WHA29.71
Intensification of research on parasitic and other communicable and tropical diseases
The Twenty-ninth World Health Assembly,
Having examined the progress report submitted by the Director-General describing the present status of planning and pilot operations of the special programme for research and training in tropical diseases, in accordance with resolution WHA27.52;
Recalling also resolutions WHA28.51, WHA28.66 and WHA28.71;
Taking note of the discussions at the fifty-seventh session of the Executive Board and of resolution EB57.R20, endorsing the steps taken and envisaged to intensify research on parasitic, other communicable and tropical diseases;
Realizing the need to mobilize all possible resources, including particularly the potential from the pharmaceutical sector, as part of the role of WHO in coordinating and accelerating the important special programme for research and training in tropical diseases;
- THANKS the Director-General for his report;
- APPROVES the development so far of the special programme for research and training in tropical diseases;
- APPROVES the strategy of the development of scientific aspects of the research through scientific working groups (task forces) of eminent scientists brought together for the purpose by WHO, and the progress already made in establishing these groups and in their work which should best focus the available resources on correct priorities particularly in developing new pharmaceutical e.g., chemotherapeutic and immunological - tools for disease control;
- THANKS those governments and voluntary agencies which have contributed financially to the development of programme planning and pilot projects in this field;
- URGES that all Member States participate as fully as possible in the work of the special programme by offering the cooperation of their researchers, and by donations of funds and the provision of facilities, in order to further the research and training activities planned;
- REQUESTS the Director-General:
- to enlarge the network of WHO national scientific collaborating centres and institutions in order to enhance their contribution to this programme;
- to establish contacts with universities, appropriate research institutions and the pharmaceutical sector for the development of new methods of controlling tropical diseases and evolving new preventive and therapeutic substances;
- to report to the fifty-ninth session of the Executive Board and Thirtieth World Health Assembly on the progress made.