*EPF409 01/22/2004
Thompson Welcomes WHO Resolution on Diet and Physical Activity
(Cites obesity as "fastest growing disease" in the United States) (610)

By Wendy Lubetkin
Washington File Correspondent

Geneva -- U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson says the United States is "very much in favor" of a World Health Organization (WHO) resolution on nutrition and physical activity.

"The Department of Health and Human Services has been very involved and extremely active in regards to nutrition and physical activity," Thompson told a press briefing at WHO headquarters January 22. Obesity and problems related to overweight are "the fastest growing disease" in the United States. "We are making a huge national effort."

The WHO Executive Board agreed January 22 to forward a global strategy on diet, physical activity and health to the World Health Assembly. That body, comprised of WHO's full membership of 192 countries, will consider whether to adopt the strategy when it meets next May.

"I was somewhat surprised when some members of the press questioned our intentions as far as the resolution," Thompson said. "I am very much in favor of it. That is why I came here to vote for it today."

He emphasized, however, that the guidelines on implementing the resolution must be based on scientifically based evidence. "People are going to rely on those guidelines, so we want to be darn sure they are correct."

That is why the United States supported a one-month extension during which WHO member states can consider the draft strategy and suggest revisions to the document.

At the end of that period of consultation, comments on the strategy will be consolidated by the WHO secretariat in Geneva, according to a WHO spokesperson. The final draft strategy will be made publicly available to WHO members in mid-March.

Thompson emphasized that leaving the document open for possible revision for an additional month will not hold up implementation of the strategy since it can only be finally adopted in May by the full World Health Assembly.

Asked if this was not just another delay orchestrated by food industry lobbying groups, Thompson said, "The truth of the matter is that the resolution has proceeded, we are going to take it up and pass it. Wouldn't it be smarter to have the best science-based recommendations, instead of having the food industry or any other special interest group be able to attack the specifics because it is poor science.

"It is not slowing down the process at all because we are not meeting until May, and by the time May comes around, all the comments will be in ... and hopefully we will be able to get it adopted unanimously. Anyway, that is my hope."

Thompson, who is serving as the current chairperson of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said he also wanted to respond to recent criticisms related to the malaria drugs used by WHO and the Global Fund.

He said the Global Fund is actively encouraging countries to use the more expensive drug ACT (artemisinin-class combination therapies) in countries where resistance has developed to the traditional chloroquinine treatment. According to the World Health Organization, ACT -- which is still under patent -- costs around $2 to $3 per dose, compared with chloroquinine, which costs around 10 cents per dose.

"I wanted you to know we are not telling people they can only use one medicine because it is cheaper. That is absolutely not the case. We are looking at the best therapies, the best medicines, and that is why we are encouraging those countries where resistance has developed to chloroquinine to move over to the new drug ACT."

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Return to Public File Main Page

Return to Public Table of Contents