WHO's world health report 2003: Actions speak louder than words

doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7434.287-b

BMJ 2004;328:287-288 (31 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7434.287-b

Letter

WHO's world health report 2003

Actions speak louder than words

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Walt's editorial on the World Health Report 2003highlights the challenges of health and inequality.¹ The reportmakes grim reading and shows the failure of past initiatives.²It has taken the world 25 years to realise the importance ofstrengthening health systems and developing primary health care.The return to the Alma Ata declaration of 1978 may be welcome,but whether its pronouncements and initiatives are more thanjust rhetoric and slogans remains to be shown.

Despite the failure of most of its previous targets, such ashealth for all, and specific disease eradication initiatives,such as malaria, tuberculosis, kala azar, etc, the report isstill setting up new targets—for example, giving 3 millionpeople anti-retroviral treatment by 2005.² The health paritycannot be achieved by isolated specific disease initiativeswithout strengthening health systems, alleviating poverty, andimproving infrastructure.

Poverty is strongly correlated with ill health. About 1300 . . . [Full text of this article]

Vireshwar K Singh, general practitioner registrar

ophthalmology and otolaryngology York Hospital, York YO31 8HE vireshsingh@aol.com