The 61st World Health Assembly set WHO on a course to tackle longstanding, new and looming threats to global public health. The Health Assembly produced a public health breakthrough by providing a platform for removing barriers and using innovative methods to encourage research, development and access to medicines for the common diseases of the developing world.

"This is a major breakthrough for public health that will benefit many millions of people for many years to come," said WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. "This is a contribution to fairness in health and this is pro-active public health at its very best."

The public health, innovation and intellectual property strategy purpose is to promote new approaches to pharmaceutical research and development (R&D), and to enhance access to medicines.

"At this World Health Assembly, we witnessed the interplay between the political, trade and health interests," said the President of the Health Assembly, Dr Leslie Ramsammy who is the Minister of Health of Guyana. "Child and maternal health, and the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases rely on the supply chain and commodities. We are now much closer to having an increased flow of quality health commodities that will lead to better health."

Refereneces:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/wha02/en/index.html