The annual assembly of the World Health Organisation in May will be asked to decide on a controversial resolution calling for a new approach to medical research and development that emphasises the need for affordable drugs to meet health priorities of the poor.

The resolution urges WHO to establish a global framework to ensure more research is directed at meeting essential health needs.

WHO is also asked to develop ideas for alter- natives to drug patents, which campaigners argue make medicines expensive.

Because of divisions between rich and poor countries over the resolution, the WHO's 32-member executive board decided last week to forward the text directly to the assembly, where all the WHO's 192 members have a say. Frances Williams, Geneva