The Executive Board nomination will be considered by the World Health Assembly in May 1998. Most of all, it takes account of the dramatic global changes of the past 20 years. It is the result of extensive consultations with, and within, WHO Member States - a process essential to creating ownership of the policy. There are alarming trends in the incidence of a number of diseases. A host of environmental and social problems continue to add to the burden of disease and ill-health.
Poverty remains a major cause of undernutrition and ill-health.
It contributes to the spread of disease, undermines the effectiveness of health services and slows population control. The wide and increasing use of antibiotics in man and animals, and in agriculture has led to the development of microorganisms' resistance at an unprecedented rate. Bacteria are extremely efficient at increasing resistance. Physicians, under pressure from patients, prescribe antimicrobials even in the absence of appropriate indications. Patients often fail to comply with the prescriptions and forget their treatment or interrupt it prematurely, creating an ideal environment for microbes to adapt and survive.