Vital and health statistics [EM/RC8B/R.13]

WORLD HEAL TH ORGANIZATION • UWI~I u\ - - - ORGANISA TION MONDIALE DE" LA SANTE RESOLUTION REGIONAL CCM4I'rl'EE Fat '!'HE EASTERN MEDITERRANBAN Eigp:th Session SUB-CCHm.'TEE B Agenda item l4(e) ~l.....> ... ____ -.i7; VITAL AND HEAIll'H STATISTICS The Sub-Committee_ F,M,fflC8B,ffl .13 23 September 1958 anGINAL: ENGLISH Having discussed the situation as regards vital and health atatistios 1 services in the Region; Aware that a knowledge of relevant facts is essential to a successful administration of health services; Recognizing that collecting and analysing statistics is the safest and least expensive way of discovering the facts as regards health conditions in a country and a valuable help in supervising the activities of the departments and staff of the health services; Recognizing the insufficiency# both quantitatively and qualitatively. of the statistical staff in the ministries of health and in other departments concerned with statistics in most countries of the Region; Noting that the few statistics published are lacking in uniformity making a comparison of data between the countries difficult; 1. ENDORSES the view that a well-developed system for vital and health statistics is essential in a proper health administration; t. flEC<JINI!If1S tba~ the Member States of the Region: (1) encourage the tra1ning ot ste.tisticiana specialized in vital ~ -.alth statistics; (2) strengthen the statistical services of the health authorities by reoruiting a suffioient number of well-trained statisticians and auxiliary personnel; (,) co-ordinate activities between the countries in 9rde~ tp obtain the desir_ble uniformity in the data produced and in the iStat1.atlcal publications; (4) undertake, when poss1ble# statistical investigations before starting new activities in the field ot health and the careot the sick# or re-organizing work already under way.