REPORT OF THE REGIONAL COMMITrEE ANNEX 3
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REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITrEE ON PROGRAMME: AND BUDGET
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INTRODUCTION The Sub-Committee on Programme and Budget, composed of representatives
of Australia, France, Korea, Laos, Portugal, Western Samoa and the United States of America, met on the afternoon of 21 September 1962, under the chairmanship of Dr. F.Q. (i) Du~ue.
It discussed the following items:
Proposed programme and budget estimates for 1964
regular programme; (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) Malaria Eradication Special Account; Supplementary list of projects; Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance; Special Account for the Community Water Supply Programme.
Representatives of Japan, Malaya, New Zealand, Philippines, the United Kingdom, Viet Nam, and two of the non-governmental organizations in official relations with WHO also attended. 2 RElI.ARKS BY THE SECRETARY
The Secretary opened the session with a statement on the overall proposals which totalled $3 629 367. He pointed out that the 1964 regular proposals
represented an increase of $283 508 over 1963 and that the full amount had been applied to activities directly related to provision of assistance to Member governments while the Regional Office proposals showed a slight decrease. Under Regional Advisers, an increase of $45 283 was proposed mainly relating to statutory increases and the prOvision of second advisers in communicable diseases and nursing to assist with the increasing volume of activities in these fields. There was a slight increase in the provision for WHO
Representatives prinCipally due to expected increased office rentals.
REGIONAL COMMITl'EE: THIRTEENTH SESSION
The Secretar,y stated that the 1964 regular budget contained 105 projects, of which 91 were country and 14 inter-country projects. Eighty per cent. of
the proposals related to continuing and 20 per cent. to new projects. Included were 101 fellowships, 33 of which were for study within the Region. Comments were made on areas of particular e~hasis Y •
and details were provided
on the inter-country and regional proposals.
It was mentioned that because
of budgetary limitations certain requests had. had. to be included in the supplementery list for i~lementation
subject to availability of funds.
Reference was made to the fact that, due to limitations on individual governments target amounts, certain health activities under the Technical Assistance programne ha.d. had. to be restricted and mOdified; and some requests had bee~
made under special categories for which the allocation of funds by The seriousness of this
the Technical Assistance Board was uncertain.
situation, and its implications on future health activities, was stressed. The attention of the Sub-Committee was also drawn to the resolution adopted by the Regional Committee at its twelfth session, e~hasizing
the
i~ortant
relationship of health to the economic and social development of developing countries, and urging l:.ealth authorities to ensure that the contribution which public health makes to economic and social development was made clear to national planning cOmITittees. l The malaria eradication activities were briefly summarized and the Sub-Committee v.'as informed that five countries in the Region, China (Taiwan), North Borneo, Philippines, Ryukyu Islands and Sarawak, had. full malaria eradication programmes in operation, and that by 1964 it was expected that similar programmes would be start~d
in another four or five countries.
The possibility of acceleration of the malaria eradication programme, in lResoluticn WP!RC12.R5, WPR Handbook of Resolutions and Decisions, 1962, 3rd ed., 3.1.1 (12).
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accordance with resolution WHAl5.20 of the Fifteenth World Health Assembly, was mentioned, and it was stated that preliminary discussions were being undertaken with the governments concerned. Brief reference was
made to the proposal under the Community Water Supply Special Account and to the fact that discussions were in progress with Headquarters on the ~ .~
possibility' of additional activities under this fund.
3 DISCUSSION for 1964 re The Sub-Committee decided to discuss the regular programme item by item. The repre sentative of Korea gave details of the revisions to be made to the
1964 projects proposed for Korea, in order that sufficient funds were made available to support its rural health project. noted. The proposed revisions were
The representative of Australia stated that his Government felt that
an increase of 15 per cent. in the regular budget, compared to 8 to 10 per cent. in recent years, was not justified by normal expansion of activities. He did not now wish to propose budget cuts, but stated that his Government I
reserved its right to return to the question at ._the next World Health Assembly. The detailed proposals for Regional Office, Regional Advisers and WHO Representatives were examined. The Chairman commented on the salaries of
general service staff and made some comparisons between the salaries of lower ~
graded clerical staff and regional advisers.
The Secretary explained that
the advisers' salaries were established by Headquarters, while general service scales were based on the best prevailing salaries in the area concerned. Thus
the local salary scale for Manila had been based on a survey of better paying commercial firms, agencies and diplomatic services, and the scale was reviewed
REGIONAL COMMITTEE: THIRI'EENTH SESSION
from time to time.
The Chairman, speaking for his country, again pointed
out the discrepancy between clerical salaries and those of Senior Regional Advisers and requested that cognizance be taken of his observations for possible influence when salary scales were re-examined. The representative
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of Australia noted that the Regional Advisers were very senior medical specialists, who were required to deal with the senior medical staff of the sixteen M:!m.ber governments of the Region, the largest geographical region in WHO, and considering their duties and responsibilities, felt that there was no valid basis of comparison between their salaries and those of the clerical staff. During discussions of the Regional Office estimates, it was noted that the slight decrease in costs was due to reduced home leave and not to staff cuts or other economies which might have affected the efficiency or capacity of the Regional Office to a.dm1nister the 15 per cent. higher regular budget in 1964. Questions were raised on the functions and differences between
Regional Advisers and WHO Representatives and the required information was provided.
The proposals for projects were then examined on a country basis. summary was prepared giving details of the regular budget proposals by activity and country. Decision: The Sub-Committee decided to recommend approval of the proposals under the regular budget.
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3.2 Malaria Eradication special Account (Documents WP/RC13/3 and Rev.l) The Sub-Committee examined the proposals, including the revision to the Brunei project contained in document WP/RC13/3 Rev.l. There were no
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specific comments and the Sub-Committee expressed approval of the proposals. Decision: The Sub-Committee decided to recommend approval of the proposals under the Malaria Eradication Special Account. 3.3 SUpplementary list of projects (Documents WP/RC13/3 and Rev.l) The Sub-Committee noted the additional request of the Government of ~
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Singapore contained in the revision document. examined individually on a country basis.
The proposed projects were
It -was noted that the revised There were no particular
total of the supplementary list became $940 308. comments on any of the projects.
Decision: The Sub-Committee decided to report to the plenary session its satisfaction with the supplementary list of projects as amended. 3.4 Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (Documents WP/RCl3/3 and Rev.l) The Sub-Committee took note of the various revisions, based on final Government requests, to the programmes of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, North Borneo, Sarawak and Tonga under Category I, and to the inclusion of two additional Category II projects by the Government of Viet Nam. The individual projects were examined country by country; and note -was taken of the three inter-country projects proposed under Category I, a seminar on the control of communicable diseases, an inter-country leprosy consultant, and a seminar on compo sting of organic wastes.
Decision: The Sub-Committee noted the programme proposed to be financed under the .Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and agreed to the inclusion of the suggested inter-country projects.
REGIONAL COMMITTEE: THIRTEENTH SESSION
The Sub-Committee took note of the project proposed for 1964.
3.6 Final recommendation The representative of the United States of America returned to the question of the proposed regular programme and budget and requested additional information on the total proposals. It was stated that there was a 15.13 per
cent. increase in the 1964 proposals over those of 1963, the amounts being $2 157 005 and $1 873 497, respectively.
The representative stated, on
behalf of his Government, that he felt the increases reasonable and accordingly his delegation was prepared to support a resolution authorizing the Regional Director to transmit the budget proposals to the Director-General for his consideration for inclusion in the overall budget for 1964. Decision: The Sub-Committee decided to recommend to the Regional Committee that it adopt a resolution approving the proposed programme and budget and authorizing the Regional Director to transmit the proposals to the Director-General for his consideration for inclusion in his proposed prograwne and budget for 1964,