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W 0 R L 0 HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANT~
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR
THE WESTERN PACIFIC
BUREAU REGIONAL DU PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL
REGIONAL Cm1MITTEE Twenty-first Session Manila 1-8 September 1970 Provisional agenda item 18
WPR/RC21/U 17 June 1970 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
SELECTION OF TOPIC FOR THE TEctlliICAL DISCUSSIONS DURING THE TWENTY-SECOND SESSION OF THE REGIONAL CO~fITTEE The Executive Board at its eighth session adopted a resolution inviting the regional committees to consider the advisability of holding discussions on matters of regional interest. This suggestion 2 was supported by the Committee and since 1952 technical discussions ~echnical
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have taken place at each session. Attached is a list of the subjects which have been selected during past years. As
far as the topic for the technical discussion in 1971 is
concerned, the Committee 5ay wish to consider the following suggestions of the Secretariat. 1.
PUBLIC HEALTH IN EHERGENCIES The occurrence of certain natural or man-made catastrophies or
disasters, as for example earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, war and riots, may result in the large-scale evacuation of populations to areas where medical and health services and sanitation /facilities either ••• lReso1ution EB8.R24, Handbook of Resolutions and Decisions, 10th ed., 253. 2Reso1ution WP/RC3.Rl4, WPR Handbook of Resolutions and Decisions, 1969, 6th ed., section 5.5.1, page 19.
WPR/RC21/11 page 2 facilities either do not exist or are inadequate to meet demands. catastrophies usually result in an increased number of injuries or illnesses for which adequate medical care is necessary if it is desired to prevent mortality or subsequent disabilities. In addition, there is a need for essential preventive health services, safe and adequate water, food and Shelter and arrangements to keep the general area in a satisfactory sanitary condition. The planning, organization and implementation of health programmes to meet certain emergencies might be an appropriate topic for the technical discussions next year. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION PROBLEMS AND APPROACH TO THEIR CONTROL IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC REGION Population growth, urbanization. industrialization, rising demands for manufactured products. the widespread use of insecticides and pesticides are causing increasing pollution of the environment. Although technological means exist to contain pollution within permissible limits believed not be harmful to health. the application of control measures lags considerably behind. which can be listed: This is due to several handicaps, among insufficient funds, fragmentation of responsibility Such
and ineffective liaison between the government agencies concerned,
absence of a comprehensive plan to deal with the situation and insufficient interest and co-ordinated efforts on the part of the offenders and of the populations affected. The risk is that pollution tends to build up to levels beyond which the process of degradation becomes almost irreversible. lulled into a false state of security, because urbanization and concentration are part of modern living and there are no good measures or valid reasons to prevent them. The health agencies should obviously It is not pay more than a passing interest to this phenomenon. Even countries where the" danger signs are not yet apparent should not be
suggested that they become the leading agencies in comprehensive /planning for •••
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WPR/RC2l/11 page 3 planning for environmental pollution control, but it is believed that a technical discussion on this topic will help bring the pro,blem into focus and give guidelines on the role that they should play in this field.
3.
THE ROLE OF NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES IN FAliILY PLANNING
A fairly wide range of country experiences on the administration and operation of family planning programmes is by now available. In practically all cases the national health services have been involved, although to a different extent and with different terms of reference. The outcome of such different forms of participation has been varied both as regards the efficiency of the family planning programme per and the impact on other activities of the health departments. Technical discussions on the role of national health services in family planning would be valuable and timely. They would serve to define , I ;
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the range of family planning activities that the health departments can undertake in order to provide a technically sound family planning service without affecting adversely other health activities~ Ways could be sought for turning the sizable national and external support to such programmes into an asset for the development of the general health services as a whole. 4. THE EPIDEHIOLOGY AND PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS This subject was discussed during the twentieth session of the Regional Committee (WPR/RC20/7). and a resolution was adopted suggesting that the topic might be considered during a future meeting of the Regional Committee (WPR/RC20.R8). Accidents and their prevention remain a problem of great importance. In fact, human losses related to them are on the increase. There is no need to summarize again their various aspects and the responsibility of health departments in their study and prevention. An important point, /however, which is •••
, WPR/RC21/11 page 4
• There are various reasons for this. Some
however. which is re-emphasized, is that they should be discussed globally and not in a sectoral fashion. types of accidents may appear more important than others because they are more obvious to the eyes of the public. Mortality is very important, but sometimes morbidity is socially more damaging (and a high mortality rate for a given type of accident does not necessarily entail as high a morbidity). A type of accident which is very frequent in a country may be less The prevention of some types of accidents can be better Decisions on sectoral so in another.
done by bodies other than health departments. general problem.
priorities for prevention are necessary, but should follow a survey of the --
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5.
THE ROLE OF THE HEALTH SERVICES IN DEGENERATIVE DISEASE CONTROL Special reference will be made to degenerative cardiovascular
diseases and to cancer which are, even in developing countries, rising towards the top of the causes of mortality. The discussion will centre on what public health me4sures can do, with due emphasis on their limitations at the present stage of knowledge. To date, WHO assistance and developing country priorities in the Western Pacific Region have laid stress on problems associated with communicable disease. It is, however, evident that degenerative cardiovascular disease and cancer are important and increasing causes of mortality and morbidity in developing countries. as well as major health problems in developed areas. With the progressive conquest of communicable disease, many developing countries approach the developed country pattern of cardiovascular disease and neoplasms as top causes of death. Public health services can play their part in cance~
control and The
in the control of a number of aspects of cardiovascular disease.
prOVision of early cancer detection faCilities, of screening examinations. of occupational health safeguards and of health edUcation are /aspects to be •••
WPR/RC2l/ll page 5/6 aspects to be discussed. Nutritional, socio-cultural and air pollution
factors can be considered, as well as the special questions of cigarette smoking and chewing of potential irritants. In terms of size of the problem and costs to health services of the treatment of cases, degenerative disease is a huge challenge. careful attention. Certainly, the limitations of control possibilities at the present stage of knowledge must be stressed but the subject is worthy of every consideration by developing and developed countries. The organization of control attempts within the health structure deserves
WPR/RC21/ 11
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page 7 ANNEX
TEcm~ICAL
DISCUSSION TOPICS 1952-1970 Subject
Year and session
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES 1957 (eighth session) 1963 (fourteenth session) Leprosy control The role of the local health services in leprosy control 1969 (twentieth session) The planning and organization of a national epidemiological service
DENTAL HEALTH 1961 (twelfth session) Dental health ENVIRONl1ENTAL HEALTH
1962 (thirteenth session)
The role of the health services in the improvement of community water supplies
.,
1966 (seventeenth session)
The role of the health department in environmental health services
EDUCATION AND TRAINING 1952 (third session) The education and training of medical and public health personnel
HEALTH EDUCATION 1965 (sixteenth session) The use of health education services in national health programmes /MMARIA •••
WPR/RC2l/11 Annex page 8 Year and session MALARIA
Sub1 est
1958 (ninth session)
Malaria control and eradication }f.ATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
1955 (sixth session)
Domiciliary midwifery as an approach to the people in the development of rural health services Approach to and management of the -l.
1956 (seventh session)
pre-school child (from one to six) 1967 (eighteenth session) The integration of maternal and child health and family planning activities in the general health services
PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION 1953 (fourth session) 1954 (fifth session) Health planning Public health administration with particular reference to the organization of health departments 1960 (eleventh session) The organization and administration of rural health services 1968 (nineteenth session) Health planning as an administrative tool 1970 (twenty-first session)
Health manpower in developing countries: Problems and needs
/TUBERCULOSIS
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WPR/RC21/11 Annex page 9
Year and session TUBERCULOSIS 1959 (tenth session)
Subject
The control of tuberculosis VITAL AND HEALTH STATISTICS
1964 (fifteenth session)
The use of statistics in public health administration
-.,.