WHPA Press Release 2004 [Health Professionals Issue a Wake Up Call on AIDS]

World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA)

Health Professionals Issue a Wake Up Call on AIDS

Geneva, Switzerland, 16 May 2004 −An urgent plea to all national governments and health professionals to stop procrastinating on the HIV/AIDS pandemic has been issued by the world’s nursing, pharmacy and medical leaders.

Representatives of the three health professions, attending the historic first conference of the World Health Professions Alliance in Geneva today, unanimously passed a resolution urging governments to recognise the scale of the tragedy facing the world and to immediately commit the necessary funds to fight the pandemic.

The conference, bringing together for the first time members from the International Council of Nurses, the International Pharmaceutical Federation and the World Medical Association, were moved to adopt the resolution after hearing a compelling and inspiring plea for support from Stephen Lewis, United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

The resolution adopted read:

‘Recognising that

-	*the current HIV/AIDS pandemic presents an extraordinary health, human rights and humanitarian crisis;*
-	*especially women and children are affected;*
-	*focused prevention programs can significantly reduce new infections;*
-	*treatment options allow HIV positive persons to lead a quality life;*
-	without the appropriate prevention and treatment this crisis will worsen to a level where some countries’ populations may be decimated and their futures destroyed; and

That countries at the heart of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, provided they are supported with the necessary financial and human resources, can rise to the challenge.

Therefore we, as leaders of the medical, nursing and pharmacy professions, call on all national governments, intergovernmental agencies and health professionals to recognise the scale of the tragedy, to stop procrastinating and to commit, immediately, the necessary funds and resources against HIV/AIDS.

As health professional leaders we give our full commitment to this cause and call on all physicians, nurses and pharmacists to act as strong advocates and social leaders in the war against HIV/AIDS.’

The World Health Professions Alliance brings together medicine, nursing and pharmacy through their representative international organisations, International Council of Nurses (ICN), International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and the World Medical Association (WMA) and represents more than 20 million health professionals worldwide.

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Editor’s Note:

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of more than 120 national nurses' associations representing the millions of nurses world-wide. Operated by nurses for nurses since 1899, ICN is the international voice of nursing and works to ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally.
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) is a world-wide federation of national pharmaceutical (scientific) associations and has as its mission to represent and serve pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences around the globe.
The World Medical Association (WMA) is a global federation of national medical associations, representing the millions of physicians world-wide. Acting on behalf of physicians and patients, the WMA endeavours to achieve the highest possible standards of medical science, education, ethics and health care for all people.

For further information contact Linda Carrier-Walker Tel : +41 22 908 0100;
fax : +41 22 908 0101; email: carrwalk@icn.ch; Web site www.icn.ch

PR/04 #06