Print version ISSN 0042-9686 Bull World Health Organ vol.83 n.9
Genebra Sep. 2005 Making medicines and health technologies safe
and accessible Scientific advances have resulted in a vast array
of drugs and health technologies to prevent or treat diseases.
One of WHO's roles is to advise and support countries in the
provision of these drugs and technologies. When Dr Vladimir
Lepakhin became Assistant Director-General for the Health
Technology and Pharmaceuticals cluster of departments in 2003,
the debate centred on access and affordability. But as the
number of new health products grows, WHO is focusing more than
ever on their quality and safety. Q: What is the role of your
cluster of departments? A: Our main task is to help countries
achieve a supply of medicines and health technologies that are
affordable, high quality, safe and efficacious. At the same time
we assist countries to ensure that these medicines and
technologies are used appropriately. Until recently, we spoke
mainly about access and affordabili