WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC BUREAU REGIONAL DU PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL
REG IONAL COMMl'rtEE
WP/RC7/Min/l Rev.l 24 September 1956 ORIGmAL: ENGLISH MINUTES OF THE FIRST MEETING
Seventh Session Manila 7-13 September 1956
Institute of H~iene Friday, 7 September 19 at 9:00 a.m. CHAIRMAN: Dr. J. Bierdrager (New Chairman)
CONTENTS
1 2
Opening of the Regional Committee Meeting Election of officers
.. .. .. ........ .....
.......
4 4
3
Adoption of the Provisional Agenda Technical Discussions
4 5
Establishment of a sub-committee on the programme and budget •••••••••
....... ......... ..........
5 5 5
wp/RC7/Mln/l Page
2
Rev.l
First Meeting Friday, 7 September 1956 at 9:00 a.m. PRESENT I Representatives of Member States
AUSTRALIA FRANCE JAPAN
Dr. H. E. Downes Miss E. Warren
Medecin··Co1one1 R. Augere Medecin-Co1onel Aretas Dr. M. Kusumoto Mr. A. Saita Mr. T. Nakagawa. Dr. C. C. Lee Mr. D. S. Chung Dr. C. S. Sayavongs Dr. J. Bierdrager
KOREA
LAOS
NEW ZEALAND PHILIPPINES
Dr. F. S. Maclean Dr. E. Agustin Dr. T. Gomez Dr. A. C. Regala Dr. J. de Paiva Martins Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. W. G1yn Evans
PORTUGAL UNITED
KINGIX>M
Mohamed Din bin Ahmad M. Doraisingham A. R. Edmonds Dr. G. Graham-Cumming
UNITED STATES
Dr. R. K. C. Lee Dr. K. Bain Dr. H. DeLi en Dr. L. K. Quyen Dr. P. G. Can
vmr
NAM
WP/RC7/Mln/l Rev.l Page 3 II R7Presentatives of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies UNITED NATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BOARD III Mr. E. Ward
Re resentatives of Non-Governmental Or anizations in official relations ~h WHO INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF NURSES INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF GYNECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS INTERNATIONAL PAEDIATRIC ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR BLOOD TRANSFUSION INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE WELFARE OF CRIPPLES INTERNATIONAL UNION AGAINST CANCER
Mrs. R. Ordiz Dr. A. Beene Dr. F. del Mmdo Dr. R. Y. Atienza Dr. J. S. Santillan Dr. A. M. Inocentes Dr. J. Z. Santa Cruz Dr. F. K. Cruz
LEAGUE OF RED CROSS SOCIETIES MEDICAL WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION Secretary:
Dr. R. Rivera-Ramirez Dr. I. C. Fang Regional Director
WP/RC7/Min/l Rev.l Page 4 1 OPENING OF THE REGIONAL COW,lITTEE MEETING
The SECRETARY informed the Committee that unfortunately neither the retiring Chairman, Dr. R. H. Bland (United Kingdom) nor the retiring Vice-Chairman, Mr. Young Kee Kim (Korea) was able to be present. Dr. Bland
had, however, sent an opening speech Which would now be read on his behalf. In his message, Dr. Bland referred to the importance of the work
being done in the Region in the field of malaria eradication and the control of other insect-borne diseases, and the progress being made as a result of even closer co-ordination between countries. He drew attention to the
recommendation of the Ninth World Health Assembly on the integration of preventive and curative medicine and referred in this connection to the problems of the control of leprosy and tuberculosiS. Although tremendous
advances had been made and vast sums spent in the curative treatment of both these diseases, was this tremendous expenditure being directed towards the ultimate control known to be possible? Dr. Bland emphasized the need
for trained and experienced workers without which no public-health project could be undertaken and referred to the part played by WHO in providing experts for training programmes and fellowships for the education of local counterparts. 2
(See Annex I for full text.)
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Dr. A. C. REGALA (Philippines) nominated Dr. J. Bierdrager (Netherlands)
as Chairman; this was seconded by Dr. H. E. roWNES (Australia) and endorsed by Medecin-Colonel R. AUGERE (France), and Dr. Bierdrager was declared elected.
WP/RC7/Min/l Rev.l Page 5 Dr. W. GLYN EVANS (United Kingdom) nominated Dr. J. P. Martins (Portugal)
as Vice -Chairman; this was seconded by Mr. A. SAITA (Japan), and Dr. Martins was declared elected. Dr. R. K. C. LEE (USA) proposed that Dr. M. Kusumoto (Japan) be
appointed as Rapporteur for the English language; this was seconded by Dr. A. C. REGALA (Philippines) and unanimously approved.
Medecin-Colonel R. AUGERE (France) proposed that Dr. Chao Souvath Sayavongs (Laos) be appointed as Rapporteur for the French language; this was seconded by Dr. LE KHAC QUYEN (Viet Nam) and unanimously approved.
3
ADOPTION OF THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA (WP/RC7/l) The provisional agenda was adopted.
4
TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS Dr. T. Gomez (Philippines) was designated Chairman of the Technical
Discussions. It was agreed that the Technical Discussions Chairman should address the meeting on Saturday morning) when details of the arrangements made would be communicated to the Committee.
5
ESTABLISHMENT OF A SUB-COMMI'l'rEE ON THE PROGRAMME AND BUInET The SECRETARY drew the attention of the Committee to the recommendation
made at the sixth session with regard to the establishment of a sub-committee
to review the proposed programme and budget.
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Mr. A. SAITA (Japan) spoke of the usefulness of the sub-committee as evidenced last year and suggested that the membership of the sub-committee should be established on a rotation basis, thus permitting all members of the Regional Committee to serve in turn. Membership of this type of
sub-committee permitted representatives to participate positively in the work of the Regional Committee and also provided an opportunity to appreciate the difficulties or needs of the Member states and WHO.
Dr. R. K. C. LEE (USA) endorsed the proposal and referred to the minutes prepared last year which had provided a good record of the discussions of the sub-committee. He expressed the hope that minutes
would also be kept this year, thus providing records for future use and guidance. It was unanimously agreed that such a sub-committee should be established and the CHAIRMAN appointed the following representatives to serve on this sub-committee: Australia, France, Korea, Laos} Portugal
and the United States of America, and stated that he would take the Chair.
As there were no objections to the above suggestion, it was agreed that the sub-committee should meet at 2:30 p.m. in the Conference Room. The meeting rose at 9:~0
a.m.
wp/RC7/Min/l Rev.l ANNEX I
ADmESS OF DR. R. H. BLAND (Retiring Chairman) Fellow Representatives, I wish first to express my great regret that I am unable to attend this seventh session of the Western Pacific Regional COmmittee, that I am unable to share in and learn from your deliberations and that I am unable to renew the friendships made with so many of you over the last two meetings of our committee. Last year in Singapore you did me and my country the honour of making me Chairman of the sixth session and I look back with most pleasant memories of your help and co-operation. I can assure the incoming Chairman that he will be assisted by most generously helpful colleagues in the work which he is undertaking. Your incoming Chairman also will have the help of our experienced and able Regional Director who last year was re-appointed by the unanimous wish of our regiona.l committee. Dr. Fang has piloted our region through another year of constructive achievement of which the World Health Organization may be proud. In 1956 the slogan for World Health Day was "Destroy disease-carrying insects" • This theme is of special interest and importance to our region where all our governments are working towards eradication of malaria and other insect-borne diseases. Good progress still is being made in this campaign and the close co-operation of our member states with the World Health Organization is a most healthy sign. The Ninth World Health Assembly has further recommended the study of the integration of preventive and curative medicine and the importance of this study is clearly seen in the problems of the control of two related dioeases, leprosy and tuberculosis. Tremendous advances have been made in the curative treatment of both these diseases but the morbidity remains high and they constitute a serious public-health problem in many countries of our region. Vast sums are being spent on treatment; is this heavy expenditure being directed towards the ultimate control which we now know to be possible? Public-health projects cannot be undertaken without trained and experienced workers to carry them through. It is in this sphere that the World Health Organization is playing an essential part of primary importance. The contribution the Organization is making by the provision of experts for training programmes and in the provision of fellowships for the education of local counterparts is well invested to produce valuable dividends for the future 'health of our region. The agenda for this seventh session of the Regional Committee contains much of great interest and importance; you will have much work to do and a large field to cover. I am confident that you will have a successfUl meeting and I know that you will undertake a renewal of our Joint effort to achieve by mutual help and understanding the better health of the peoples whom we serve.