WORLD HEALTH OffiANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
WESTmN PACIFIC RIDlON REGIONAL CCMMITTEE Fourth Session Tokyo Jrd to 8th September 1953 BUREAU REGIONAD W PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL COMITE REGIONAL TECHNICAL DISClJSSIONS
WP/RC!ifTD 2 23rd July 1 1953
BACXGROUND INFORMATION The technical discussion documents being circulated among the representatives who will attend the Fourth Session ot the Western Pacific Regional Committee· have been prepared in order to facilitate the diseussions. The purpose of this paper is to provide references .to the various resolut.ions previously adopted in regard to the technica.l cti.scussions and the subject .of "health planning". At the Second Regional Committee }.1eeting the following resolution (WP/RC2/R5) was adopted. The Regional Connnittee 1. Decides to hold technical discussions in cormection with its next Session on the subject: The Education and Training of Medical and Public Health Personnel; 2. Requests the Regional Director, in consultation with Governments, to prepare an agenda and collect pre paratory data and information;
3 • . Urges Member Governments· to · include in their delegations technical personnel in the Subject to be discussed. At the Third Re~onal Committee Meeting another technical discussion resolution {wP/RC3/Rl4) was adopted. It read as follows: Whereas the Technical Iascussions of the Third Session of the Regional Committee have been an excellent ~ans for the exchange of information among the Representatives of the Member Countries of the Region; Whereas such discussions should take place on other technical subjects about which the Representatives need to exchange their views;
WP/RC4/TD/2 Page 2 Whereas such exchange of information should be a permanent feature of the Meetings of Representatives of Me.mber Countries;, Be it resolved by the Regional Committee that Technical Discussions be a part of the Agenda in fUture sessions of the. Ragi.onal Committee. J)].ring the discussions which w~rc held prior· to .t he adoption of this resolution, the Regional Director qU.oted . relevant extracts of resolutions passed by the Fifth World Health Aase.nbly (A5/R/77) and ~he· ,Tenth EXecutive Board (EB·lO/R/22). Th.e Regional Director alao informed the . Canmittee .that. he believed that the Eleventh Elcecutive·Board Meeting scheduled to be held ~ Janpary 1953 would name a suitable subject for discussion at tho Fourth Session of the Regional Committee. At the Eleventh Executive Board Mee~ing the following resolution {EB .ll/R/67) was passed.
The Elcecutive Board Having studied . the gussti"o.n o.f technical (ij.scussions tit future World Health Assemblies; ln confonnity with the request of · tlle ·Fifth World Health Assembly (resolution· WHA5. 77);
Having considered a report of the Director-General on this subject, 1.
Recommends: (1) that special technical discussions should be included in the arrangements. for future Health Assemblies 1 (2) that such t(;lchnical discussions should not be super-imposed on th$ formal work of the Health Assembly but should deal with one of the main subjects coveredby the· objectives of the Organization;
(J) that the subject selected for each Health Assembly should be of universal interest and suit-able for group discUssion by national health administrators; 2. Believes that for the time being it is preferable that the subject selected should not be discussed in the regional canmittees pefore it is discussed at the Health Assembly; and
3. Suggests that the question Of technical discussions be kept under review by the Board after each Health Assembly.
WP/RC4/TIY2 Page 3 Thus the Executive . Board not only suggested that Assemblies . and Regional ·Committees should discuss different subjec.ts but . als.o refrained from.· suggesting .a ~ rubject for.... discussion. at approaehing Regional Cbmmi t tee Meeting·s. Th~ Regioilal Director: ahd th~ . Chairman of the Third Session of the Regional Committee subseqo·:mtly · agreed on the subject of "health planning" as being ruitable for dis cuss ions at the Fourth Session. This suggestion was conveyed to Members in letters dated 15 May 1953, and agreement to it was obtained. At the Sixth Assembly the questi.on of technical discussions was considered and the following resolution WHA6.6o was passed. Tl.la Si::~'th
World HeaJ.:t:l AsDeiilbly,
Recognizing that · the technical discussions held in the past three Assemblies have contributed substantially·to the development and diffusion of technical knowledge, Considering that the Assemblies present a unique opportunity :for an informal exchange of views between public health adrr1inistrators from all parts 'Of the world, Requests the Executive Board., at its twelfth session, (1) . to stucy the matter o.f the organization and conduct of technical di.. scussions in the light of the recommendations made by delegations during the current Assembly, giving special attention to, (a) the continuation of the discussions on an infonnal basis, (b) the possible desirability of the discussions being introduced "by selected experts, (c) the 1imitation of the discussi. ons to a sl.ngle subject of particUlar public health significance, and (d) the limitation of the discussions · to .a; total period not to exceed the equivalent of two working days, (2) to select a subject to be discussed at the Seventh WOrld Health Assembly, taking :.into account thE; suggestions made by delegations attan:iing the Sixth -World Health Assembly, and
(3) ·to instruct the .Director-General to take appropriate action to prepare tho , technical discussions at the Seventh World Health AssemblY in accordance with ·the decision of the Executive Board.
'tJP/Rd.i,/TD/2 Page 4 It w:Ul have been· noted that no direct. references were made to. Regional Comittoes, but the resolution is· of general interest to the R_ e gional Committee. At the Tweli'th Executive Board · Meeting held in May of this year, .:the: f :ollo'wli.ng res elution (ES 12/R/7) was Passed. The Executive Board
1.
Decides that the topic for the technical discussions -at· tho Seventh World. Health Assembly shall be "Public-Health .ProblclTIS in .R ural.Areas 11 ;
2. Agrees that these discussions should be continuedc~ an informal -basis;
3.
Decides that they shoiJ.l:d be limitec;l,to a total period not to exceed the oquivalent of two working days; fur thor
Decides that they should take place on the Saturday of. the first week ,·of tre Assembly, and then again· from 8.30 rto ·10.00 . a.m. on the following Monday.· and sU.bsequent .day.sas nec~ssary. Requests the Director-General to take appropriate action to prepare :the technical discussions in accordance with this decision and to arrange for them· be introduced by app'ropriate experts' and finally
4.
5.·
to
6. Decides to col1Sider at it~ thirteenth session the problem of technical .d:i.s.cussions at subsequent Health Assemblies. Once again no· direct reference is made to Regional Committees but ·the views of the Executive Board ~ be of general interest to the Oommittee. The Organization:.has recognized the importance of health planning:on a number of occasions • .The Fourth World· Health A.ssanbly passed the following resolution
(WHA4.27). The Fourth World ·HeCllth AsselliPly Requests that ·iri; the , fu~;ure .special attention shoUld. be givcn·by the Executive Board and the Director-General to the importance of assisting Member States, particularly under-developed States, to draw up short- and long-term health prograitmles for their respective territories, in order to promote the orderly development of public-health measures and to utilize to the best advantage, along with the national resourc,es, the help that ~become available from. time to time from WHO and other sources.
WP/RC4/TD/2 Page 5 Following tbe Fourth World B:ealth ·Assembly, the Second of the Regional Committee cotllddered· the subject and adopted the follo~ng resolution (WP/RC2/R9). Ses~;i.on
The Regional Committee for the Western Pacific
Notes rosolution A4/R/83.of 'the: Fourth Wqi'l'd ~ealth Assembly concerning assistance by· the.'Organ:tz-ation to Member Governments in drawing-up· ·their!~ short·' and long term national health- programes; Recommends that member countries of the Region make full use of the consulting services available from the Regional Office and keep the Regional Director informed of their desire for assistance of this type. At the Third Secsion of the Regional Committee Meeting the subject was further discussed and the following resolution (WP/RC3/10) was adopted. Tho Regional Committee Notes resolution AS/R/25 of the Fifth World Health Assembly covering the general programme of work for a specific period; Recommends that Member Countries of the Region see to it that their annual programmes be so planned as to secure adequate integration of such programmes in the approved general programme of the Organization; and Reiterates the previous recanmendation contained in its Resolution WP/RC2/R7 that Member Countries of the Region make full use of the consulting service available from the Regional Office and keep the Regional Office informed of their desire for assistance of this type. In addition, the Fifth World Health Assembly passed resolution A5/R/25 in regard to this subject. '!he Fifth World Health Assembly, Noting resolution EB9.R35 of the Executive Board; Having reviewed the general programme of work covering a specific period prepared by the Board at its
seventh session, 1. Considers that this programme of woik provides a broad general policy as a.n appropriate framewo:r:K for tho development Qf detailed annual programmes in th period 1953-1956; and
WP/RC4/TD/2 Page 6
2. Requests th~ Dire.ctor-Ge.neraJ. · td recommend to regional. colnmitt.ees that . their am:ua.l: pro~ gra.rrmes be so pla.hn.ed as to secure' adequate· integration of such programmes in tho approved general progr-ammes of the Org~zation, in its .first report Techni.cal Series No. 55, dealt with · the subject in the. section entitled "Planning and Assessment of Health Services~ 11
Further, the Expert Cormnittee on E>ublic Health Administration,