WHO ADVISED BY SECRET COMMITTEE ON THE SWINE FLU 

December 12, 2009

By Kristian Villesen and Louise Voller 

The names of the members of a group that acts as advisers to WHO on the swine flu are a closely kept secret.

The group advocated upgrading the status of the flu from epidemic to pandemic.

Since then, pharmaceutical companies have sold more than 55-billion crowns worth of vaccines, writes the Danish daily news outlet "Information". 

WHO relies on a secret group of experts, the so-called Emergency Committee. The organisation consults this Emergency Committee on managing the swine flu.    

The committee is at the epicentre of desicion-making and recommended the declaration of a swine flu pandemic to Director General, Margaret Chan.

 A recommendation that she implemented on June 11th this year, referring to the group of experts. 

This resulted in enormous economic gains for the pharmaceutical industry.

Many member countries – among them, Denmark – have contracts with the big pharma companies and are obliged to buy vaccines when WHO determines that a virus is a pandemic.

The investment bank J.P. Morgan estimates that vaccines and other types of flu medicine amounting to more than 55 billions of crowns have been sold since this declaration. 

In spite of the committee’s enormous influence and power, the public is not allowed to learn who the members of the committee actually are.

As a consequence, the public is also denied access to information needed to check whether the members of this group are on the payroll of the pharma industry. 

The only information available to the public is that the committee consists of 18 people whom the Director General has selected from WHO’s list of experts.

But such a level of transparency is inadequate according to Peter Goetzsche, who is the leader of the independent research institution, Cochrane, in Copenhagen.

“It is not acceptable that a secret committee gives advice to WHO in a matter of such importance. There needs to be complete transparency over who they are and what conflicts of interests the committee may have. If this is not the case, people cannot have confidence in what is going on,” says Peter Goetzsche.

According to earlier information, WHO has members in it’s groups of consultants who are on the payroll of the pharma industry.

Peter Goetzsche fears that this could also be the case with the Emergency Committee. 

“That committee possesses enormous power. And yet we don’t know whether those people who are sitting on it receive money from or have stocks in those firms which produce the vaccines,” says Peter Goetzsche. 

Managing director of Danish Board of Health, Jesper Fisker, agrees.

"It is unnacceptable that we cannot see who the members of the committee actually are and consequently cannot see what interests are represented. It has to be part of the common ambition of openness and transparency that we can see, what role the committee plays and who the members are,” he says and adds:  “The  more influential a committee is, the more important it is, that there is transparency. And if they have given advice concerning an important decision – and that seems to be the case – then it is even more important that there is transparency. This simply has to happen.” 

INSECURE 

Peter Goetzsche's concerns are not eased by the fact that only the leadership of WHO has access to the names of the members of this committee.

“Why should the members not have conflicts of interest? In view of the knowledge we lately have acquired concerning WHO’s use of experts, can expect that some of them have conflicts of interest”. 

In November, it was revealed that the official working group, Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE), which advices WHO about vaccines, comprised several members, who receive fees or research support from the pharmaceutical industry.

Since then the Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet and Information have discovered another three members of this permanent group of consultants who are on the payroll of the companies manufacturing vaccines.

According to Peter Goetzsche, this approach in a powerful organisation is associated with difficulties. 

“It is well known from lots of scientific studies that it generates unfortunate decisions when people with interests of conflict are members of advisory groups. And the suspicion that unpleasant things take place grows when you don’t even know what is going on.” 

WHO DOES NOT ANSWER 

In spite of several calls during the last four days WHO has not agreed on an interview on the secret committee.

But WHO-spokesman Gregory Hartl said the following about the committee to the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet.

“The names of the members of the committee are secret. We don’t want them to be exposed to any kind of pressure from the outside. They have been selected on basis of their expertise and knowledge concerning influenza, the spreading of viruses and control of diseases, says Gregory Hartl.

What kind of pressure are the members risking exposure to?

“I cannot talk about that. But the important thing is, that the committee does not need to show consideration for anything or anybody outside the committee in their consultations with the Director General of WHO”.

Have any of the members of the committee connections to or collaborate with the pharmaceutical industry?”

“I don’t know who the members are. But I think they are controlled concerning ties to the industry.”

Should WHO not be  transparent concerning decisions affecting millions of people?

“In the fight against this epidemic you have to collaborate with many partners. That includes governments, non governmental organisations and the pharmaceutical industry. We must find the best solutions to save human lives. To save lives is of utmost importance to us” says Gregory Hartl.