Position Statement on the Decision by WHO to Withdraw Guidance Documents

Many palliative care organizations around the world have endorsed this position statement in response to the recent decision announced by World Health Organization Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to withdraw two guideline documents, Ensuring Balance in National Policies on Controlled Substances and Guidelines on the Pharmacological Treatment of Persisting Pain in Children with Medical Illnesses. 

The above documents were developed to improve the situation of millions of patients worldwide who suffered from lack of, or inadequate access to medications, including pain medications. The impetus of the withdrawal was due to a report endorsed by US Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Congressman Hal Rogers that claimed the guiding documents were influenced by Purdue Pharma (the maker of OxyContin). The report argued that by developing, distributing and promoting these guidelines, the WHO was helping the pharmaceutical company increase its market share and putting other countries at risk of replicating the US “opioid crisis.”