Reports by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) and the Council of Europe claim that The World Health Organisation reaction to H1N1 was influenced by pharmaceutical companies and that key scientists behind advice had financial ties with firms Roche and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). These conflicts of interest have never been publicly disclosed by WHO, an apparent violation of its own rules. The World Health Organisation issued H1N1 guidelines in 2004, recommending countries to stockpile millions of doses of antiviral medication. The advice prompted many countries around the world into buying up large stocks of Tamiflu , made by Roche, and Relenza manufactured by GSK. A spokesman for WHO said the drug industry did not influence its decisions on swine flu. Margaret Chan , the organisation's director, had dismissed inquiries into its handling of the A/H1N1 pandemic as "conspiracy theories" earlier this year, she had said: "WHO anticipated close scrutiny of its decisions, but we did not anticipate that we would be accused, by some European politicians, of having declared a fake pandemic on the advice of experts with ties to the pharmaceutical industry and something personal to gain from increased industry profits."
Reports by the (BMJ), the (BIJ) and the Council of Europe claim that The World Health Organisation reaction to H1N1 was influenced by pharmaceutical companies and that key scientists behind advice had financial ties with firms and (GSK). These conflicts of interest have never been publicly disclosed by WHO, an apparent violation of its own rules. The World Health Organisation issued H1N1 guidelines in 2004, recommending countries to stockpile millions of doses of antiviral medication. The advice prompted many countries around the world into buying up large stocks of , made by Roche, and manufactured by GSK. A spokesman for WHO said the drug industry did not influence its decisions on swine flu. , the organisation's director, had dismissed inquiries into its handling of the A/H1N1 pandemic as "conspiracy theories" earlier this year, she had said: "WHO anticipated close scrutiny of its decisions, but we did not anticipate that we would be accused, by some European politicians, of having declared a fake pandemic on the advice of experts with ties to the pharmaceutical industry and something personal to gain from increased industry profits."
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British Medical Journal
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Bureau of Investigative Journalism
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Roche and GlaxoSmithKline
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Tamiflu
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Relenza
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Margaret Chan