(WP!RCJ.6!w.n!1 Rev.l)
MINUTES OF THE. FIRST
MEEIrnm
,CentraJ. OfficiQJ.s 'Training Institute Thursday, 16 September 1965 at 9.00 a.m. CHAIRMAN: later:
Dr L. W. Jayesuria Dr Youn Keun Cha
CONTENTS 1
~
FormaJ. opening
<I.e" ...................................................................................... ..
99 103
2
Stateme:nt by retiring Chairman ..............................................................
3
statenent by the Director-GeneraJ. •••.•••••••••••••••••'....... Election of new officers: Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Rapporteurs ............................ III .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . . . .. ..
106 III 112 112
4 5 6
.. .. .. .. .. .. ..
..
.. ..
..
..
.. ..
..
.. ..
Address by inCOming Chairman ...•...•.•..•••••••••••••.•.....• Adoption of the agenda ..............................................................................
7 8
statement by the Chairman of the TechnicaJ. Discussions ••••••• Establishment of the Sub-Committee on Programme an.d Budget ............ e' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
112
ll3
9
AcknowledgeJ:l]ent by' the Chairman of brief reports received from governments on the progress of their heMth activities ............ ".................................................................... ".. .. Resolutions of regional interest adopted by the thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth sessions of the Executive Board and the.Eighteenth World HeaJ.th Assembly" •••••• '•• e, • • ,• • ~ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
ll4
10
ll4 ll6 116
II 12
Election of the RegionaJ. Director •••••••••••••••••••••••••••.• ArmounceIDents ••••••••••••••••••••••• e • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
-95-
RIDIONAL COMMITTEE: SIXTEENTH SMSION
First Meeting Thursday. 26 September 2965 at 9.00 a. m. PRESENT
I.
Representatives of Member states AUSTRALIA Dr H.E. Downes ,DrAko ·Toua Mr' M.C.Ie. Evers DrC.J. Ross-Smith Dr In Sokan Dr Keo Phann Dr C.K. Chang Dr T.C. Hsu
CAMBODIA CHINA FRANCE
....
Medecin General. M. Orsini Dr N. Tatebayashi Mr S. Mitani
JAPAN
Dr J. Urata
IAOS MALAYSIA
Dr Koukeo Saycocie Dr L. W. J:ayesuria Dr R. Dickie ...." j
NEW ZEALAND PHILIPPINES
Dr C.N. Derek Tay20r Dr C.S. Gatmaitan Dr T.A. Gomez ..... Dr. A.N. Acosta..·. Dr N. C. de Andrade Dr M.F. Matias Dr Dr Dr Dr Dr Dr Youn Keun Cha Yang Won Pak Sang Tae Han Taek Il Kim Chang Dong Min RYang Jong Park
PORTUGAL.•....
....:.
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Mr Gee Hahn
Dr Yu Sun Yun
REPUBLIC OF vmr-NAM
Dr Le Cuu Truong Dr Duong Cam Chuong
MINl1l'ESOF. THE FIRST MEEl'ING, ..
97
UNITED KINGDOM
Dr C.H. Gtlrd Dr J. Watt . Dr R.K.C. lee' Dr D. W. Ruthig Dr H.A. Tucker Lt. Colonel H.W. Fleming Dr M3.sashi Maltabe Dr J. C. Thieme
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(
. II.
WESTERN SAMOA
Observers of Non-Member States SINGAPORE Dr Thong Kah leong.
In.
Representatives of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies UNITED NATIONS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BOARD AND UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL FUND UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND
Mr" W. R. Lucas
Mr" A.E. McBain
TV.
Representatives of other intergovernmental organizations INTERNATIONAL COMMITI'EE OF MILITARY MEDICINE AND PHARMACY Colonel Eui Shik Kim
,
.y
SOUTH PACIFIC COMMISSION
Dr G. Loison
V.
Representatives of non-governmental organizations IN'rERNATIONAL COUNCIL Miss S. y. Hong
OF NURSES ,1 :,-.
INTERNATIONAL DENTAL FEDERATICE INTERNATIONAL HOSPIT.AL FEDERATION
Dr S.H. Yooo Dr U.S. Oh Dr Dr Dr Dr V.R. de Oc8B!PO R. L. Alfonso M. Chua Chiaco J . Ortanez
.
~
INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CHILD WELFARE
Dr J. Franklin-Adams Dr G. 1oisoo
',-
INTERNATIONAL UNICE FOR HEALTH EDUCATION
98
REGIONAL· COMMITTEE: SIX'.L'Emmi SESSION
.
"
LEAGUE OF RED CROSS
.
Dr Y.C. Kim Dr C.H. lee Dr C.T. Kim Dr
SOCIl!.'l'IES MEDICAL WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
THE WORLD MEDICAL . ASSOCIATION VI. WHO Secretariat DIRECTOR-GENERAL
C.J. Ross-Smith '. J
Dr M. G. Candau Dr I.C. Fang
Regional Director
'. ,
.,
·11 •
Mnm1'ES OF THE FIRST MEEll'mG
99
1
FORMAL OPENING:
Item 1 of the Provisional Agenda
The sixteenth session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific was formally inaugurated at Citizens' Hall, SeouJ., Republic of' Korea, by the Honourable Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Dr Won Son Oh. present. His Excellency the Prime Minister, ~.
n
Kwon Chung, was also
1.1 Address by the Honourable Minister of' Health and Social Affairs, Dr Won Son Oh Dr OH stated that it was a great honour that the Committee had accepted the invitation of his Government to bold the sixteenth session in Seoul. The United Nations had designated the 1960s as a "DevelopIn line with this programme, his Government had been
ment Decade II.
concentrating its efforts on reaching the goal of increased production, export and construction, and it had therefore designated 1965 as a "Working Year". The Government also planned to undertake a long-term
health programme as part of national development plans in connexion with the latter half of the decade. The fact that the Regional.
Committee was meeting in Seoul at this particuJ.ar moment wouJ.d give impetus to the development of this programme. In closing, he wished the Committee every success in its delibera-
tions.
1.2 Address by His Excellency the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Mr n Kwon Chung His Elccellency the PRIME MmISTER said that the convening of the Regional Committee marked a historic moment in the annals of Korea's
100
REGIONAL COlvK£'I'rEE:
SIXTEENTH
SESSION
public health activities.
He welcomed the
rePresentativ~s
and said
that every Korean citizen would share a feeling of pride, as never before in the history of the country had there been such a large-scale international meeting in public health. He referred to the assistance WHO was giving to his country> which covered activities such as the eradication of malaria, the prevention of tuberculosis and leprosy, and the treatment of patients throughout the country. This, assistance had earned the gratitude of the Korean people in all walks of life, as it remindad th8r:l of a:1 international crusade with m~allies
.
}
helping to improve the standard of public health.
The
Government and the people were now increasing their efforts to develop public health programmes and eventually attain self-sufficiency in this field. Public health problems were of paramount concern allover the world. Remarkable progress in tackling them had been made with the assistance , , I
of WHO. research.
Yet, a wide variety still existed, requiring further extensive These were too voluminous to be solved by any single nation. ,
,
Success could only be achieved through co-ordination,' by exchanging information and technology. The problem of public health was one of ,
.
-
.
.'
the issues affecting the world and this required action on a worldwide basis. Without such international co-operation, there was no way of solving these problems. Fortunately, tre problem of hunger in many developing nations was nearing solution. However, immediate
'.
action was required to emancipate tens of thousands ofinnoC'ent 'people from disease and sickness. The principal task was to do everything
possible to prevent the outbreak of epidemics and to help those who were suffering. In the campaign to eradicate disease there could be
MINUTES OF THE FIRST MEErING • i
101
be restr icted no discr imina tion on accou nt of race nor shoul d activ ities to natio ns or regio ns.
WHO was doing every thing possi ble to liber ate
t s heaxt s a hope manki nd from the yoke of disea se and to insti ll in men
and natio nality . for a bette r and more healt hy futur e, regar dless of race meeti ng woul.d In closin g, Mr Chung state d that he hoped that the a settle succe ssfull y vario us pendi ng issue s and would mark mi1est~ne
e in the in streng theni ng the exist ing frien dly ties among the peopl Weste rn pacif ic and those in other regio ns. He also hoped that the
nd t S battl e to confe rence would lay an everl astin g corne rstone in manki
devel op healt h progra mmes . 1. 3
Addre ss by the Chairm an, Dr L. W. Jayes uria ded the Dr JAYESURIA said that he was honou red at being accor
privi lege of speak ing at the openi ng cerem ony.
There was no doubt
extrem ely whats oever that every singl e count ry in the Regio n was Comm ittee grate ful to the Gover nment for its decis ion to invit e the to hold its sixte enth sessio n in Seoul . The majo rity of the repre -
they senta tives prese nt had never been to Korea befor e and that nt from welcomed the oppor tunity of Visit ing the count ry was evide izatio ns the large number of repre senta tives of count ries and organ atten ding the meeti ng. Those who had met at previ ous meeti ngs of a
Regio n were simil. ar natur e or at many techn ical confe rence s in the bond Of frien dglad of the oppor tunity to renew and streng then the ship that had been creat ed betwe en them. All prese nt also great ly
who had appre ciated the oPpor tunity of meeti ng the peopl es of Korea
and who were faced so herOi cally such troub lous times in recen t years rehab ilitat e so coura geous ly and succe ssfull y tryin g to rebui ld and
102
their country and to establish a medical and health soureethat WOuld ser:ve the needs of its vigorous peop~e. Dr Jayesuria wished the Government all suc'cess in its efforts to
overcome not only the public health problems but also the many other problems to which it was giving devoted, constant, 'inspiring aDd unremitting attention. He thanked His Excellency the Prime Minister, for the cordial'
wlcome given and for ,the arrangements made for the meeting, and hoped that the forthCOming discussions would in some small measure be of assistance to the Government in the fiel.d of public health.
1.4 Address by the Director-General The DIRECTOR-GENERAL stated that it was a privil.ege and a great
pleasure to attend the sixteenth session of the Regional Committee for the Westel'Il Pacific and to bring the greetings of the World Health Organization to it. ,He thanked, the Government of Korea for the invitation.and, hoSll:l,tality extended to .the Committee. The Regional Committee
. ,
had the importa.n:t task of helping the Organization fo:nnulate the policies that governed the work in the Region, supervising the activities of the Regional Office, co-operating with the united Nations, _ -r
the specialized agencies and other organizations interested in the field of health, advising WHO on international health matters which have wider than regional significance, assisting in planning the programme of work and guiding the Director-General and the BegionaJ. Director in the execution of the work of the Organization. ThiS:
meeting was a historical one, in which representatives of theM!mbers in the Western PacifiC, public health and professional men, wre
MINUTES OF THE FIRST MEETING
103
meeting together in a spirit of co-operation and understanding, trying to analyze problems and to find ways and means, of solving them. This
spirit of cO-oPeration and understanding was very necessary in the world today. .Health could be an avenue to peace and depended upon
underst,..anding among all countries. ,It ,was peace that made possible the promotion of bett~rhealth,happiness
and prosperity.
With the completion of the formal opening, the
Co~ttee
adjourned
for a short intermission and reconvened at 10.00 o'clock at the Central Official,S I )'raining lnsti tute.
2
STATEMENT BY THE HETIRlNG CHAIRMAN: Agenda
Item 2 of the Provisional
Dr JAYESURIA, the retiring:Chairman, .stated that it had been a great honour and privilege t,o have been the Chairman of the fifteenth session of the Regional, pommi,ttee. He ,extended warm greetings from
Malaysia:to. all representatives attendi,ng the sixteenth session and expre,ssedthanks to the , ~.
GoverIUl1e~t " ...'...
,of
'.
Koreaforip~ting L.
the Committee
to meet in Seoul.
It", welcomed the,pirector-General, whose presence
would stimulate and enliven the discussions which would take place. It was but right that the Director-GeneraJ. should, at some time and at some place, visit the regionaJ. committees to give them his advice and rejoice -with them in their leisure moments. The need to establish and develop extensive generaJ. heaJ.th
services was still a very great problem in many countries in the Region and it was a relief to know that WHO would be aJ.ways ready to provide any assistance requested. The development of all services
104
concerned with the prevention of disease, the promotion of health, the treatment of the sick and their restoration to normal health and activities was the main objective of all 'those responsible for the health of a nation. It was part of a process that not only involved
co-ordinated and intensive co-operation between various ministries responsible for the orderly government and well-being of a country but also one that would bring to the country its desired economic and social goals. Dr Jayesuria referred to the last meeting of the Committee, during ,"hich the subject of the Technical Discussions had been l1The Use of Statistics in Public Health Administration l1 • One of the basic
responsibilities of health departments was to collect and analyze vital facts bearing on public health. While it was the function of
the statistician to collect, interpret and present statistics, it was the administrator himself who would know how to use this information. There were many developing countries in the Region where the
.,
health services were not highly developed and which could not afford expensive elaborate statistical services:.' 'These countries must be satisfied with simple services which could be further developed as the health services improved. The important thing was to obtain the
kind of statistics needed and to use thorn properly. The subject of the Technical Discussions for this meeting was "The Use of Health Education Services in National Health Programmes". Health education was becoming an increasingly important subject in the implementation of any health programme because in many places health workers had to deal with people whose level of education and health consciousness was not very high, but whose understanding and
MINUTES OF THE FIRST MEErmG
105
co-operation was essential ifprev6ntive ·measures were to be introduced into the community •. This subject therefore was timely and·the discussions on.it would be of great value to all. Among the items on th-:; agenda of the sixta<lnth session was tho discussion of the Annual Report of the Regional Director, which traced the deve:lopment and activities of the Regional Office from tho Ume of its inception up to the present day. When the Regiona.l Office had
started its nork, most of the countrieswera suffering from the aftermath of war, were in sore straits and in dire need of assistance. Health problems varied and not all governments were :!ble to absorb aid effectively •. There was, hor,.lever, one common factor of gl'<:lll.t importance, namely, the shortage of personnel of ~ll
categories.
Since then, however, assisted by WHO, the countries of the Region had gone far in increasing the numbers of health workers, building . up their health services in rural areas an.d in their fight against cO/1Ullunicable diseases. Their achievements had. been the result not "
only of their efforts but also the enlightened. of the . , . guida,nce . ." Regional Director md his team of devotedassi~tants, ..who, ,at the request of the count~iesconc,"rned,
had h.ft
nO.~it,oIJ,<?
unturn0d to
assist them in improving their health conditions and solving their health problems. Dr .. Fang's term of office as Regional Director would end in June
1966. Dr JaY0suria wished to pay a.well-deserved tribute to him for all the encouragement, assistance, advice and co-operation that he had given to 'those who had requested the Organization for assistance. His intimate knowledge of the health conditions of the countries in the Region, acquired during his m~~y
years of service as Regional
106
ROOIONAL COMMITTEE:. SIXTEENTH SESSICli •
•
Director, had enabled him to understand and appreciate the problems put to him and to advise appropriately. affection of He had gained the respect and The Committee would
au
with whom he had come in contact.
note with regret that with the end of his term of office in June 1966 he would not be present at the next meeting of the Regional Connnittee. Dr Jayesuria wished him and Mrs Fang all the best for the future. In closing, he thanked the Regional Director and his staff for their
help and assistance during his term of office as Chairman and extended to
au
warm and sincere wishes for a suc.cessful meeting.
3
STATEMENT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL: Agenda
Item 3 of the PrOvisional
The DIRECTOR-GENERAL said that he 'WOuld like to make a few
comments on the agenda.
The report of the Regional Director and the
proposed programme and budget for the financial year 1967 would be discussed. It was quite clear that in discussing the report of the ,
,
Regional Director the Committee would analyze the past and the present situation, and in the light of that analysis it would review the proposed programme and ;tJudget estimates for 1967 and the work that needed to be carried on in the Region. This was extremely important for the
Organization as a Whole, because it was from the Committee's advice on the programme for the years to come that he would. be able to carry out the constitutional obligation he had to present to the Executive Board and to the Assembly the whole programme and budget estimates of the Organization proposed for 1967. It was extremely helpful for him ~
to have this type of guidance from the different regional committees.
..
MINUTES OF THE FIRST l>UrING
107
Also 011. ·the agenda was a very important item for tbe Organization the nomination of the Regional Director for the 1<lestern Pacific. . He did~needsay
how, sad everyone in tre Organization would feel that He, as Director-
'.
Dr Fang .had come to the;.eI1Q.of his term of office.
General,Mas pleased to. say how much Dr: Fang bad contributed to the lifo of \<IiRO. and how much he had done for the dev-elopment of its programmes •. Co~titutionally,
the Director-General1s position vis-a-vis It was the representatives of
a Regional Director was rather special.
Members in the Region who nominated the Rogienal Director, who was in turn appointed by tb6 Executivo Board; but i twas wi th the DirectorGeneral that th~. Regional
Director hr:id to work.
It had 1.leen a great
experience for him to hr~ve worked with Dr Fang over the last twelve years. Dr Fang was not only an excellent Regional Director but much t~at
more than
he was. an excellent friend and a very loyal colleague.
In his co-op0ration with Dr J?ang he had.alwaysfound in him a statesman able to give him the help and aid he needed to carryon his own l-lOrk. When the Committee was undertaking its . constitutional obliga. . Regiona;J.Director~:
tion to designato a new
he would only,
~sk
that
the representatives remembered v
th~importance.of
this post to the
tJ
life of the vJorld. Health Organization as a whole. In the Committee ts program.'ne were a few items that always oj:
work f'orthe next years there discussion. On the
appea~ed.againfor
agenda for this session .there appeared again the problem of malaria eradication and it was quite clear tha~this
programme had been There had been
evolving quite well in many regions of the. world.
problems in some ar8<lS but the difficult.ies were not always technical ones relating to the resistance of insects to insecticides and of
loB
REGIONAL COMMITTEE: SIXTEENTH SESSION
parasites to drugs, but in many cases were purely
ad~inistrative,
and
for these reasons it had been difficult to conclude the programme. There W8re also many other problems in the Region, particularly those relating to the· arthropod-borne virus diseases. importance to many of the developing countries. These were of great The recent rapid spread
of haemorrhagic fever· and dengue fever in the South-East Asia and Hestern Pacific Regions had emphasized the need for undertaking urgent and effective measures against these diseases. ~
The resistance of
aegypti to the chlorinated hydro-carbon insectitiides had oreated
a serious problem in many areas and the need for more research in finding better ways of solving the problem was evident. Another
problem was tha:t arising from the growth of the cities in Asia and the urban areas of the world; water supplies were not keeping pace and drinking water was being stored in and around the home, thus providing breeding sites for Aedes aegypti. WHO had been developing some studies with the objective of carrying out research on the ecology, biology and control of Aedes aegyptL In a recimt meeting in Geneva,
leading experts had given much assistance in connexion with further work in this field. He was ·confident that the results of the research
work done in the last·few years and in the years to come would be of benefit· to the health workers in their fight against yellow fever, dengue fever and haemorrhagic fever. Filariasis was another disease which was spreading widely as a result of the acceleration of urbanization. This could be brought
under control only if more knowledge were available about the vector, ~
fatigans ,and the transmission of the disease.
The ultimate
solution, of course, depended on more adequate sanitation in all 'o-ommunities.
:t.mrul'ES OF THE FIRST MEETING
199
.-
Cholera ,had, f'or-many celJ,turies, beep diseases. With ad~ces
<i)lle
of'the most dreaded
in microb1ology, its cause had become know
and vaccine a,gainst the diseases. had already been developed at the end of' the last century. However, the disease continued to persist and large Recently, it. had begun to spread in 'WaS
epidemics had continued to occur. large areas of' Asia and at present
threatening to invade areas from In the light of this unfortunate
which it had been absent f'or decades.
development, the studies initiated by WHO in co-operation with the research institutions in India, Japan, the Philippines and the United states of' America and other countries seemed to be of extreme ill\Portance. A better understanding of the disease, which was a companion of' poverty and dirt, was essential since this should facilitate more effective treatment and control long before it could be eliminated by substantial ill\Provements in economic and social conditions. Intensified research
should also reveal a more effective vaccine, a better knowledge of how the disease was transmitted, as well as an insight into the genetics of both the vibrio cholera and the vibrio El Tor. Research had also
revealed new ways and more silllPlified methods combining antibiotics, rehydration and therapy to save the lives, especially of young children, during epidemics. The question of s~lpox
was also on .the agend.a. smallpo~
For several.
years lip-service. had been given to
eradication, but the It 'WaS
real action to eradicate. smallpox had not really started.
iIlIPortant for all c()untries to decide what they wanted to do in the field of' smallpox eradication. wide interest for all regions. It was quite clear that this was of' From the international point of view,
llO
REGIONAL COMMITTEE: SIXTEENTH SESSION
it was ,one of the most important diseases.
When the Organization
started asking countries where smallpox was an important problem to undertake an eradication programme there was some hesitation on their part to invest the necessary resources for this canpaign. In
some countries it was an important disease but not the most important one so that the government was not prepared to make the effort to eradicate the disease because it needed its resources for other problems it considered more important, such as malaria and tuberculosis. The time had come for the more developed and developing countries to get together and decide what they should do in the field of smallpox. It was quite clear that imported cases of smallpox had disturbed the
life and health of many of the more developed countries.
The next
Assembly must decide if it wished to have the smallpox eradication programme totally under the regular budget of the Organization or if it should be partly in that budget and partly supported on a volun-
tary basis.
Lip-service would not solve the problem.
It was urgent
that a decision be taken at the next Assembly.
The discussions by the
Committee would help orientate the Secretariat in the best way to solve the problem. From the international point of view, he had no hesitation '!he reason for inter.,.
in saying that smallpox eradication was a "must".
national co-operation one hundred years ago had been based on the pestilential diseases. Diseases such as smallpox and cholera were of
great importance in the work of the World Health Organization. The subject chosen for the Technical Discussions was a very important one, since it involved the participation of people of different countries in a well oriented programme of health education and , in making the right investment in the field of health that should be part of the economic and social development of different countries.
-
'
MINUTES OF THE FIRS'!' MEE.'nNG
III
Finally, the Director-General stated that he was glad to have this opportunity to be present to learn the wishes of the Committee and have its guidance on the development of the work of the World Health Organization in the years to come.
4 4.1
ELECTION OF NEW OFFICERS: CHAIRMAN, VICE-CHAIRMAN AND RAPPORTEURS: Item 4 of the Provisional Agenda Election of Chairman Dr GURD (United Kingdom) nominated Dr CHA (Korea) as Chairman;
this was seconded by Dr TATEBAYASHI (Japan). Decision: Dr Cha was elected with acclamation.
In taking the Chair, Dr CHA thanked the Committee for the honour bestowed on him and his country for electing him as Chairman. very pleased to accept this aSSignment. ~
He was
, ,.
4.2
Election of Vice-Chairman Dr GA'l'MAITAN (P~lippines) nominated Dr DOWNES (Australia) as
Vice-Chairman; this was seconded by Dr ORSINI (France). Decision: Dr Downes was elected unanimously.
4.3
Election of Rapporteurs Dr THIEME (Western Samoa) nominated Dr CHANG (China) as Rapporteur
for the English language; this was seconded by Dr WATT (United states of America).
ll2
Dr TRUCIfG (Viet..N8lII.) nominated ,Dr'CmSDiI -(Fran.<:e) as' Rapporteur for
tbe French l.angu&gej this was seconded by Dr ANDRADE (Portugal.).
Decision: elected.
Dr Chang and Dr Orsini were unanimously
5
ADDRESS BY INCOMING CHAlllMAN: . Item 5
oftbe~
Provisional Agenda
The CHAIRMAN requested that his address shoul.d be postponed untU
Friday morning.
(See minutes of the third meeting, section 1.)
6
ADOP'l'ICIf OF THE AGENDA: (Document wp/ncl6/l)
Item 6 of the Provisional Agenda
Dr GATMAlTAN (Philippines) IIlOved the adoption of the agenda; this
was seconded by Dr WATT (United states of America). Decision: In the absence of any COUlll2nts I the agenda was adopted.
7
STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS: of the Agenda
Item 7
The CHAI~ announced that, in accordance with the resolution
adopted by the Regional. COIIDIIittee at its eleventh session, which authorized the Regional. Director, in consul.tation with the Chairman of the Regional COllllllittee, to select the Chairman of the Technical Discussions in advance of the meeting, Dr C.N. Derek Taylor, .Deputy Director (Heal.th Education), Div:tsion of Public Health, Department of Health, New Zealand, had been sel.ected for this office. invited Dr Taylor to address the meeting. He then
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MINtJTF.S OF THE FIRST MEm'mG
113
Dr TAYLOR (New Zealand), Chairman stated that the subject 01'
01'
the Technical Discussions, 'W8.S
the technical .discussions
~
Use 01'
HeaJ.th Education Services in National, Health Programmes ". 'W8.S
This to:pic
of major
~ortance
as it had been recognized as an essentiaJ. The arrangements and
element in the success of public health work.
preparations made for the technicaJ. difi)cussions had been under way for some time. Some of the countries had sent education materiaJ.s for
display and information of considerable value concerning the planning and .use of heaJ.th education services in their nationaJ. heaJ.th programmes. The first plenary session would be held in the conference building on
Saturday at 9.00 a.m.
After the plenary, the meetings of three discus-
sian groups would be held the rest of Saturday morning and afternoon in the meeting rooms in this building. Many representatives had
already given to the Korean health group rapporteurs and staf'f assistants some of the questions and problems suggested for discussions in the group meetings. He urged the others who had not already done so to submit in (For consideration of
writing any questions that they had to pro:pose..
the report of the Technical Discussions, see minutes of the fifth meeting, section 5.)
Ii
.~
8
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SUB-COMMITI'EE ON PROGRAMME AND BUDGFl':
Item 8.1 of the Agenda In accordance with the principle of rotation, it was agreed that
the membership should be cOllU'osed of the representatives of Australia, CambOdia, China, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea (Chairman), the Republic of Viet-Nam and the United Kingdom. It 'W8.S
also agreed
114
that the Sub-Committee "WOUJ.d,meet at 3.00 p.m. on Friday, 17 September, and that, if' necessary, discussions would continue on Monday morning. (For consideration of the report of the Sub-Committee on Programme and Budget, see minutes of'the fifth meeting, section 4.)
9
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN CF BRIEID' REPORrS RECEIVED FROM
GOVERNMENTS ON THE PROGRESS OF THEIR HEALTH ACTIVITIES: of the Agenda
Item 9
The CHAIRMAN aclalmfledged the reports on the progress of' heal.th
activities received from American Samoa, AustraJ.ia, Fiji, Guam, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, ~ca.o,
MUaysia, New Cal.edonia, New Zealand, Philippines,
!tepubl1c of China, Republic of Korea, Republic of Viet-Ham, Singapore, Trust Territory of the Pacific Is1ands and Western Samoa. In addition,
an annual heal.th report had been received f'rom Je;pan and a report of the National. Heal.th and Medical. Research Council from Austral.ia. Dr IN SOKAN( Cambodia) stated that his Government had forwarded
a report· regarding heaJ.th activities in his country.
As the report
might not have been received in the Regional. Office, he had a copy which he wuld like to present to the Committee.
10
RESOLUTIOOS OF REGIONAL INTEREST ADOPTED BY THE THIRTY-FIFTH AND THIRTY-SIXTH SESSIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD .I\ND THE EIGHTEENTH WORID HEALTH ASSEMBLY: Item 10 of the Agenda (Document WP/RC16/3) The REGlOOAL D~OR stated that document WP/RC16/3 contained
t~ resolutions of regional. interest adopted by the thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth sessions of the Executive Board and the Eighteenth World Heal.th Assembly. A note had been added in connexion with certain
mNUTES OF THE FIRST MEEl'ING
115
resolutions, as it was felt that the attention of the Committee should. be specifically drawn to some of the operative paragraphs. Dr WATT (United. states of America) said that there had been two
resolutions which had been acted upon at the last Worl.d Health Assembly which seemed to him to have such great importance for the Region and also for the whole world that he had hoped that there could be a little more connnent, particularly since Dr Candau was present. Dr Candau had
mentioned one of them this morning in his opening remarks and he was sure there would be an opportunity for elaboration later on in the agenda. He referred to the question of smallpox and the fact that the
Assembly at itsl.ast meeting had set a terminal date, that was a date by which it was intended to achieve complete global eradication of this disease. The other one to which a great deal of thought had been given '!-laS • the
by all Mamber governments
question of population.
There had been
a tremendous change throughout the world in thinking, beliefs and attitudes towards this important subject. The old-timers in the World
Health Organization probably appreciated that far more than he, who had participated only in the last few years, as from the early World Health Assemblies this subject had been one that ~laS
almost taboo.
To have
the World Health Assembly at its last meeting adopt unanimously this resolution, which clearly put the Organization in the forefront in the consideration of problems of population as they affected the health of the worl"", had been great and outstanding progress. He thought that if'
the Director-General could tell the Committee a little of the thinking '1
<_
that was going on now in terms of how this could be further developed, it would be very much appreciated.
116
RmIClNAL . COMl(['l"rEE: SmEENTH SESSION
Tbe RmIONAL DIRmrOR stated that. there 'Were two such items on the
agenda and the. Direetor-Genel'lll pref'erred to give the inf'oroation requested when these .rere discussed.
11
ELECTION OF THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR:
Item 11 of' the Agenda (Document
WPjRC16j4) The CHAIRMAN stated that the Committee, in accordance with Rule 51
of the Rules of' Procedure, would consider item 11 of' the Agenda in a private meeting in view of' its cha.racter. at 3.00 in the a.:rternoon. The DIRECTOR-GENERAL stated that a closed meeting meant that only The meeting would take place
the members' of' the delegations, those accredited to the meeting, could be Present. Tbe Representative of' the United Nations could also. attend,
:!of' he so wished.
Nobody else could attend.
The members of' the Secre-
tariat who would assist as su;pporting staff' would be decided by Dr. Fang and himself'. (For resolution adopted on this item,' see minutes of the
second me~ting,section 1.)
12
ANNOUNCEMENTS.
The CHAIRMAN suggested that the Committee should meet from 9.00
a.m. to 12.00 noon, with a short recess at about 10.30 a.m., and f'rom 3.00 to 5.30 p.m., with a short recess at about 4.00 p.m., subject to the proviso that these times could be altered if the progress of' work required it. It ./as so agreed.
The meeting rose at 11.40 a.m.
,.