The valuable contribution to this research of the following individuals and organizations is gratefully acknowledged. In particular, we should like to acknowledge our gratitude to the partnership of Health Action International in this survey and to the many respondents from all over the world who took the time and trouble to share their experiences, insights and materials.

Planning and data collection

C. Hodgkin, Health Action International (HAI) European Office, made a significant contribution to the survey planning. She also organized and supervised the role of HAI. Field testing of the survey instrument, as well as its distribution, follow-up and collection, were coordinated by HAI in Amsterdam (R. de Groot, B. Bonemeijer), in collaboration with HAI regional offices in the Western Pacific and Latin America (S. Rani Kaur, R. Lopez Linares). Y. Sook Kwok coordinated responses from Australia. J.A. Reinstein of the World Federation of Proprietary Medicine Manufacturers coordinated responses from members of WFPMM.

Data base

J. Hetzke, WHO/DAP, advised on the development of the survey data base. A. Hemsworth, WHO/DAP, contributed to data entry; she also classified the educational materials received. K. Mason, WHO/CDR, contributed to data analysis.

Respondents

D.V. Aceuedo (Health Action International Mexico, Mexico), J. Addo-Atuah (Lady Pharmacist Association, Ghana), P. Aka and A.V. Fualefac (National Association for the Rational Use of Drugs, Cameroon), S. Aongsomwang (The Coordinating Committee for Primary Health Care of Thai NGOs, Thailand), A. Bal, A. Pilgaokar and R.P. Ravindra (Association for Consumer Action on Safety and Health, India), J.A.C. Barros (Centrode Información y Educación Para el Uso Racional de Medicamentos, Brazil), S.P. Barry (Ministère de la Santé, Guinée), J. Blackburn (University of Saskatchewan, Canada), C. Bower (Institute for Child Health Research, Australia), F. Buhl (Syndicat National de l’Industrie pharmaceutique, France), G. Cannard (Tranquilliser Recovery and New Existence Inc., Australia), J. Castro (Servicios de Medicinas Provida, Peru), V.P. Castro Naranjo (Direccion seccional de Salud de Antioquin, Colombia), J. Chalker (Save the Children Fund UK, Viet Nam), P. Cody (Diethylstibestrol Action, USA), L. Coper (Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Australia), Chairperson (Older Person’s Action Centre Inc., Australia), J. Colgan (Orange Base Hospital, Australia), B.S. Dicker (Churches of Christ Home Inc. of W.A., Australia), C. Domecq (Universidad de Chile, Chile), S. Donalson (Commonwealth Department of Human Services and Health, Australia), A. Dulion (Comité d’Education sanitaire et sociale de la Pharmacie française, France), D. Finer and G. Tomson (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden), S. Fogg (Australian Pensioners’ & Superannuants’ Federation, Australia), C. Forshaw (Malawi Essential Drugs Programme, Malawi), S. Forti (Colectivo Interdisciplinario de Estudios de Salud, Mexico), M. Fritz (Swiss Drug Information Centre, Switzerland), E.C. Gooding (Sierra Leone Medical and Dental Association, Sierra Leone), S. Gustafsson, J.L.G. Nilsson, B. Lisper, E. Olbo and A. Höglund (Apoteksbolaget, Sweden), B. Hill (Eastern Sydney Area Health Service, Australia), B. Hocking and P. Morgan (Schizophrenia Australia Foundation, Australia), M.W. Iaban and P. Swain (South Pacific Consumer Protection Programme, New Zealand), A.H. Ibrahim (Sudan Essential Drugs Programme, Sudan), E.M. Idris and N. Kanr (Consumers’ Association of Penang, Malaysia), K. Jaiok (CACPK, Korea), F. Jèsu (Institut de l’Enfance et de la Famille, France), K.N. Jhaveri (Gandhi-Lincoln Hospital, India), Y. Jhugroo (Institute for Consumer Protection, Mauritius), N. Kiatying-Angsulee (Drug Study Group, Thailand), D. Kiddell (DES Action Canada, Canada), R. Kinuka (Uganda Red Cross Society, Uganda), H. Kortland (Bundesfachverband der Arzneimittel-Hersteller, Germany), G. Kocken (Stichting Nederlands Ontwikkelings-en-Ondersteuningsinstituut, The Netherlands), H. Kous (The Danish Pharmaceutical Association, Denmark), Z. Kovalevska (Club for Consumers Protection, Latvia), H. Kumagai (The Proprietary Association of Japan, Japan), O. Lanza (Accion internacional por la Salud, Bolivia), R. Lauchlan (St Vincent’s Hospital, Australia), A. Lawrence (Combined Pensioners & Superannuants Association of NSW Inc., Australia), H. Linden (Läkemedels-informationsraet, Sweden), R.L. Lòpez (Accion para la Salud, Peru), G. McInerney and P. Morrissey (Illawarra Pharmacists’ Association, Australia), C. McNiven (Consumers Health Forum of Australia, Australia), J.W.F. van Mil (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands), G. Mitra (Proprietary Association of Great Britian, UK), V.E.R. Monroy (Red Acción Internacional por la Salud OMS/OPS, Colombia), K. Moussa, Ministère de la Santé publique (Côte d’Ivoire), Y.G. Muralidharan (Consumer Rights, Education & Awareness Trust, India), L. Ngang’a (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health, Kenya), C.M. Niekerk (S.A. Pharmacy Council, South Africa), A. Parkes (Commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Australia), E. Perch (South Riverdale Community Health Centre, Canada), J. Pertzborn (Iowa Pharmacist’s Association, USA), B. Phelan (Streetwize Comics Ltd., Australia), M. Posada (Accion Para La Salud, El Salvador), S. Rahman (Sabar Jannaya Shasthaya, Bangladesh), M. Ramasamy (Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations, Malaysia), B. Raspe and J. Schaaber (Buko Pharma-Kampagne, Germany), F. Rathbun (US Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Association, USA), V. Ribault (Santé et Communication, France), D. Ruth (Monash University, Australia), A. Sax (Berne Declaration, Switzerland), M. Sarkar (Community Development Medicinal Unit, India), J. Seifert (Proprietary Medicines Association of Australia Inc., Australia), C.H. Shashindran and K.R. Sethuraman, (Educators for Quality Update of Indian Physicians, India), A. Smith (British Medical Journal, UK), K. Soenen (Projeckt Farmaka, Belgium), A. Solis (Longhorn Pharmaceutical Association, USA), S. Suryawati (Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia), D. Sweeney (Michigan Department of Public Health, USA), Y. Triswan (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health, Indonesia), G. Voituron (Royal Dutch Association for the Advancement of Pharmacy, The Netherlands), K. Whorlow (National Asthma Campaign, Australia), S.M. Wolfe and S.R. Ahmad (Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, USA), R. Wood (Endometriosis Association, Australia), J. Wright (Rational Health Group, UK), B. Yeager (Instituto de Investigacion Nutricional, Peru), E.V. Zuñiga (Centro Nacional de Información de Medicamentos y Sustancias Tóxicas, Peru).

Comments

Comments on earlier drafts of this report by the following people are gratefully acknowledged: P. Brudon/J. Quick/T. Sodogandji (WHO/DAP), M. Rice (WHO/FPP), C. Hodgkin (Netherlands), J. Hubley (UK).

Acronyms