 1 of the Constituting Law of the Turkish Medical
Association (originally drafted and adopted by the Parliament) by removing the following
language in the TMA's mandate: "ensuring that medical profession is practiced and
promoted in line with public and individual well-being and benefit". As a result of this
restriction of its mandate, the TMA no longer has the right to legally challenge actions and
regulations that adversely affect the right to health, the provision of health care, public
health, and individual patient well-being. Examples might include, for instance, efforts
against restrictions on which medical procedures would be reimbursed under the national
health system or initiation of action to address public health hazards such as the use of
cyanide in silver and gold mining and processing. The narrowing of the TMA's mandate in
this regard not only diminishes the independence of physicians, but also jeopardizes the
health of their patients.
Prague
⏐
CR-‐2012-‐02-‐2012
Professional
Autonomy
and
Self-‐regulation
in
Turkey
THEREFORE:
Reaffirming its unequivocal commitment to the independence and professional self-
governance of the medical profession, as defined in the WMA Declaration of Madrid on
Professional Autonomy and Self-Regulation, and the WMA Resolution on the Indepen-
dence of National Medical Associations, the WMA Council:
1. Urges the Turkish government to rescind Decree 663 and restore to the Turkish
Medical Association its duties and responsibilities for professional autonomy and
self regulation, properly established by the Parliament in 1953 through the legiti-
mate and transparent national democratic process.
2. Urges all physician members of Parliament, regardless of political affiliation, to
recall their duties as physician leaders and support the right of the medical pro-
fession to autonomy and self-regulation.
3. Supports and commends the Turkish Medical Association and those members of
the Turkish Parliament who have challenged these recent actions and requested a
legal review of this Decree by the Constitutional Court.
4. Calls on all physicians in Turkey and around the world to join actively in advocacy
efforts to promote and support professional independence, the right to health, and
the health of the people of Turkey.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
CR-‐2012-‐03-‐2012
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
THE
AUTONOMY
OF
PROFESSIONAL
ORDERS
IN
WEST
AFRICA
Adopted by the 191st
WMA Council Session, Prague, Czech Republic, April 2012
PREAMBLE
The Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa (Union Economique et Monétaire
Ouest Africaine; UEMOA) brings together eight countries of West Africa using CFA
Franc as a currency. This tool of integration advocates for the free circulation and settle-
ment of physicians in the countries of UEMOA.
There is a College of the Orders of Physicians, bringing together the Orders of member
countries of the Union. The Orders are often under the supervision of the health ministries.
This situation often confines the technical and administrative autonomy and impedes the
good management of the medical mapping of the region, undermining access to health
care for the populations.
RECOMMENDATION
Reiterating its Declaration of Madrid on Professional Autonomy and Self-Regulation and
its Resolution on the Independence of National Medical Associations, the WMA requests
that the independence, professional autonomy and self-regulation be guaranteed within the
countries of the Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa.
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⏐
CR-‐2013-‐01-‐2013
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
PROFESSOR
CYRIL
KARABUS
Adopted by the 194th
WMA Council Session, Bali, Indonesia, April 2013
The World Medical Association is extremely concerned that Professor Cyril Karabus, a
retired paediatric oncologist remains remanded on bail in the UAE despite a long and slow
judicial process, which has absolved him of all the charges against him.
The WMA notes that the expert medical panel, appointed by the court to advise it whether
there was any evidence against Professor Karabus, has advised the judge that Professor
Karabus has no case to answer. Consequently the judge dismissed all charges and a ruling
of not guilty was given. It also notes with concern that the prosecutors have indicated they
will appeal the courts ruling meaning that Professor Karabus needs to remain in the UAE
indefinitely.
Given the findings of the medical panel, the WMA believes that Professor Karabus is
being treated in a manner, which fails to meet international fair trial standards and should
be allowed to return home immediately.
In light of the above experience, the WMA will publish an advisory notice in the WMJ
and on the WMA website to advise doctors thinking of working in the UAE to note the
working conditions and the legal risks of employment there. The WMA will encourage
member NMAs to publish similar advisory notices in their national publications.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
CR-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
CRIMINALISATION
OF
MEDICAL
PRACTICE
Adopted by the 194th
WMA Council Session, Bali, Indonesia, April 2013
PREAMBLE
Doctors who commit criminal acts which are not part of patient care must remain as liable
to sanctions as all other members of society. Serious abuses of medical practice must be
subject to sanctions, usually through professional regulatory processes.
Numerous attempts are made by governments to control physicians’ practice of medicine
at local, regional and national levels worldwide. Physicians have seen attempts to:
• Prevent medically indicated procedures;
• Mandate medical procedures that are not indicated; and
• Mandate certain drug prescribing practices.
Criminal penalties have been imposed on physicians for various aspects of medical prac-
tice, including medical errors, despite the availability of adequate non-criminal redress.
Criminalizing medical decision making is a disservice to patients.
In times of war and civil strife, there have also been attempts to criminalize compassionate
medical care to those injured as a result of these conflicts.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Therefore, the WMA recommends that its members:
1. Oppose government intrusions into the practice of medicine and in healthcare
decision making, including the government’s ability to define appropriate medical
practice through imposition of criminal penalties.
2. Oppose criminalizing medical judgment.
3. Oppose criminalizing healthcare decisions, including physician variance from
guidelines and standards.
4. Oppose criminalizing medical care provided to patients injured in civil conflicts.
Bali
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CR-‐2013-‐02-‐2013
Criminalisation
of
Medical
Practice
5. Implement action plans to alert opinion leaders, elected officials and the media
about the detrimental effects on healthcare that result from criminalizing healthcare
decision making.
6. Support the principles set forth in the WMA’s Declaration of Madrid on Profes-
sional Autonomy and Self-Regulation.
7. Support the guidance set forth in the WMA’s Regulations in Times of Armed Con-
flict and Other Situations of Violence.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
CR-‐2013-‐03-‐2013
⏐
World
Medical
Association
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
STANDARDISATION
IN
MEDICAL
PRACTICE
AND
PATIENT
SAFETY
Adopted by the 194th
WMA Council Session, Bali, Indonesia, April 2013
Ensuring patient safety and quality of care is at the core of medical practice. For patients, a
high level of performance can be a matter of life or death. Therefore, guidance and stand-
ardisation in healthcare must be based on solid medical evidence and has to take ethical
considerations into account.
Currently, trends in the European Union can be observed to introduce standards in clinical,
medical care developed by non-medical standardisation bodies, which neither have the
necessary professional ethical and technical competencies nor a public mandate.
The WMA has major concerns about such tendencies which are likely to reduce the
quality of care offered, and calls upon governments and other institutions not to leave
standardisation of medical care up to non-medical self selected bodies.
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
CR-‐2015-‐01-‐2015
WMA
COUNCIL
RESOLUTION
ON
TRADE
AGREEMENTS
AND
PUBLIC
HEALTH
Adopted by the 200th
WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015
PREAMBLE
Trade agreements are sequelae of globalization and seek to promote trade liberalization.
They can have a significant impact on the social determinants of health and thus on public
health and the delivery of health care.
Trade agreements are designed to produce economic benefits. Negotiations should take
account of their potential broad impact especially on health and ensure that health is not
damaged by the pursuit of potential economic gain.
Trade agreements may have the ability to promote the health and wellbeing of all people,
including by improving economic structures, if they are well constructed and protect the
ability of governments to legislate, regulate and plan for health promotion, health care de-
livery and health equity, without interference.
BACKGROUND
There have been many trade agreements negotiated in the past. New agreements under
negotiation include the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP),1
Trans Atlantic Trade and Invest-
ment Partnership (TTIP)2
the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) and the Comprehensive
Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).3
These negotiations seek to establish a global governance framework for trade and are un-
precedented in their size, scope and secrecy. A lack of transparency and the selective
sharing of information with a limited set of stakeholders are anti-democratic.
Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provides a mechanism for investors to bring
claims against governments and seek compensation, operating outside existing systems of
accountability and transparency. ISDS in smaller scale trade agreements has been used to
challenge evidence-based public health laws including tobacco plain packaging. Inclusion
of a broad ISDS mechanism could threaten public health actions designed to effect to-
bacco control, alcohol control, regulation of obesogenic foods and beverages, access to
medicines, health care services, environmental protection/climate change and occupational
/ environmental health improvements. This especially in nations with limited access to re-
sources.
CR-‐2015-‐01-‐2015
⏐
Oslo
Trade
Agreements
and
Public
Health
Access to affordable medicines is critical to controlling the global burdens of communica-
ble and non-communicable diseases. The World Trade Organization’s Agreement on
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) established a set of com-
mon international rules governing the protection of intellectual property including the
patenting of pharmaceuticals. TRIPS safeguards and flexibilities including compulsory
licensing seek to ensure that patent protection does not supersede public health.4
TiSA may impact on eHealth provision by changing rules in licensing and telecoms. Its
impact on the delivery of eHealth could be substantial and damage the delivery of com-
prehensive, effective, cost-effective efficient health care.
The WMA Statement on Patenting Medical Procedures states that patenting of diagnostic,
therapeutic and surgical techniques is unethical and “poses serious risks to the effective
practice of medicine by potentially limiting the availability of new procedures to
patients.”
The WMA Statement on Medical Workforce states that the WMA has recognized the
need for investment in medical education and has called on governments to “…allocate
sufficient financial resources for the education, training, development, recruitment and
retention of physicians to meet the medical needs of the entire population…”
The WMA Declaration of Delhi on Health and Climate Change states that global climate
change has had and will continue to have serious consequences for health and demands
comprehensive action.
RECOMMENDATION
Therefore the WMA calls on national governments and national member associations to:
1. Advocate for trade agreements that protect, promote and prioritize public health over
commercial interests and ensure wide exclusions to secure services in the public inter-
est, especially those impacting on individual and public health. This should include
new modalities of health care provision including eHealth, Tele-Health, mHealth and
uHealth.
2. Ensure trade agreements do not interfere with governments’ ability to regulate health
and health care, or to guarantee a right to health for all. Government action to protect
and promote health should not be subject to challenge through an investor-state
dispute settlement (ISDS) or similar mechanism.
3. Oppose any trade agreement provisions which would compromise access to health
care services or medicines including but not limited to:
• Patenting (or patent enforcement) of diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical tech-
niques;
• “Evergreening”, or patent protection for minor modifications of existing drugs;
• Patent linkage or other patent term adjustments that serve to as a barrier to generic
entry into the market;
• Data exclusivity for biologics;
Handbook
of
WMA
Policies
World
Medical
Association
⏐
CR-‐2015-‐01-‐2015
• Any effort to undermine TRIPS safeguards or restrict TRIPS flexibilities including
compulsory licensing;
• Limits on clinical trial data transparency.
4. Oppose any trade agreement provision which would reduce public support for or
facilitate commercialization of medical education.
5. Ensure trade agreements promote environmental protection and support efforts to re-
duce activities that cause climate change.
6. Call for transparency and openness in all trade agreement negotiations including
public access to negotiating texts and meaningful opportunities for stakeholder
engagement.
1
TPP negotiations currently include twelve parties: the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru,
Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Vietnam.
2
TTIP negotiations currently include the European Union and the United States.
3
CETA negotiations currently include European Union and Canada.
4
See World Trade Organization, Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health (“Doha Declaration”)
(2001)