E/CN.4/2005/21 page 14 80. Jean-Pierre Poullier, a consultant at the World Health Organization, spoke on racism with a special emphasis on populations of African descent and on investment from a human rights perspective. He stated that health, racism and investment were interrelated in a unique way: improvements in health status would come only through a comprehensive policy and strategy designed to eradicate the consequences of inequities, inequalities, discrimination and poverty that found their roots in history. 81. Mr. Poullier noted that sound planning in health was part of virtually every sector of national planning; like the administration of justice and external relations. Conversely, virtually every part of a national strategy had a health status improvement/deterioration component. That principle, previously stated in several forums, was being restated here because most State policies were pursued regardless of their negative consequences for populations of African descent and other minorities. 82. In the ensuing discussions, observers for the African Group pointed to statistical data showing that sub-Saharan Africa suffered most from diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. It was also stressed that the health status of people of African descent in certain specific countries was worse than that of other citizens. According to WHO, there was no scientific evidence indicating that those disparities were due to genetic causes and that poverty, lack of access to health services and lack of information were usually the culprits. WHO had observed that those factors were rooted in racial discrimination. Observers for the African Group also raised the question of neglected diseases such as lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), schistosomiasis, intestinal parasites, leprosy and sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis) and established their linkages to poverty, discrimination and stigma, especially as regards people of African descent. They called on the international research community in general, WHO in particular, and relevant international organizations to support research to shed light on health disparities and to invest in and support the development and strengthening of health systems of countries unable to do so on their own, with a view to improving the access to and quality of health care for people of African descent. 83. An NGO observer noted that the issue of health and racism was a vicious circle. Many recent studies had shown racism itself to be an underlying cause of illness. Various studies had also demonstrated that people of African descent suffered from mental health concerns related to social, political and economic inequalities and also suffered from higher levels of anxiety, stress and stress-related illnesses such as high blood pressure and heart disease, with devastating effects. 84. Ms. Yamin insisted on the need to collect reliable disaggregated data and mechanisms to analyse them accurately. Ms. Randall stated that United States laws often excluded legal immigrants from access to health care. Ms. Sambuc said that, with regard to anti-racism legislation, the choice was between civil and penal punishments. She also underlined that neutral conditions in laws sometimes had discriminatory effects (indirect racism). Ms. Yamin reiterated that disaggregated data were crucial to show indirect racism. 85. The discussion expanded to the issue of property rights and the protection of traditional knowledge of people of African descent, which were often exploited by the pharmaceutical industry without compensation being offered to those who shared the traditional knowledge.