----- Original Message ----- From: "Soren" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2000 3:27 PM Subject: (50 Years) World Bank Seen Backing Tobacco Lobby > From: "Ross Hammond" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Times of India - Monday, June 5, 2000 > > World Bank seen backing tobacco lobby > > By Kalpana Jain > > The Times of India News Service > > NEW DELHI: The campaign against tobacco has shifted to a new turf: As > powerful global interests get affected, the World Bank has now been rapped > for trying to set a global health agenda that would give tobacco a reprieve > from the concerted action plan of the World Health Organisation. > > The attack on the World Bank comes, interestingly, from one of the most > authoritative voices on health issues, The Lancet journal, in response to > the bank's report on the global burden of diseases. > > The bank report argues that poor countries would benefit by focusing on > eradication of infectious diseases which remain the leading cause of death > and disability. If the focus was riveted on reducing the burden of > non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and hypertension, > the gap between the rich and the poor would widen, says the bank report. > > The bank report is in defence of ``international business interests'', The > Lancet said editorially on Saturday. K Srinath Reddy, cardiology professor > at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, said of the bank report: > ``Transnational tobacco and food traders, international pharmaceutical and > medical technology industries will be the major beneficiaries of such > attitudes that allow non-communicable diseases to proliferate, without > challenge, in less developed countries.'' > > The global health agenda set up by the World Bank has tremendous policy > implications. For instance, when the bank suggested privatisation of > tertiary care, governments across the globe modified their policies to allow > increased private sector participation. Therefore, argues Reddy, the message > from the World Bank is not only anti-poor but also flawed. > > The report has ignored 60 per cent of the population in developing > countries, he says. Besides, the recommendation seemed to be only for > developing countries, as developed nations would continue to invest in the > control of non-communicable diseases like cancer and heart ailments and thus > attain higher health levels. > > In its strongly worded criticism, The Lancet says: ``The tobacco industry > has worked hard to influence the health debate by trying to create confusion > around the implications of data concerning smoking related death and > disability. The new, and more sinister, tactic aims to divide a complex and > interconnected subject into the false dichotomy of communicable and > non-communicable disease.'' > > Deeply respected in the scientific community for its objective views and > analyses, The Lancet has gone to the extent of saying that the World Bank is > ``buttressing a beleaguered World Trade Organisation, and both institutions > are opposing the health agenda set out by the WHO''. > > WHO has launched a global campaign against tobacco. As a result, several > details of the deceit the tobacco industry has resorted to, for capturing > young consumers, have tumbled out in the open. It is obvious any sustained > campaign against such big businesses would be tough. ``WHO needs strong > supporters if its goals are to be realised against the forces of > small-mindedness and big tobacco,'' The Lancet has concluded. > > UP IN SMOKE > > * The World Bank is seen as working against WHO action to eradicate smoking > > * The charge comes from authoritative health journal Lancet > > * A World Bank report says poor countries should focus on eradicating > infectious diseases > > * Developed countries, on the other hand, can continue their focus on > diseases like cancer and heart ailments. > > * Given the link between smoking and these non-communicable diseases, Lancet > implies it is a case of the World Bank backing the tobacco lobby > > =========================================================== > 50 Years Is Enough Network http://www.50years.org > To unsubscribe, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] with > unsubscribe > in the body of the message. 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