('iP/RC12/p&B/Min/l Rev.l)
MINUrES OF TI-lE FIRsr MEErING OF THE SUB-COMMITrEE ON PROGRAMME AND BUDGEI' Queen Margaret College Thursday, 31 August 1961 at 2 •.30 p.m. CHAIRMAN: Dr E. VALENCIA (Vice-Chairman)
CONTENTS 1
Review of the regular programme and budget for
1962 in the light of present budgetary adjustments and consideration of amendments proposed by Member countries ..................................................... .
166
2
Proposed programme and budget estimates for 1965 re gular pro gramme .............................................. .
169 172 176
Malaria Eradication Special Account ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
4
Supplementary list of projects ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Expanded Programme of Technical ASSistance ••••••••••••••••••••• Special Account for the Community water Supply .......•..•...... other business .................................................
5
177 178 179 179
6 7
8
Consideration of the draft report •••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••
,
164
REGIONAL COMMITTEE: TWELFTH SESSION
First Meeting Thursday, 31 August 1961 at 2.30 p.m. PRESENI' I
Representatives of Member states AusrRAUA CAMBODIA CHINA JAPAN
Dr
H.E.
Downes
Dr Thor Peng Thong Dr C. K.. Chang Dr N. Nagatomo Mr K. Watanabe
Mr H. Ando MALAYA
Dr W.J. Jesudason Dr O.J .M. Kranendonk Dr D.P. Kennedy Dr J .C. Thieme Colonel J. Ferris "FUller Dr E.L. Villegas Dr E. Sison Dr P.W. Dill-Russell Dr L. J. Clapham Dr Le-Cuu-Truong
NETHERLANDS
NEW ZEALAND
PHILIPPINES UNITED KINGDOM VIEr NAM
II
Representatives of other inter-governmental organizations and of non.governmental organizations lEAGUE OF RED CROSS SOCIETIES MEDICAL WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION sourn PACIFIC COMMISSION
Mr M.S. Galloway
Dr M. Buchler Dr W. Norman-Taylor Miss F. Rutherford Miss M. Bamford Dr A.A. Tennent
WORLD FEDERATION OF OCCUPATI ONAL THERAPI srs
WORLD FEDERATION OF SOCIETIES OF ANAEsrHESIOLOGIsrS
rIII WHO Secretariat
I
PROGRAlvlME AND BUDGEr: FIRSI' MEETING
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DIREaI!OR .. GENERAL REGIONAL DIRECI'OR
Dr P.M. Kaul Assistant Director-General Dr I.C. Fang
SEQRErARY
Mr A. Saita ,\.;pRO Administration and Finance Officer
166
,.
,
REGIONAL COMMrTTEE: TWELFTH SESSION
The Sub-Committee on Programme and Budget, consisting of representatives from Cambodia, China, Japan, Malaya, New Zealand, Philippines, United Kingdom and Viet Nam, met on Thursday, 51 August 1961 at 2.30 p.m. under the chairmanship of Dr VALENCIA (Philippines), Vice-Chairman, with Mr BAITA, WPRO Administration and Finance Officer, as Secretary. Representatives from
Australia and Netherlands, the South Pacific Commission and some of the nongovernmental organizations in official relations with WHO were also present.
1
REVIEW OF TIlE REGULAR PROGRAMME FOR 1962 IN TIlE LIGHT OF PRESENT BUOOETARY ADJUm'MENTS AND CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS PROPOSED BY MEMBER COUNTRIES (Document ltTF /RC12/3) The SECRETARY stated that, since the programme had been reviewed at the
eleventh session of the Regional Committee and approved by the Fourteenth World Health Assembly, a number of factors had arisen necessitating modification. These modifications were set out in document WP/RC12/3 under two parts: Changes under (1) were
(1) the Regional Office, and (2) Field Activities.
due to (a) a decision of the World Health Assembly to transfer the administrative and operational costs of the Malaria Eradication Special Account to the regular budget as from January 1961; (b) the decision of the Director-General to close the Singapore EPidemiological Intelligence Station as of January 1962; this iwuld result in the abolishment of six local posts; and (c) the Regional Director's need to make provision for an additional medical officer in his office in 1961, which would be a continuing charge. These modifications accounted for an additional requirement of $17 924. The
provision for duty travel related to the duty travel costs for staff transferred from the Malaria Eradication Special Account and did not indicate a duty travel increase for the Regional Office staff.
PROGRAMME AND BUDGET: FIRsr MEETING
With respect to modifications to Field Activities, there were no significant changes in the staffing pattern other than the addition of a secretary for a regional adviser and two clerk-typists in an area representative's office, resulting in an increase of approximately $2000. As regards the Country Programmes, the modifications resulted from later discussions and agreements between the Organization and Member governments, the advance award of some fellowships to 1961, revised requirements in connection with the contributions to the united Nations Pension Fund and finally changes in the average costing for short-term consultants. Dr KENNEDY (New Zealand) asked for information with regard to the provision for the regional nursing adviser. The SECRETARY acknovTledged that, while there were grounds for confusion, the regular requirement had been provided for in both the 1962 and 1963 budgets. Dr KRANENDONK (Netherlands), although not a member of the Sub-Connnittee, wished to refer to the item on page
6, Netherlands New Guinea, deletion of
the fellowships in dental health, which had been withdrawn in favour of fellowships in tuberculosis and leprosy. In order to avoid creating an
unfavourable impression in view of the emphaSis being afforded dental health in the Technical Discussions of the Regional Connnittee's current seSSion, he wished to explain that assistance in the field of dental health was being provided by the Netherlands Government in the form of fellowships at the Dental Training School, suva, Fiji. WHO assistance was not therefore now
required for dental health education and the aid was being used instead for fellowships in tuberculosis and leprosy. Dr DOWNES (Australia) indicated he was not a member of the sub-Committee
168
REGIONAL COMMI:Tl'EE: TWELFTH SESSION
but would appreciate information as to the extent the services provided by the Singapore Epidemiological Intelligence Station would be affected by the Director-GeneralIs decision to curtail its operations. Dr KAUL (Assistant Director-General) replied that the Director-General had sent out a circu~ar
letter on 24 May this year indicating the reasons why
he had decided to rearrange some of the functions and responsibilities of the three quarantine and epidemiological intelligence units outside WHO Headquarters. It would be recognized that under the International Sanitary Regulations approved by the World Health Assembly, the Director-General was the administrator of the International Sanitary Regulations.
UP to the present time he had delegated
certain responsibilities to the Secretariat in offices in Washington, Alexandria and Singapore. They ..Tere receiving and transmitting information to Headquarters
but they were also acting as stations for collecting and disseminating much of the epidemiological information. The Director-General felt that the arrangements
which had been established ,'lith regard to the collection and dissemination of information were made at a time when communications were not so speedy. then it had become apparent that air travel had subsequently altered the position and with reduced travelling time information could be obtained speedily from transmitting stations on a global scale. The revised arrangements would Since
be effective from January 1962 with a transition period of six months commencing July 1961. Hith the new arrangement there would be no reduction in the functions
or responsibilities under the International sanitary Regulations. Mr WATANABE (Japan) sought an explanation for the variation in the Regional
Office budget costs in document WP/RC12/3 (summary, page 2) where the total was given as $310 269, this total being taken from Official Records 104, while in document WP/RC12/4 the total was $434 479.
"
PROGRAMME AND BUDGET: FIRST MEETING
The SECRETARY stated that the question involved a rather complicated financial and budgetary practice being followed by the Organization. He called
attention to the footnote on page 2 of document VlP/RC12/3 stating that "for purposes of comparison, the cost estimates for Regional Office are presented here, as in Official Records, exclusive of other statutory staff costs", After
the 1962 budget had been considered at last year's Regional Committee meeting, Headquarters had compiled Official Records 104. For this purpose and for
reasons of its own budgetary practice, the expenditure for other statutory cost ~ '7
was deducted and therefore in the Official Records, the figure shown was exclusive of other statutory staff costs which included allowances, home leave expenses and recruitment and repatriation expenses. For the purpose of comparison it
was necessary therefore to use the figure for the totals of the 1962 expenditure for the Regional Office excluding the other statutory staff costs for 1962. "Net" meant that no statutory staff costs were included and "gross" meant that everything was included. To satisfy further the question raised by the Japanese
delegation, he suggested that a calculation be made of the statutory staff costs .• ~ for 1962 as shown on page 8 of document VlP/RC12/4. It would be noted that the
total statutory staff costs, which included allowances and home leave, was $124 210. This amount deducted from the grand total for 1962 at the bottom This figure was there.
of the same page, would give a difference of $310 269. fore not a clerical error but the correct one. resolution, see minutes of the second meeting.) 2
(For consideration of draft
PROPOSED PROGRAMME AND BUDGE'!' EsrIMATES FOR 1963 REGULAR PROGRAMME: Item 2 of the Agenda (Documents VlP/RC12/4 and Corr.l) The SECRETARY drew attention to pages one and two of the document in
order to provide an overall view of the scope of the proposed budget for 1963. The total proposed budget for 1963 as indicated on page 2, at the bottom of the column, regular budget, was $1 825 280. Since the total budget for
170
REGIONAL COMMITTEE: TWELFTH SESSION
the year 1962 was $1 690 854, the proposal for 1963 meant an increase of $134 426, or 7.95 per cent. against that of 1962. Of this total, the amount proposed for
field activities was $1 380 235, representing a 9.86 per cent. increase over that of 1962, while that proposed for the Regional Office was $445 045, an increase of 2.43 per cent. over that of 1962. This was in line ,nth the Regional
Director's policy of keeping the staffing pattern of the administrative side of his office to the minimum level possible and providing as much technical assistance as possible to Member governments. The Regional Office (pages }-8) There was no change in the number of posts proposed in the Regional Office, which remained at 58. Duty travel costs remained the same as that of previous years; however, home travel costs showed a slight increase as a result of the home leave schedule of the international staff. It might in future be necessary to increase the
item "allowances "(page 8) as a result of a future change in the cost of living in Manila. This, however, could not be foreseen at the time of the presentation ~.
of the document and the same level as in previous years had therefore been maintained. Dr KRANENDONK (Netherlands) stated that he was not sure whether his question was relevant to the discussion on the programme and budget but he wished to have clarification as regards the post of public health administrator. On pages 10/11
of the document, the number of posts for regional public health administrators was two under 1961, then diminished to one in 1962 and remained so for 1963. On
page 5, the post of public health administrator had disappeared under 1962 and
1963 and been replaced by two posts of assistant directors of health services. He would also like further information in regard to the duties of the public health administrator.
PROGRAMME AND BUDGEIT': FIRsr MEEl'ING
171
The REGIONAL DIREcrOR stated that there had been a change in the staffing pattern of the Regional Office. Formerly, the Director of the Bureau of Health Recently there
Services was assisted by three public health administrators.
had been many questions regarding the nomenclature of the posts and it had been thought more realistic to give this post a more precise functional title. had suggested to the Director-General that there should be two or three assistants to the Director of Health Services, and as the public health administrators actually served in this capacity it seemed more appropriate to call them. what they actually were. The suggestion had been approved by the He
Director-General and it had therefore been possible to change the staffing pattern, not in number of people, but in terms of functional names. The three
public health administrators had been replaced by two assistant directors of health services and one regional adviser on public health administration, the latter to handle all matters pertaining to public health administration.
Regional Advisers (pages 9-12) The SECRETARY stated that the post of regional adviser in health education had been suppressed in 1959. >
The Regional Director now proposed to reinstall
-~
this in 1963.
In addition, an increase in the number of Clerk-stenographers
and clerk-typists was proposed in order to deal with the ever-growing volume of work resulting from the wider distribution of technical and information material to Member governments. Duty travel estimates would be increased by There would, on the other
$2000 due to the increase of a regional adviser.
hand, be a slight decrease in home leave requirements. The total requirements, therefore, represented merely a slight increase over that of 1962.
172
REGIONAL COMMITTEE: TWELFrH SESSION
Area Representatives (pages 13-16) NO change was proposed in the staffing pattern. Duty travel expenses
would be maintained at the same level as in 1961 and 1962.
country Projects (pages 17-116) These were based on government requests. However, due to lack of funds
a number of requests could not be accommodated in the regular budget and these were to be found in the supplementary list, ,.,hich appeared in the green pages at the end of the document (page 170). The secretary then referred to
document WP/RC12/P&:B/2, on page 2 of which Ilould be found an analysis of field activities for 1963. As in previous years, the field of public health
administration had the largest share of funds for field activities with a percentage of 31.73, followed by nursing 11.39, tuberculosis 9.56, maternal and child health 6.6 per cent. and environmental sanitation 5.94 per cent.
Inter-country Programmes (pages 117-133) In addition to such inter-country projects as the yaws and tuberculosis teams ,mich would visit various countries, two inter-country seminars and one training course were proposed by the Regional Director, details of which would be found on page 120 onwards. minutes of the second meeting.) (For consideration of draft resolution, see
3
MALARIA ERADICATION SPECIAL ACCOUNT: Item 3 of the Agenda (Document WP/RC12/4) The SECRETARY referred to pages 137-155 of document wp/RC12/4 and
explained that the Malaria Eradication special Account (MESA) had been
PROGRAMME AND BUDGET: FIRsr MEETING
173
established to supplement the malaria eradication programmes already included in the regular and Technical Assistance budgets. Under MESA in 1963 the total
shown for malaria eradication projects (page 1)8) was $618 896; at the same time under the 1963 regular budget on page 1, the amount of $49 795 was allocated for malaria projects, and under the Technical Assistance budget, the amount indicated was $149 701. The Secretary also pointed out that the Malaria Eradication Special Account was a voluntary fund and the implementation of the proposed programmes depended upon the availability of funds, also agreement had to be reached between the governments concerned and the Organization before these programmes could be implemented. Modifications could, therefore, be expected as these programmes
developed in the follOwing years. Drawing attention to the description of the project in Sarawak given on page 149 of the document, the secretary requested that the phrase "malaria programme until 1960" in the fifth line be corrected to "malaria programme until 1963". Dr TRUONG (Viet Nam) recalled the Secretariat's earlier statement that malaria programmes in the "'estern Pacific Region were on the increase • . ,~_
However, comparing the figures shown for the malaria eradication project in Viet Nam, he noted on page 152 that there was a decrease from $64 582 in 1962 to $17 229 in 1963. He wondered how this tallied with the increase of malaria Under the MESA budget on page 138, the figure given
acti vities in the Region.
for the programme in his country was $64 582 for 1962 and $17 229 in 1963. Page 152 also indicated a decrease in the number of experts: in 1962 four
experts were provided, whereas in 1963 only a malariologist had been provided.
174
REGIONAL COMMITTEE: TWELFTH SESSION
The REGIONAL DIREOl'OR explained that the plan of operation for the malaria programme Signed by the Government of Viet Nam and WHO had terminated on 30 June
1961;
it was expected, however, that a new one covering present requirements At present, no information regarding the prepara-
would be concluded shortly.
tion of the new agreement had been received from the Government; and therefore, for budgetary purposes, the figures shown for 1962 and 1963 would have to be considered as "fictitious II • The Organization was not in a position to allocate As soon as
funds for a project in the absence of a signed plan of operation.
this had been accomplished, there was no doubt that the Director-General would consider making the funds available for the continuation of the programme. Dr TRUONG (Viet Nam) thanked the Regional Director for his explanation. As for the "fictitious" nature of the figures for 1962 and 1963, he wondered whether these could not remain the same, without any decrease. He would raise
this question again when the Committee discussed the malaria eradication programme. The REGIONAL DIRECTOR assured the representative from Viet Nam that as soon as a workable plan of operation had been agreed upon and Signed, there was no doubt that the request \iOuld be given consideration by the DirectorGeneral, even if the requirements exceeded the amount indicated. He emphasized
again that without any approved agreement it would only be possible to indicate "fictitious" figures. Dr KRANENDONK (Netherlands) understood from the report of the World Health Assembly that malaria programmes under the Special Account would gradually be transferred into the regular budget, and this gradual transition would take effect from 1963.
PROGRAMME AND BUDGEr: FIRSI' MEHrING .~
175
The SECRETARY explained that the Fourteenth World Health Assembly had decided to add the amount o~
o~
US$2 000 000 to the 1962 budget programme, and ~or
~or
the
~inancing
the malaria eradication
~ield
1963 the amount of
us$4 000 000 would be added ~or the same purpose. malaria eradication programme To clari~y
Thus the financing of the ~rom
~rom
the regular budget would start o~
1962.
further the situation regarding the financing
malaria
eradication programmes, the Secretary then quoted the following relevant portion of resolution WHAl4.15: liThe Fourteenth World Health Assembly
....... 1. DECIDES that the costs of the malaria eradication ~ield programme shall be incorporated in the regular budget by stages over a three year period in the following manner: (1) an amount of $2 000 000 shall be added to the e~~ective working budget for 1962 to help finance the malaria eradication ~ield programme; (2) the Director-General is requested to include in his proposed programme and budget estimates for 1963 an amount o~ $4 000 000 to help finance the malaria eradication field programme; (3) the Director-General is requested to include in his proposed programme and budget estimates for 1964 and future years the full costs o~ the malaria eradication field prograzmn.e;". Dr KRANENDONK (Netherlands) expressed appreciation given. o~
the information
He now understood that the financing of the malaria eradication
programme would be incorporated in the regular budget, and wondered, there~orce,
why the amounts given in the document had not been incorporated into
the regular budget. Dr KAUL (ASSistant Director-General) stated that the secretary had
read the operative part of the resolution passed by the Assembly which had
176
REGIONAL COMMI'l'rEE: TWELFTH SESSION
made a decision in relation to the future financing of the malaria eradication programme. The Assembly had proposed that in 1962 the Director-General would
add into the regular budget the amount of $2 000 000 for activities under MESA, which meant that to the extent of $2 000 000 these activities would be implemented in 1962 by funds made available from the Organization. ~egular
budget of the
For the 1963 programme, the Assembly had agreed that the amount
of $4 000 000 should be included in the regular budget of WHO for the same purpose. The entire expenditure under the Malaria Eradication special Account
which might exceed $4 000 000, would be incorporated into the regular budget from 1964 onwards. As could be seen, therefore, there were three stages. The
whole malaria eradication programme in the Special Account could not be transferred in one or two years. It was therefore necessary to continue to
show in 1963 the expenditure under the Malaria Eradication Special Account instead of in the regular budget. minutes of the second meeting.) (For consideration of draft resolution,. sec
4
SUPPLEMENTARY LIar OF PROJEc.rS: Item 4 of the Agenda (Document wp/RC12/4 pages 170-194) The SECRETARY explained that requests for assistance from Member
governments usually exceeded the funds available and it was accordingly necessary to relegate some of these requests to the supplementary list for implementation in the future should savings become available. The list
before the Sub-Committee consisted of requests made by Member governments
On page 172 Members would note a footnote indicating those projects
which would be implemented in 1961, 1962 and 1963 as savings were effected in those particular years. Those projects which would be undertaken in
PROGRAMME AND BUDGEI': FIRST MEEI'ING
177
1961 and 1962 had been cleared by the respective governments this year before the programme and budget document had been prepared. The 1963 projects had
been included in the governments' requests but had not been possible to accommodate them all in the regular budget. The secretary further explained that after preparation of the document it had been necessary to add two more requests to the supplementary list. One was
in connection with an environmental sanitation project in China vlhich would cost $29 537 in 1962 and $13 757 in 1963; the other was for a fellowship in 1962 for Malaya to permit a medical officer to visit IndoneSia, Taiwan and the Philippines for seven weeks to observe the treponematoses control
programmes in these countries - this would cost $900. Dr THIEME (New Zealand) said that he did not notice in the budget any provision for a fellowship for a Western Samoan medical officer to undertake study in Suva. He understood that this fellowship would be continued for a
further two years.
.
The SECREI'ARY referred Dr Thieme to page 132 (WPRO 59) where provision '.
was made for $5000 for two fellowships in undergraduate medical studies, and assured Dr Thieme that one of these would be the fellowship he had in mind. (For adoption of draft resolution, see minutes of the second meeting.)
5
EXPANDED PROGRAMME OF TECHNICAL ASSIS"rANCE: Item 5 of the Agenda (Document WP/RC12/4 - pages 1-132) The SECRETARY explained that the proposed programme under Technical
Assistance for 1963 was based on information received from Member governments and was at this stage highly tentative. At the present time no country
target figures had been established and the final amounts governments would
178
REGIONAL COMMrTTEE: TWELFTH SESSION
receive for their health activities could not be forecast with any degree of precision. Members of the Sub-Committee would be a,-rare that requests under the Technical Assistance programme and budget were made by Member governments direct to the Technical Assistance Board, except in the case of inter-country programmes to which he would refer later. The Committee therefore had no The document was prepared
responsibility to take any action on the item.
solely to give the Committee the opportunity to review in perspective the programme plans in the field of health in the Region under the Technical Assistance programme. The Secretary then drew the attention of the Committee to the Regional Director's proposal to implement three inter-country projects. They were:
Seminar on health surveys and reporting - $29 600 (page 124) Seminar on composting of organic wastes - $30 500 (page 130) Conference of deans of medical schools - $17 100 (page 130)
These proposed three seminars were briefly described in the document but the secretary would gladly supply further information if any member of the Committee desired it. upon approval, the Regional Director intended to submit
this proposal for the consideration of the Director-General in Geneva for inclusion in the Technical Assistance programme in 1963. of draft resolution, see minutes of the second meeting.) (For consideration
6
SPECIAL ACCOUNT FOR THE COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY: Item 6 of the Agenda (Document WP/RC12/4 - page 158) The SECRETARY informed the committee that there was nothing to report on
this item as there vlas no provision in 1963. for the Committee to note the item.
It vlas, therefore, only necessary
PROGRAMME AND BUDGEI': FIRSI' MEmING
119/18,2
7
~HER
BUSINESS
There was no other business.
8
CONSIDERATION OF THE DRAFT REPORT
The CHAIRMAN stated that another meeting would be held on Monday at 12.00 o'clock to consider the draft report before its submission to the main Committee.
The meeting adjourned at 4.45 p.m.