World Health Organization refutes allegations

doi:10.1136/bmj.39136.486007.FA

BMJ 2007;334:440 (3 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.39136.486007.FA

Letters

WHO funding

World Health Organization refutes allegations

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

The World Health Organization categorically rejects the allegationsmade in a recent story in the BMJ which imply that WHO solicitsmoney from the pharmaceutical sector through independent organisationsby circumventing its own rules.¹

As the BMJ correctly reports, WHO has clear guidelines againstseeking or accepting funds from commercial enterprises or throughthird parties where there would be a conflict of interest.

When WHO does accept donations or funds from pharmaceuticalcompanies—for example, donations of vaccines or medicines—thosedonations are clearly accounted for and transparently reported.

In this specific case, Dr Benedetto Saraceno was very clear.He had never asked that funds be solicited from the pharmaceuticalsector, and he declined the funds that were offered.

WHO is concerned about the BMJ's depiction of Dr Saraceno. Heis a professional of deep personal integrity. In the 10 yearshe has been with WHO, Dr Saraceno has tirelessly worked . . . [Full text of this article]

Christine McNab

World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland

mcnabc@who.int