WORLD HFALTH ORGANIZATION REGIONAL COMMITTEE Fifth Session Manila 10-16 September 1954 Agenda Item 12.4
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC WP/RC5/9 19 July 1954 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
CAMPAIGN AGAINST SMAILPOX A summary of resolutions (WP/RC4/13) on this subj~t was prepar d during the Fourth Regional Committee Meeting and is attached rereto. The purpose of this paper is to present new developments resulting from discussions during the thirteenth session of the Executive Board arrl during the Seventh World Health Assembly. The Director-General of the Wcrld Health Organization, in accordance with a request from the Executive Board at its twelfth session, consulted the various regional committees am members of relevant expert advisory panels in order to obtain suggestions and information on which to base a study of the means of implementing a campaign against smallpox, and reported on the results of such consultation to the Board at its thirteenth session. Replies received by the Director-General from the regional committees were far from unanimous. Some favoured a vigorous campaign, while others were less definite in their rec cmmenda ti ons. The replies from the panel members were concerned with the finer details of t~ technical aspects of the problem. The Director-General was requested to urge health administrations to conduct, wherever possible, campaigns against smallpox as an integral part of public realth programmes, and to include, where possible, additional studies on smallpox, both in its field am laboratory aspects, in his future progranrne plans. At the Seventh dorld Health Assembly, the following resolution2 was passed: ".The Seventh W'orld Health Assembly, '
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Considering that Article 2 (g) of the Constitution provides that a · function of the Organization shall be 'to stimulate and advance work to eradicate epidemic, endemic /and other diseases•; 1 2
Resolution EB13.R3, Off.Rec. Wld. Hlth. Org. 52 Resolution WHA7.5
WP/RCS/9 Page 2 and other diseases'; Considering the study made by the Executive Board in accordance with resolution WHA6.18, REQUESTS too Director-General: (I) to centimE studies on the most effective nethods of' smallpox control, particularly with reference to those countries where the disease is endemic; (2) to urge health adnrl.nistrations to conduct wherever possible ard necessary campaignS against smallpox as an integral part of the public health programmes; (3) to provide Within budgetary limitations the assistance requested by national administrations to further their smallpox control progranrre s; and
(4) to report to the Eighth World Health Assembly on the_ ~rogress made and the results obtained. 11 In accordance With the resolution (WP/RC4/Rl6) adopted by the Regional Committee at its 4th Session, instructing tre Regional Director to proceed with the regional survey of smallpox with the greatest expedition possible, the Regional Office took immediate steps to recruit a medical consultant for a period ar 6 months to undertake the task. Dr. W. W. Dixon, of the Depart nent of Preventive Medicine and Public Health of the University of Leeds, England, was appointed on 1 July 19$4 to undertake this survey.
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