Handbook of WMA Policies The World Medical Association, Inc. Version History © The World Medical Association, Inc. Version 2010, Vancouver; Printed in March 2011 Version 2011, Montevideo; Printed in December 2011 • Replacements Code Short Title D-2000-01-2010 by Prison Conditions on TB (amended in 2011) D-2000-01-2011 S-1988-01-2005 by Correction of misclassified document type R-1988-01-2005 S-1988-05-2007 by Tobacco Products Health Hazards (amended in 2011) S-1988-05-2011 S-1996-05-2006 Replacement due to typo in the footer S-1997-01-2007 Correction (in 2007 it was reaffirmed, not amended) S-1997-02-2007 Correction of typo in the header nd • Additions of the policies newly adopted by the 62 WMA General Assembly, Montevideo, Uruguay, October 2011 D-2011-01-2011 Disaster Preparedness D-2011-02-2011 End-of-Life Medical Care D-2011-03-2011 Leprosy Control S-2011-01-2011 Chronic Disease S-2011-02-2011 Monitoring Tokyo Declaration S-2011-03-2011 Protection and Integrity of Medical Personnel S-2011-04-2011 Social Determinants of Health S-2011-05-2011 Social Media R-2011-01-2011 Adequate Pain Treatment R-2011-02-2011 Bahrain R-2011-03-2011 Economic Embargoes and Health R-2011-04-2011 Independence of Medical Associations Version 2012, Bangkok; Printed in October 2012 st • Additions of the resolutions newly adopted by the 191 WMA Council Session, Prague, Czech Republic, April 2012 Code Short Title CR-2012-01-2012 Danger in Health Care in Syria and Bahrain CR-2012-02-2012 Professional Autonomy and Self-Regulation in Turkey CR-2012-03-2012 Autonomy of Professional Orders in West Africa • Replacements D-2002-04-2002 by Advanced Technology (amended in 2012) D-2002-04-2012 S-1956-01-2006 by Armed Conflict (amended in 2012) S-1956-01-2012 R-2002-05-2002 by Abuse of Psychiatry (amended in 2012) R-2002-05-2012 rd • Removals of the policies rescinded and archived by the 63 WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012 R-2002-03-2002 Health Care Services in Afghanistan R-2002-04-2002 Pan American Health Organization rd • Additions of the policies newly adopted by the 63 WMA General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, October 2012 S-2012-01-2012 Electronic Cigarettes S-2012-02-2012 Collective Action by Physicians S-2012-03-2012 Forced and Coerced Sterilisation S-2012-04-2012 Organ and Tissue Donation S-2012-05-2012 Prioritisation of Immunisation S-2012-06-2012 Violence in the Health Sector R-2012-01-2012 Minimum Price for Alcohol R-2012-02-2012 Plain Packaging of Cigarettes R-2012-03-2012 Capital Punishment R-2012-04-2012 Professor Cyril Karabus Version 2013-1, Bali; Printed in April 2013 th • Additions of the resolutions newly adopted by the 194 WMA Council Session, Bali, Indonesia, April 2013 Code Short Title CR-2013-01-2013 Professor Cyril Karabus CR-2013-02-2013 Criminalisation of Medical Practice CR-2013-03-2013 Standardisation in Medical Practice and Patient Safety • Replacements D-1981-02-1999 by Correction (in 2010 it was reaffirmed, not amended) D-1981-02-2010 S-2003-02-2003 by Living Wills (reaffirmed in 2013) S-2003-02-2013 R-2002-01-2002 by Euthanasia (reaffirmed in 2013) R-2002-01-2013 R-2003-01-2003 by Annual Medical Ethics Day (reaffirmed in 2013) R-2003-01-2013 Version 2013-2, Fortaleza; Printed in February 2014 • Replacements Code Short Title S-2003-01-2003 by Forensic Investigations of the Missing S-2003-01-2013 (amended in 2013) R-2002-06-2002 by Women’s Right to Health Care R-2002-06-2013 (amended in 2013) th • Removals of the policies rescinded and archived by the 64 WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013 R-2003-04-2003 SARS th • Additions of the policies newly adopted by the 64 WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013 S-2013-01-2013 Fungal Disease S-2013-02-2013 Human Papillomavirus Vaccination S-2013-03-2013 Natural Variations of Human Sexuality S-2013-04-2013 Victims of Torture S-2013-05-2013 Death Penalty R-2013-01-2013 Criminalisation of Medical Practice R-2013-02-2013 Healthcare Situation in Syria R-2013-03-2013 Prohibition of Chemical Weapons R-2013-04-2013 Standardisation in Medical Practice and Patient Safety R-2013-05-2013 Support of the AMB Version 2014-1, Tokyo; Printed in June 2014 • Replacements Code Short Title R-2004-01-2004 by WFME (reaffirmed in 2014) R-2004-01-2014 Version 2014-2, Durban; Printed in January 2015 • Replacements D-2002-01-2003 by Biological Weapons (reaffirmed in 2012) D-2002-01-2012 D-2002-03-2002 by Patient Safety (reaffirmed in 2012) D-2002-03-2012 S-2002-01-2002 by Safe Injections in Health Care (amended in 2012) S-2002-01-2012 S-2002-02-2002 by Self-Medication (reaffirmed in 2012) S-2002-02-2012 S-2003-03-2003 by International Migration of Health Workers S-2003-03-2014 (amended in 2014) S-2004-03-2004 by Water and Health (amended in 2014) S-2004-03-2014 R-2002-02-2002 by Female Foeticide (reaffirmed in 2012) R-2002-02-2012 R-2003-03-2003 by Non-Commercialization of Human Reproductive R-2003-03-2014 Material (amended in 2014) th • Removals of the policies rescinded and archived by the 66 WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014 S-2004-01-2004 Health Emergencies Communication & Coordination th • Additions of the policies newly adopted by the 65 WMA General Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014 D-2014-01-2014 Protection of Healthcare Workers S-2014-01-2014 Aesthetic Treatment S-2014-02-2014 Air Pollution S-2014-03-2014 Solitary Confinement R-2014-01-2014 Ebola Viral Disease R-2014-02-2014 Migrant Workers' Health and Safety in Qatar R-2014-03-2014 Ebola Virus • Additions (Missed in the previous versions) CR-2003-01-2003 Law and Ethics Version 2015-1, Oslo; Printed in June 2015 th • Addition of the resolution newly adopted by the 200 WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015 Code Short Title CR-2015-01-2015 Trade Agreements and Public Health • Replacements Code Short Title D-1981-01-2005 by Lisbon (Patient’s Rights) (reaffirmed in 2015) D-1981-01-2015 D-1987-01-2005 by Euthanasia (reaffirmed in 2015) D-1987-01-2015 D-1989-01-2005 by Hong Kong (Elderly Abuse) (reaffirmed in 2015) D-1989-01-2015 S-2005-02-2005 by Drug Substitution (reaffirmed in 2015) S-2005-02-2015 S-2005-04-2005 by Medical Liability Reform (reaffirmed in 2015) S-2005-04-2015 R-1988-01-2005 by Academic Sanctions or Boycotts (reaffirmed in 2015) R-1988-01-2015 Handbook of WMA Policies PREFACE Before World War II came to an end, a number of medical associations gathered in Lon- don to reinvent the approach to international collaboration among the world’s physicians. The old model, represented by the pre-war “Association Professionnelle Internationale des Médecins” (APIM), would no longer meet the needs of the post-war medical profession. It was time to create something new. After only two years of preparation, 27 national medical associations met in Paris on Sep- tember 18th, 1947 for the inauguration of a new global physicians’ association, the World Medical Association (WMA). The lead-up to this first Assembly was paralleled by the Nuremberg trial against Nazi doctors, which was a key driver of the mission focus of the new WMA. This terrible episode in the history of medicine dictated that the organization must seek to become the authoritative voice on global standards for medical ethics and professional conduct, rather than focus solely on protecting the interests of the profession. Effectively coordinating an international organization was anything but easy in the late 1940s. There was no internet, e-mail, mobile phones, personal computers, fax, or even photocopiers. For many physicians, attending the Assembly required a cross-continental, multi-day journey across a deeply scarred planet, by train and ship and only in exceptional circumstances by plane. Yet the commitment of these founding WMA members to their vision was even greater than the challenges they faced in achieving it. That vision, and the accompanying goals, ideals, and unity of purpose, are as relevant today as they were during those early days. They are now ours to carry on. The WMA Handbook of Policies is evidence that the engagement of the world medical profession does, in fact, persist. The WMA now is bigger, stronger and more active then ever before, and our Handbook is the product of physicians coming together for more than half a century to provide ethical guidance, moral support and practical advice to help their colleagues serve their patients to the best of their ability. From the Declaration of Geneva, often referred to as the “Modern Hippocratic Oath” to the Declaration of Helsinki advising physicians doing medical research on human subjects, to the Declaration of Tokyo prohi- biting physicians from participating in torture and degrading treatment − to mention just a few of WMA’s landmark policies − the guidance provided by the WMA is as necessary now as it has ever been. There are many other policies in this world dealing with physician conduct, many of which try to be “modern”, “easily readable” and “politically correct”. The WMA has never capitulated against the “Zeitgeist”, but has stood firm with its values, the most important of which are caring, ethics and science. Sir William Osler said: “The most important thing is caring, so do it first, for the caring physicians best inspires hope and trust.” Hope and trust are the basis for any treatment.