United Nations

GENERAL ASSEMBLYDraft Resolution 1.1World Health Organization (WHO)31st May 2014First Committee

Sponsors: Afghanistan, France, Netherlands, Romania, ThailandSignatories: Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, China, Congo, Germany, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Ukraine, United Kingdom, VietnamTopic:Examining Tuberculosis: Access to Treatment and the Advancement of TechnologyThe World Health Organization,Emphasizing Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person,Recalling the Abuja Declaration on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Other Related Infectious Diseases, especially point number 15, which ensures the implementation of programs that will eradicate Tuberculosis by the first quarter of the 21st century,Keeping in mind the targeted aims of the Millennium Development Goals, especially point number 6, which emphasizes on the elimination of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other infectious diseases,Regretting the unfortunate victims and collateral damage that has been resulted from the lack of access to health care,Cognizant of the social stigma, discrimination, and the economic toll that heavily surrounds the issue of tuberculosis,Keeping in mind the responsibilities of the World Health Organization, which is to ensure access to basic, good quality, preventive and curative care,Bearing in mind Article 2 Sub-section B of the Constitution of the World Health Organization, which highlights the importance of collaboration between governments, the United Nations, specialized agencies, governmental health administrations, and other organizations, which may be deemed appropriate,1. Calls upon the creation of a typology system for the different levels of Tuberculosis as a way to prevent further outbreaks. The level of severity will determine the kind of treatment that a person is given. This should be done through a creation of the six different levels of the severity of the disease, which include:a. Class O: No TB Exposure. This is a preventive measure, which can detect whether or not a person is infected with TB. People with Class O results have a negative reaction to the TB Skin Test,b. Class 1: TB Exposure. People with Class 1 have a history of exposure, however are negative when tested with the TB Skin Test,c. Class 2: TB Infection. There is a positive reaction to the TB Skin Test, but no clinical or radiographic evidence of TB.d. Class 3: Current TB Disease. There is a positive reaction to the TB Skin Test, and there is evidence of current TB agent,e. Class 4: Previous TB Disease. There is a history of episode(s) of TB. Positive reaction to the TB Skin Test,f. Class 5: TB Suspected. Diagnosis is still pending, maximum length for this category is three months;2. Realizes that each typology of the severity of Tuberculosis requires different medical treatment, it is optimal to:a. Establish new healthcare facilities, including but are not limited to sanatoriums, b. Ensure that hospitals across the Member States have the same international standards of procedures, and proper facilities,c. Enhance the current clinics that are specialized at combatting Tuberculosis;3. Encourages Member States to eliminate barriers that hinder the access to treatment, especially for the poor, remotely located people, through ways which include, but are not limited to:a. The creation of more infrastructure to ensure that everyone, even those located far from the cities have access to diagnostics and treatments,b. The appointment of central hospitals in each Member States, that have the right and responsibility to distribute the proper medication to regional and local hospitals,c. The elimination of barriers that make the proper treatment costly by reducing tariffs and taxes through the inclusion of the proper medication into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), as well as non-tariff barriers;4. Stresses the advancement of technology as a way to combat this issue, in ways including, but are not limited to:a. Technological transfers from developed nations in order for developing nations to conduct in primary measures such as screenings in order to eradicate Tuberculosis,b. The investment of new technologies, by the Organization, as well as Member States in order to answer the urgent needs for newer, enhanced testing;5. Emphasizes on the creation of more regulations regarding the immigration system of each Member States, which should be done through:a. Screenings for tuberculosis before an immigrant or tourist enters the country,b. The tightening of Cross-Border Policies, which should be adopted by all Member States, in order to decrease the chances of Tuberculosis spreading, and done by the Organization;6. Designates the increase of money allocation to the funding of research, development, infrastructure-building, and distribution costs, in order to combat this issue, through:a. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria as the primary source of funding,b. Private institutions including Multinational Corporations (MNCs),c. Direct donations between Member States through bilateral and multilateral agreements,d. Philanthropist or other individual non-state actors such as charities and foundations;7. Recognizing the importance of grassroots movements, the problem should be solved bottom-up, which can be done through:a. The higher role of Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Societies, especially in the fields of:i. Education, specifically in the remote areas, focusing on the youth groups about prevention of tuberculosis, healthy standards of living, and the decrease of stigma and discrimination towards people who suffer from Tuberculosis,ii. Advocacy, as a larger part of the global TB movement, NGOs should focus on raising awareness, in the youth groups, which are the ones usually most affected by this disease;8. Bearing in mind the different needs of vulnerable groups such as children, women, and persons affected by internal or external conflict, encourages:a. Other UN bodies to work alongside the organization, including, but not limited to:i. The United Nations Children and Education Fund (UNICEF), to assist in socializing and educating children, to work alongside the Ministry of Health and Education in each nation to implement a framework for the curriculum especially at the primary level regarding healthy habits, and other preventive measures,ii. The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), to arouse participation of women in the fields of health, especially pertaining to the issue of Tuberculosis, and increasing of gender equality through a periodical session of capacity-building by the deployment of both WHO and UN Women members, which will stimulate awareness for women to not follow the patriarchal society, and prioritize their health,iii. The United Nations Humanitarian Center for Refugees (UNHCR), to help ensure that nations who are in a state of war, conflicts, and natural disasters, will still receive access to proper medication by the establishment of healthcare centers in affected areas to prevent the spreading of Tuberculosis,iv. United Nations Development Program (UNDP), as one of the organizations targeted at achieving the Millennium Development Goals to combat poverty, malnutrition, the livelihood of people and prevent the prevalence of Tuberculosis symptoms;9. Acknowledging the significance of education in addressing the issue of Tuberculosis, especially by:a. Endorsing the parliamentary level education, in regards to promote both sustainability and multiplier effect in society,b. Invite the scientific support from the WHO to help design the curriculum for the primary level education;10. Emphasizing the advantage of WHOs scientific capacity, the reallocation of funds should be encouraged towards scientific based research in addressing the issue of tuberculosis, especially regarding the Multi Drug Resistant TB (MDR TB), in ways such as but not limited to:a. Conducting a scientific based standardization as guidance in grant allocation,b. Providing affordable prices for medicine, especially those under the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement,c. Enhancing the implementation of Direct Observed Therapy, Short-Course (DOTS) through the exclusive Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DR TB) placed under the shape of mobile and decentralized units;d. Creating a prevention drug, that will increase the immunization of healthy people, to help lessen the chances of people catching Tuberculosis;11. Recommends a regular bi-annual conference, held by Member States in order to create a national policy, which includes the framework and funding efforts to achieve the mitigation of Tuberculosis;12. Urges the public and private sectors, both national and foreign, to work together with the national government through a win-win situation, including but not limited to:a. The embedding of a corporations logo in the medical supplies, and other goods as a form of endorsement, as to attract private companies and also benefitting the nation,13. Remains actively seized on the matter.