2.
General Programme of Work (Document WPR/RC28/16)
The initial meeting of the Sub~Committee on the General Programme of Work, established at the twenty-seventh session of the Regional Committee, was held on 5 September 1977. Its report, attached as Annex 4, was presented to the Regional Committee at its sixth plenary meeting on 12 September 1977. The Committee considered the question of involvement of the Regional Committee in the work of WHO a~d agreed with the opinion of the Sub-Committee that, while the representatives to the Regional Committee could not always be the same persons as the delegates to the World Health Assembly, they were able to brief each other and the briefing did include a formed opinion as to how health policies were to be discussed at the Health Assembly and the Regional Committee. Continuity of representation at the Regional Committee and the Health Assembly presented problems but a unitl responsible for international health and collaboration with WHO in each Ministry of Health might be an acceptable substitute. \ ,' In adopting the recommendations cbntained in the report and establishing the Sub-Committee as a standing subcommittee, the Committee decided that the Chief Representatives of Australia, Fiji, Malaysia and the Philippines would remain members of the Sub-Committee until the twenty-ninth session and that the Chief Representatives of Japan and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam should be additional members. From the twenty-ninth session onwards there would be an annual rotation of two members (see resolution WPR/RC28.R20). The suggestion was also made that one of the members of the Sub-Committee on the General Programme of Work should attend meetings of the Sub-Committee on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries.
59
ANNEX 4 REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON THE GENERAL PROGRAMME OF WORK The Sub-Committee on the General Programme of Work held its initial meeting in Tokyo on 5 September 1977. The following attended: Dr Dr Dr Dr C. Evans, Australia Raja Ahmad Noordin, Malaysia J. Sumpaico, Philippines J. Senilagakali, Fiji
Dr R. Cumming, Alternate Representative of Australia, also attended by invitation. Dr C. Evans was elected Chairman of the Sub-Committee, Dr R. Noordin, Rapporteur. The Secretariat members who were present were Dr J.H. Hirshman, Director of Health Services (Secretary of the Sub-Committee) and Dr G.J.A. Ferrand, Assistant Director of Health Services. The meeting had before it a background paper written by the Secretariat (document WPR/RC28/GPW/l) and copies of the WHO Sixth General Programme of Work covering a specific period (1978-1983), in both its global version and the version relating to the priorities of the programme for the Western Pacific Region. The Sub-Committee decided first to look at the kind of activities it should undertake so that it could then consider a rational method of working. The Sub-Committee considered that, in principle, it should consider the types of activity carried out by the Programme Committee of the Executive Board as a basis for its work, suitably modified for its regional context. It was stressed that the primary purpose of the Sub-Committee's work would be to review and analyze the impact of WHO's collaboration with countries rather than the activities of countries themselves. It was agreed that, in its first year at least, the Sub-Committee would be more effective if it did not attempt to cover too wide a scope. After consideration of the examples given in document WPR/RC28/GPW/I of functions the Sub-Committee could undertake in its analysis and review during its first year, it was recommended that it should initially concentrate on "Primary health care within the broad context of comprehensive health services, focused particularly on the health manpower development aspects and the use of auxiliaries".
The method of working was then examined. In view of the subject chosen, the Sub-Committee felt that its next meeting should be in conjunction with the Regional Conference on Primary Health Care to be held in Manila from 21 to 24 November 1977. Some members of the Sub-Committee had already planned to attend this conference and could then, as necessary, prolong their stay to work with the WHO Secretariat. It was stressed that the Sub-Committee should keep in mind the need for an examination of the general impact of WHO's work in Member States and should therefore undertake a general review of the implementation of the Sixth General Programme of Work within the Region, as well as a specific, in-depth review of a chosen field in a number of countries. It was therefore necessary that the Sub-Committee, together with the Secretariat, examine the methodology WHO was evolving in medium-term programming and the information system and the kind of information it would be necessary to prepare for the country visits of members of the Sub-Committee. This it was thought could be done during and after the November meeting, together with relevant WHO staff. The Sub-Committee would also decide in November 1977 on country visits and on how many countries should be involved, with the consent of those countries. It was thought that the Sub-Committee would probably have to break up into smaller groups for such visits. Assurance was given that the Regional Office would provide funds for such visits and would provide Secretariat support. Finally, a meeting of the Sub-Committee in July 1978 was proposed, after country visits. The Secretariat would prepare all necessary documentation. This meeting would prepare a report for the twentyninth session of the Regional Committee on the year's work. The Sub-Committee then discussed membership and rotation. It considered it advisable to ask for the present membership of the Sub-Committee to be continued, but that it be enlarged to six members. The present membership would thus stay, i.e., the Chief Representatives of Australia, Fiji, Malaysia and the Philippines, but two further members should be designated by the twenty-eighth session of the Regional Committee. This would enable the Sub-Committee, if necessary, to split up into three groups of two members for country visits. As to rotation, the Sub-Committee recommended that after the twenty-ninth session of the Regional Committee in 1978, two of the six Sub-Committee members should retire and be replaced, to be followed annually by rotation of two members, four remaining in place. The Sub-Committee referred to the great value of the Sixth General Programme of Work and the priorities outlined in the separate booklet for the programme of the Western Pacific Region. It confirmed that both these documents would serve as a basis for its activities. It felt that a further elaboration of the detailed objectives under the priorities listed for the Western Pacific Region would be desirable and should be worked on by the WHO Secretariat at the appropriate time.
The Sub-Committee then looked at document WPR/RC28/GPW/2 entitled "Involvement of the Regional Conunittee in the Work of WHO". It was noted that the Regional Committee would be asked to consider this document in connexion with the present report of the Sub-Committee on the General Programme of Work. The Sub-Conunittee felt that a discussion on this paper was very worthwhile and recommended that the points under (a), (b), (c) and (d) be brought up with the Regional Committee. Most Sub-Committee members felt that while they could not always comply with the first part of paragraph (a), representatives to the Regional Committee were briefed by the delegates to the World Health Assembly. In turn, delegates to the World Health Assembly were briefed by the representatives to the Regional Committee, which included the briefing mentioned under item (c). As to (d), continuity presented problems for almost all the Member States but the Sub-Committee thought that one of the best ways to ensure such continuity was to have a unit responsible in each Ministry of Health for international health and collaboration with WHO. Finally, the Sub-Committee thought that in the future it would be worthwhile to examine the relationship of the Sub-Committee on the General Programme of Work and the Sub-Conunittee on Programme and Budget.