Source: ReutersGENEVA, 21 MAY 2010 - The 63rd World Health Assembly, which brought together Health Ministers and senior health officials from the　 World　Health Organization's (WHO) Member States, concluded business and closed Friday evening.

According to an article in the WHO website, the delegates adopted resolutions on a variety of global health issues including:

Monday, 17 May 2010 - As the 63rd World Health Assembly, the annual gathering of 193 member states of World Health Organisation (WHO) began in Geneva, HAI issued a statement on Public health, innovation and intellectual property.

Cape Town 11 May 2010 – A shortage of over 80 medicines is being experienced in public health facilities in South Africa. 

According to an article by IPS, the medicines which are out of stock in public pharmacies include; flu vaccinations, medication for tuberculosis and high blood pressure. The severity of shortages varies from province to province and hospital to hospital, depending on the leadership and skills levels of management.

Experts blame the shortage on a number of factors, including a lack of trained pharmacists, an ineffective tendering process and the inability of some pharmaceutical companies to deliver drugs.

May 2010 - We, the undersigned organizations are very concerned about the nature and extent of WHO¹s involvement in issues pertaining to counterfeit medical products. We recognize that work must be undertaken under WHO's leadership to ensure availability of quality, safe and efficacious pharmaceuticals but we fear that WHO¹s involvement in the issue of ³Counterfeits² will have adverse consequences for access to affordable medicines while failing to address the very real problem of proliferation of pharmaceuticals with compromised quality, safety and efficacy.

View the open letter to Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Heath Organization