Albanian Daily News’ section of interviews starts the year 2022 with an exclusive interview with the President of the World Medical Association (WMA) Dr. Heidi Stensmyren, who has given an opportunity to us to exchange views on sensitive issues linked with health at a particular time when the COVID pandemic continues to hit hard humankind in loss of human lives and many other repercussions.    

As a kind of introduction Dr. Stensmyren dwelt on the mission of WMA, its stands in many different issues, form policies, and work done to ensure the independence of physicians. “The WMA holds some of the most important ethical codes and declarations for physicians. These are just as important today as 1947 when the WMA was founded. To highlight one, I can mention the Declaration of Helsinki which stipulates the ethical principles for medical research on humans. In times like this, when health care is under extreme pressure and the demand on researchers to find cures and vaccines in high speed, it is important to have ethical frameworks to follow,” stressed President of WMA whose current number of constituent members is 115.  She touched upon the deliberations of the annual General Assembly of WMA held virtually from 11 to 15 October last year saying that the pandemic was discussed intensively.

“Access to vaccines and the very unfortunate vaccine inequity in the world was of course on the agenda. This is something that the WMA had raised early awareness and continues to point it out. If the global society fails to secure vaccines to the vast majority of the populations in the world, the pandemic will be very hard to stop,” Dr. Stensmyren said.  

The 5-day Assembly drew the attention that when in despair and when there is a lack of access to effective medications people are easy targets for those selling ineffective medicaments. According to her, this is something physicians should raise awareness about in their respective home countries, and not at least work towards their governments to secure access to effective medications.

Asked about the sensible issue of migrants, Dr. Stensmyren said their organization raises awareness of the need to provide basic health care to all, no matter what economic or social background or resources the individual has, and this of course includes migrants. “But, as I mentioned above, the issues goes deeper than this and there are different reasons why people flee their countries but in many cases, they flee from war and conflicts.”  In addition she said that it has been increasingly dangerous for health care workers in conflicts, and the WMA has constantly pointed out the repeated attacks on health care facilities, including health care personnel and patients, in Syria.

Dr. Stensmyren has been concerned over the issues of collaboration during the whole pandemic, as well as the border closures. “In my opinion need for social distancing does not necessarily justify closing borders. Closing borders causes problems with supplying hospitals around the globe with important medications and other supplies. The pandemic is global, just as the production and supply of health care products and closing doors and borders might only lengthen the problems we face. The pandemic is our common problem,” she said. 

Dr. Stensmyren holds on to the urge of vaccine equity and according to her, there will be new pandemics and the world community needs global governing rules and bodies with mandate and financial as well as authorized mandate to act.

“I believe that this pandemic has demonstrated that the time of isolated communities is over. The world is global, our societies are interlinked, and collaboration is the only way forward,” said President of the World Medical Association Heidi Stensmyren in the following interview:

Albanian Daily News: In the first place, Madame President, Albanian Daily News expresses the gratitude to you for such a great possibility to have this interview with you, and as it is the first time that the Head of World Medical Association is our special guest, please, could you share with ADN’s readers some of the major highlights of WMA’s mission?

WMA’s President Dr. Heidi Stensmyren: WMAs mission is to serve humanity by striving to achieve the highest international standards in Medical Education, Medical Science, Medical Art and Medical Ethics, and Health Care for all people in the world. These are high set and partly wide-ranging goals, but they are important fundaments to achieve good health for all. In all well-functioning societies health care systems covering all are crucial. The medical profession is an important touchstone to achieve this.

The WMA therefore take stands in many different issues and form policies, and we also work to ensure the independence of physicians which is equally important. The WMA holds some of the most important ethical codes and declarations for physicians. These are just as important today as 1947 when the WMA was founded. To highlight one, I can mention the Declaration of Helsinki which stipulates the ethical principles for medical research on humans. In times like this, when health care is under extreme pressure and the demand on researchers to find cures and vaccines in high speed, it is important to have ethical frameworks to follow.

 - Dr. Stensmyren, WMA held the virtual annual General Assembly from 11 to 15 October last year. During the 5-day event the delegates from national medical associations around the world discussed and exchanged views focusing on the ongoing pandemic. Please, which were the main concerns of the participants and the results of the conference?   

- This can render a very long answer, but I will try to give compromise it. The pandemic was discussed intensively. Access to vaccines and the very unfortunate vaccine inequity in the world was of course on the agenda. This is something that the WMA had raised awareness of early and continue to point out. If the global society fail to secure vaccines to the vast majority of the populations in the world the pandemic will be very hard to stop.

Other topics raised were the misinformation about vaccines as well as the virus making parts of populations abstain from being vaccinated. Physicians have an important role to play regarding this, and a responsibility to speak up and inform about correct scientific results. Knowledge is of little value if not shared and we are obliged to share our knowledge. I also want to point out our discussions, or maybe I should say our concerns, about false medicines. When in despair and when there is a lack of access to effective medications people are easy targets for those selling ineffective medicaments. This is something physicians should rise awareness about in our respective home countries, and not at least work towards their governments to secure access to effective medications.  

- As it has been learned one of the most sensible issues was migrants, and I am touching upon it because this worldwide social wound, which has particularly hit Europe, is aggravating and the fatal disease has made the situation more worrying. Which is your contribution as an Association and the recommendations for a way out? 

 - Yes, this is a difficult issue, and it troubles the European countries. The problem reaches deeper than the challenge handling administration of the large groups of migrants. As the organization representing physicians, we raise awareness of the need to provide basic health care to all, no matter what economic or social background or resources the individual has. This of course includes migrants. But, as I mentioned above, the issues goes deeper than this and there are different reasons why people flee their countries but in many cases, they flee from war and conflicts. And, it has been increasingly dangerous for health care workers in conflicts. During the meeting we reaffirmed our resolution of the need for protection of health care facilities and personnel in armed conflicts.   

- Albania, a small country in the Western Balkans, has not ‘escaped’ this problem and more and more migrants are entering the country but most of them see beyond it – they are in search of Europe. In the meantime, some 1000 Afghan refugees have settled down in the country with the figure expected to rise to 4000. Also, there is a camp of Mujahedin on the outskirts of the capital Tirana. Please, in the first place are you aware of such a situation and secondly, what would you recommend to authorities to cope with the situation and the threat of the spread of the pandemic?

 -Europeans are being more and better informed about this situation, and the difficulties are discussed on high political level – where it should be handled of course. Without being fully up-to-date about the details and numbers of migrants in Albania it is difficult for me to recommend to the authorities how to act in this case. It has been clear though that it is a European problem, and not only a problem for the individual entry-country.

- Family violence is a grave human rights problem in Albania, and what worries the society is the violence against minors, which is increasing accompanied with sexual violence. Madame President besides reporting cases of family violence, what should be done to address this complex human rights violation for uprooting it? 

- Yes, despite the great development of many parts of the societies around the globe domestic violence, violence against minors and sexual violence is still a problem in far too many societies. It is no need to state that this of course is unacceptable. This violence needs to be put an end to. It is a matter of respect for other humans, and the equity of all individuals. There is no single action that will stop this, but several actions are needed.

Firstly, acknowledgement of the fact that this is not legal and that it has been abandoned by society through criminalization by law has been an important step in many countries to prevent it from happening. Secondly, transparency about it when it happens and stating examples that it is not acceptable is important. The MeToo-movement made it visible and looking back there has been a major change in many countries of what is acceptable behavior today. There should be many more initiatives as well, such as the society taking care of and giving support to individual crime victims.

 - Having the great opportunity to communicate with you, Madame President, does WMA have any contacts with the relevant Albanian authorities or put differently have the latter approached you for cooperation?

 - Being a non-governmental organization the WMA mainly collaborate with other non-governmental organizations, but we have close contact with global organizations such as the World Health Organization. Many individual member organizations though often have closer contact with governing bodies in their countries. Many times the WMA policies are guidelines or frameworks for national guidelines in health care.

 - Dr. Stensmyren, you were installed as President of the World Medical Association being the 72nd head of it in 2021 and your mandate ends in October 2022. Please, could you share with ADN’s readers how did you feel in the first stages of the pandemic and especially what impressions did you have, when barriers were set up with rich countries looking inside their ‘yards’?    

- Here you touch upon a very difficult issue that has concerned me a lot during the whole pandemic. By not collaborating, not securing vaccines and medications to all populations around the globe, the world community risk to fail in stopping this and coming pandemics. The pandemic started more than 10 months before I was elected president of the WMA and as specialist in intensive care and anaesthesiology, I worked in a hospital in Stockholm with COVID-patients during the first wave. I would look out of the windows and see guards outside, preventing people from accessing the hospital and I watched borders close in the news.

In my opinion need for social distancing does not necessarily justify closing borders. Closing borders causes problems with supplying hospitals around the globe with important medications and other supplies. The pandemic is global, just as the production and supply of health care products and closing doors and borders might only lengthen the problems we face. The pandemic is our common problem.

 - As a follow up, Madame President, after the emergence of the new Omicron variant, which is the stance of your Association regarding the continuing inequity of vaccine distribution? Besides inequity do you see attempts to politicize this vital health issue almost turning it into a ‘bone of contention’ among the major powers? Your appeal: “We cannot afford to leave anyone behind!” seems to be a bell of alarm echoing across the world….

 - We cannot afford this vaccine equity to continue. We need global constituting agreements on how to finance and distribute vaccines to the whole world. This needs to be made on governmental level, that is where the legitimacy to do so lies. And I want to add the urge to include other important vaccines as well. Many vaccine programs have suffered during the pandemic and children are dying from other diseases than COVID -19.

I hold on to the urge of vaccine equity. There will be new pandemics and the world community needs global governing rules and bodies with mandate and financial as well as authorized mandate to act. 

 -To conclude, what do the people of the world have in stock for the future in the face of this fatal disease? How do you see the perspective?

- Well, I believe that this pandemic has demonstrated that the times of isolated communities is over. The world is global, our societies are interlinked, and collaboration is the only way forward.