WHA78: 23 May 2025 – Daily Update

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Title: 🔶New guideline calls for improved global access to controlled medicines

[Start of article]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a new guideline advocating for balanced national policies on controlled medicines to ensure equitable access worldwide. Presented at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly, the guideline aims to assist countries in providing safe and affordable controlled medicines essential for treating pain, mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and other serious health issues.

Controlled medicines, including opioids, benzodiazepines, and ketamine, require careful regulation due to thier potential for health risks if misused. Despite their authorized medical and scientific uses, a significant portion of the global population lacks access to these medicines, notably in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).as a notable example, in 2021, high-income countries distributed over 80% of the world's morphine, leaving millions in LMICs without adequate pain relief.

The WHO guideline offers a roadmap for Member States to develop policies that support the medical use of controlled medicines while safeguarding against non-medical use. Key recommendations include accurate quantification of medicines,banning unethical marketing,strengthening supply chains,enabling local production,facilitating continuous access to opioid agonist treatment,and promoting training for healthcare professionals.

Along with the new guideline, the World Health Assembly approved resolutions on lung health, kidney health, and sensory impairment care. A resolution on lung health aims to combat respiratory diseases by improving access to care and investing in clean air policies. The first-ever resolution on kidney health urges countries to integrate kidney care into national health strategies. Another resolution calls for scaling up eye and hearing care services, particularly in LMICs.

The Assembly also established World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day on November 17 to promote actions to eliminate cervical cancer. Furthermore, countries agreed to extend the Global action plan on dementia to 2031, aligning it with the action plan on neurological disorders. Lastly, a resolution was endorsed to improve nutrition for mothers and young children, extending the deadline for meeting global targets to 2030.

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