Vienna, Austria,  8 - 12 March 2010 - The Economic and Social Council established the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in 1946 as the central policy-making body of the United Nations in drug related matters. The Commission enables Member States to analyse the global drug situation, provide follow-up to the twentieth special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem and to take measures at the global level within its scope of action.

It also monitors the implementation of the three international drug control conventions and is empowered to consider all matters pertaining to the aim of the conventions, including the scheduling of substances to be brought under international control. Read more for an update on UICC activities at the event this year. 

1. Programmes for the UICC side event on 8 March 2010
2. Presentations and photos
   Dr. Rosa Buitrago - Dr. Rajagopal - Dr. Alisher Latypov 
3. GAPRI Background document - Download
4. Link to resolution L6
   

The World Cancer Declaration - Target 8
UICC’s goal with respect to pain relief is clearly stated in the World Cancer Declaration. One of UICC’s 2020 targets is that:

• Effective pain control measures will be available universally to all cancer patients in pain

This is an ambitious goal. The availability of effective measures ‘universally to all cancer patients in pain’ is obviously a very high standard. Even in highly developed countries, not all cancer patients receive effective pain treatment.

The problem
The World Health Organization estimates that 5 billion people live in countries with low or no access to controlled medicines and have no or insufficient access to treatment for moderate to severe pain. In these countries, each year, tens of millions of patients suffer without adequate treatment, including 5.5 million terminal cancer patients and 1 million end-stage HIV/AIDS patients. (Note that these figures are only for terminal / end-stage patients, so the overall figures of those in pain are much higher.)

Yet we know how to relieve pain and suffering caused by cancer, and the ‘gold standard’ of treatment – oral morphine – is a relatively inexpensive medication.

Global consumption of morphine has been increasing, but there are enormous disparities between the situation in low-income and high-income countries. The Pain and Policy Studies Group at the University of Wisconsin, a WHO Collaborating Centre, has reported[1] that, in 2007, seven high-income countries (the United States, France, Canada, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, and Australia), comprising less than 10% of the world’s population, consumed nearly 84% of the medical morphine consumed globally that year. Low- and middle-income countries, comprising 83% of the world’s population, accounted for 8% of global consumption.

The barriers
WHO identifies three categories of barriers to access to opioid analgesics:

• Regulatory / Policy
• Knowledge and attitudinal
• Economic and procurement
• Political and resource prioritization

Downlaod Programme

Download GAPRI background document

[1] Based on data collected by the International Narcotics Control Board.