The Regional Committee,
Recalling the discussions on access to essential medicines at the fifty-fourth session of the Regional Committee;
Concerned that lack of access to essential medicines, irrational use of medicines, and poor quality of pharmaceutical products remain serious public health problems in many countries in the Region;
Having reviewed the draft regional strategy for improving access to essential medicines in the Western Pacific Region, 2005–2010;
Reaffirming the importance of the essential medicines concept and of national essential medicines lists for improving access to essential medicines;
- ENDORSES the regional strategy for improving access to essential medicines in the Western Pacific Region, 2005-2010, taking into account the views of Member States, including those noted in document WPR/RC55/9 Add.1, as an annotation to the regional strategy;
- URGES Member States:
- (1) to use the regional strategy for improving access to essential medicines in the Western Pacific Region, 2005-2010 as a guide for actions to improve access to essential medicines in line with national medicines policies and for collaboration with WHO;
- (2) to provide adequate resources to strengthen national essential medicines policies and programmes;
- REQUESTS the Regional Director:
- (1) to support Member States to improve access to essential medicines using the regional strategy as a guide in line with national medicines policies;
- (2) to work with WHO Headquarters and international partners to improve access to antiretroviral medicines in the Region, and to strengthen biregional collaboration with WHO's South-East Asia Regional Office to improve access to such medicines across Asia and the Pacific.