WHO boss unveils plan to fight disease
The head of the World Health Organisation, Gro Harlem Brundtland, has put forward her plans for eradicating three diseases the poor suffer from most, at the Winterthur Health Forum.
Gro Harlem Brundtland gave the opening speech at the Winterthur Health Forum on Tuesday evening, during which she outlined her vision to build a global movement to fight HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria.
Along with 200 advocacy experts from 70 countries, Brundtland is taking part in the three-day conference during which communications initiatives will be developed to help fuel a worldwide movement against the diseases.
Experts say the three illnesses cause or perpetuate poverty and together kill more than five million people a year – the vast majority of whom are in poor countries.
Political and economic groupings, like the Group of Eight industrialised countries, the Group of 77 non-aligned countries and the European Commission, have called for a concerted international effort to combat the diseases.
The organisers of the Winterthur conference define the forum as part of a process aimed at bringing internationally stated targets from conception to implementation.
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