WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DI LA SA"'"
RIGIONAL OFfiCI POa THE WESTERN ,AClftC .U~IAU "GIONAL DU PACIfIQUE OCCIDENTAL
RSGIONAL COMMITTEE Twenty-second Session Manila ~1-29 September 1971 ANNOTATED AGENDA
WPR/RC22/1-a 24 August 1971 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
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OPENING OF THE SESSION
The retiring Chairman will open the session, which will start at 9.00 a.m., on Tuesday, 21 September 1971, and will be held in the WHO Conference Hall. 2 ADDRESS BY RETIRING CHAIRMAN
It is customary for the retiring Chairman to deliver a short address at the opening meeting of each session of the Regional Committee. 3 ELECTION OF NEW OFFICERS: RAPPORTEURS CHAIRMAN. VICE-CHAIRMAN AND
The officers of the 1968, 1969 and 1970 meetings were:
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Nineteenth session - 1968 Chairman Vice-Chairman Rapporteur (in English) Rapporteur (in French) Twentieth session - 1969 Chairman Vice-Chairman Rapporteur (in English) Rapporteur (in French)
Dr C. Gatmaitan (Philippines) Medecin-General J. Rondet (France) Mr Lye Thim Fatt (Singapore) Dr Thor Peng Thong (Khmer Republic) Medecin-General J. Rondet (France) Dr Phouy Sun thorn (Laos) Dr C.H. Gurd (United Kingdom) Dr Diego Hora Silva Ferreira (Portugal) /Twenty-first •••
WPR/RC22/l-a page 2 Twenty-first session - 1970 Dr Khamphai Abhay (Laos) Chairman Vice-Chairman Rapporteur (in English) Rapporteur (in French) 4
Dr Myung Hwa Lee (Republic of Korea) Dr J. Azurin (Philippines) Dr Nguyen pang Que (Viet-Nam)
ADDRESS BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OR HIS REPRESENTATIVE Dr H. Mahler, Assistant Director-General, will attend 'the meeting
as Representative of the Director-General. 5 ADDRESS BY INCOMING CUAIRMAN It
is customary for the incoming Chairman to give a brief address It is, however, not essential for the address to This may, should thei incoming
to the Committee.
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be given at this point of the agenda.
Chairman wish, be postponed to a time later in the session. 6 ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA (Document WPR/RC22/l Rev.l) According to Rule 9 of the Rules of Procedure of the Regional Committee, "the Director may, in consultation with the Cha:i;rman, include any question suitable for the agenda which may arise or reach him up to twenty-one days before the opening day of the session, in a supplementary agenda which, the Committee shall examine together with the :provisional agenda. Any items arising or submitted later shall be included in a supplementary agenda provided that the Committee agrees". 7 TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS In accordance with the resolution adopted by the Regional Committee at its eleventh session, 1
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the Regional Director, in consultation with
the Chairman of the twenty-first session of the Regional Committee, has selected Dr K.P. Chen, Professor and Director, Institute ofi Public Health, National Taiwan University, as Chairman of the Technical Dtscussions. Three sessions have been set aside for the discussions: the after-
noon of Friday, 24 September; the mprning of Saturday, 25 September; and the morning of Monday, 27 September. /8 1
PRdpOSED PROGRAMME ~nd
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Resolution WP/RCll.Rll, WPR Handbook of Resolutions 1969, 6th ed., section 5.5.2 (8), page 23.
Decisions,
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WPR/RC22/1-a page 3 PROPOSE» PROGRAMME AND BU»GET ESTIMATES FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1 JANUARY - 31 DECEMBER 1973 (Documen~ WPR/RC22/2 and Corr.l) Establishment of the Sub-C~ttee
on Programme and Budget
The Committee, at its twenty-first session,l decided that the membership of the Sub-Committee (established in accordance with resolution WP/RC7.R7, adopted by the Regional Committee at its seventh session) should "consist of half the Members in the Region plus the Chairman of the Regional Committee and that it be rotated among the representatives of various Members, subject to the provision that any representative desiring to participate in the discussion of the Sub-Committee should be entitled to do so." Me~bership
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of
France, Sa~oa
Kh~er
Sub-Committee - 1968 Republic, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines (Chairman), ~he
Portugal, Singapore, the United States of America and Western Membership of the Sub-Committee - 1969 AUstralia, China, France (Chairman), Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, United ~r Kingdo~
and Viet-Nam
Membership of the Sub-Committee - 1970 Republic, Laos (Chairman), Malaysia, Ph.~lippines, Portugal, Singapore, the United States of America and
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Western Samoa 8.2 Consideration of the report presented by the Sub-Committee on Programme and Budget
The report of the Sub-Committee will be discussed in plenary session on Tuesday afternoon, 28 Septe~ber. 9 ACKNOWLE»GEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF BRIEF REPORTS RECEIVED FROM GOVERNMENTS ON THE PROGRESS OF THEIR HEALTH ACTIVITIES Governmen~s ~y
either sub~it short written reports in advance of the session or present their annual reports to the Committee. Reports received in sufficient ti~e will be reproduced in English and French land distributed
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lResolution WPR/RC21.Rl. 2"Half the Members" ~eans that half an odd nu~ber would be the next higher full number - e.g., one half of 17 is 9.
WPR/RC22/l-a page 4 and distributed to all Representatives. The Chairman will!make an announcement to acknowledge their receipt. 10 REPORT OF THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR (Document WPR/RC22/3)
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The Report presented to the Committee contains information on the health programmes in the Region assisted by WHO during the period 1 July 1970 to 30 June 1971. Representatives are invited to review the Report, section by section. Their comments will enable the Regional Director to obtain a clearer understanding of the needs of and problems facing governments and provide him with further guidance for the future. 11 RESOLUTIONS OF REGIONAL INTEREST ADOPTED BY THE TWENTY-FOURTH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY (Document WPR/RC22/4 and WPR/RC22/4 Add.l)
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Document WPR/RC22/4 contains the resolutions of regional interest adopted by the Twenty-fourth World Health Assembly. These have been divided into (1) those requiring action by the Committee, and (2) those submitted for information of the Committee. The resolutions requiring action on the part of the Committee are as follows: (a) Occueational Health Programmes (resolution WHA24.30)
A separate document, WPR/RC22/4 Add.l, has been prepafed in connexion with this resolution. The Twenty-fourth World Health Assewbly has recommended that "the regional committees undertake at their meetings in 1971 analyses of the means by which occupational health services can be expanded in countries undergoing industrializatipn". The working paper touches on several technical-administrative aspects of occupational health services as well as on their development and related problems. The attention of the Committee is drawn particularly to the requirements for the development of occupational health services. Proposals from Representatives with a view to defining areas in which WHO assistance could contribute to country efforts would assist the Director-General in preparing a report for the Twenty-fifth World Health Assembly. /(b) ¢ommunity Water , •• .. .<
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WPR/RC22/1-a
page 5 (b)
Community Water Supply: Report on the Financial Consequences of the Programme for WHO (resolution WHA24.55)
Attention is specifically drawn to operative paragraph two of this reso~ution
which recommends to Member States: that they consider adoption of the rational approach
"(i)
to the problems of both urban and rural water supplies contained in the Director-General's report; "(ii) that ministries responsible for health continue efforts
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of promotion and stimulation for the improvement of community water supply and sewerage programmes; "(iii) that in national economic development plans and in country programming for UNDP and other types of co-operation full consideration be given to needs for public water supply and sewerage." Representatives may wish to comment on the role of health agencies in support of this programme. WHO FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE PROBLEMS OF RECEIVING AND SENDING COUNTRIES (resolution WPR/RC2l.R6) (Document WPR/RC22/5) Document WPR/RC22/5 outlines the procedures followed in the implement-
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ation of the fellowship programme.
It also tabulates the results of a
questionnaire sent to all Member countries in the Region as decided during the twenty-first session of the Regional Committee. The main difficulties encountered by WHO in the implementation of the fellowship programme are described on page 5, paragraph 4. These include (1) the need for adequate completion of the fellowship application forms by the individual fellow and governments; (2) the difficulties encountered by governments in meeting deadlines for the submission of fellowship application forms; (3) changes in the timing of the fellowships and countries to be visited once placement has been confirmed; (4) delays in obtaining passports and visas. As far as governments are concerned the major difficulty encountered
is the short notice given to fellows between the time placement is confirmed and their departure on the fellowship. /The views •••
WPR/RC2211.-a page 6 The views of the Committee on the following points would be appreciated: (a) How to minimize changes in programme, particularly for fellows on observation tours, in view of the difficulties encountered by receiving countries in rearranging a programme Once it has been organized, and (b) The possibility of establishing a standard policy for language requirements in all countries in the Western Pacific Region.
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HEALTH ASPECTS OF POPULATIQN DYNAMICS (resolution WPR/RC21.R8) (Document WPR/RC22/6)
Document WPR/RC22/6 summarizes the progress made since the twentyfirst session of the Regional Committee. The attention of the Committee is particularly invited to: (a) the first paragraph on page 5 where the need for an overall increase in national staff if the health services are to be able to deal effectively with the workload caused by the integration of family planning activities into the health services is emphasized, and (b) the last paragraph on the same page which stresses the necessity for multi-departmental action if family planning programmes are to be successful. Representatives may wish to make statements on current national programmes in this field and on the WHO-assisted activities already carried out or under planning. 14 ~NG-TERM
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FINANCIAL INDICATORS (resolution WPR/RC21.R10) (Document WPR/RC22/7)
Document WPR/RC22/7 outlines the background of the item and suggests that the s\,lbject is appropriately titled "Long-term Planning in the Field of Health, incl\,lding Long-term Financial Indicators", in the deliberations of the Regional Committee. Annexed to the document is the report on the subject by the DirectorGeneral to the Executive Board at its January 1971 session, I including the resolutions adopted in 1970 by the six Regional Committees. /The Rlagional
WPR/RC22/l-a page 7 The Regional Committee is requested to consider the suggestions in the document and to advise the Regional Director on the next step to be taken. 15 TRAINING OF NATIONAL HEALTH PERSONNEL (resolution WPR/RC2l.R1l) (Document WPR/RC22/8) The Regional Committee, at its twentieth session, having noted resolution WHA2l.20 adopted by the Twenty-first World Health Assembly, which, inter ~,
suggested that the Regional Committees should undera~xiliary
take an analysis of the problems of training professional and
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health personnel, discussed a report submitted by the Regional Director on the subject (document WPR/RC20/8). It adopted on 29 September 1969 resolution WPR/RC20.R9 which recommended that Member countries should be invited to collect the necessary data on the training of national health personnel. Following the meeting, the Regional Director sent out a questionnaire to countries and territories in the Region with a view to obtaining the data required. At the twenty-first session of the Committee the Regional Director stated that replies to the questionnaire had not been complete and that Members had obviously encountered difficulties in collecting the information requested. The Committee in resolution WPR/RC2l.R1l adopted on 7 September 1970 noted the difficulties encountered and requested the
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Regional Director to approach again those Members which had not submitted the data requested •
An expanded questionnaire prepared by a consultant was sent to all countries and territories in the Region. WPR/RC22/B). The replies served as a basis for the preparation of a report to the Regional Committee (document The report contains information on the health manpower situation in countries of the Region on health manpower supply and demand projections, the difficulties encountered in health manpower development and training, and the areas for international co-operation in these fields. The document records perhaps the first attempt to make a region-wide assessment of national health manpower needs and training. It offers baseline data for future efforts - provided the study's present limitations tare taken •••
WPR/RC22/1-a page 8 are taken into account - and in this context, the results training in the Region. Representatives are invited to give their views on the approach employed and the findings obtained. to Member countries. 16 REGIONAL ACTIVITIES IN ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL (resolution WPR/RC2l.R12) (Document WPR/RC22/9) This is a progress report on the action taken by the Regional Director in connexion with resolution WPR/RC21.R12. control team in 1971. The attention of the Representatives is drawn to the objectives of the mission of the environmental pollution It is planned that the team's work, together with the preliminary work already done at the Regional Office, will lead to the formulation of guidelines for a regional programme in environmental pollution control. Representatives may also wish to make statements on current national programmes in environmental pollution control and on the WHO-assisted activities already carried out or under planning in this field. 17 COMPREHENSIVE AND CO-ORDINATED TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR HEALTH PERSONNEL (resolution WPR/RC2l.R13) (Documemt WPR/RC22/l0) Document WPR/RC22/l0 describes the progress made in comnexion with the establishment of a regional teacher training centre since the twentyfirst session of the Regional Committee in the Western Pacific Region. Shortly after the last session of the Committee, a of possible sites. con~ultant
w~llbe
helpful
in the formulation of WHO assistance to health manpower planning and
They may also wish to Lndicate
whether future follow-ups, with further refinements, would be useful
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visited
countries in the Western Pacific Region to make a preliminaty investigation Early in 1971, a senior WHO staff member from the Paragraph Education and Training Division, Geneva, and a consultant in medical education visited Australia to carry out a feasibility study. 2.2 on page 3 of the working paper describes the factors considered by the consultants as essential for the establishment of a regional teacher training centre. The findings of this mission indicate that the University of New South Wales meets these requirements and a proposal that this University might serve as a regional training centre has been made to the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia for its consideration. /The concept
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WPR/RC22/l-a page 9 The concept of the Regional Teacher Training Centre envisages training of staff from countries in the Region who, on return to their respective countries, may be able to establish national teacher training centres. Once these national centres are established national teaching staff in various health disciplines can be trained in teaching methods so that they in turn can train their fellow workers. The scheme is dependent on the active participation of Member governments in the Region in the form of a commitment to send fellows to the Regional Centre for training. rf negotiations between WHO and the Government of the Commonwealth
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of Australia in establishing agreement on the development of the centre are successful and if firm commitments are made by governments in the Region to send staff for training, a decision should then be made regarding the budgetary proposals considered necessary by the consultants for WHO participation in the centre. 18 COSTS OF MEETINGS OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE (resolution WPR/RC2l.Rl4) (Document WPR/RC22/1l) The report by the Regional Director has been prepared in response to the request of the Regional Committee at its twenty-first session. The Committee will wish to decide whether (1) to continue to follow the principle that extra expenses over and above those normally incurred when the Regional Committee meetings are held at regional headquarters must be borne by the host government or (2) to follow the practice in other regions, where such extra costs which could not be financed by the host government are met from the budget of the Organization. 19 REPORTS BY GOVERNMENTS ON THE PROGRESS OF CURRENT PROGRAMMES RECEIVING WHO ASSISTANCE (resolution WPR/RC20. R5" (Document WPR/RC22/12) This document summarizes the reports of Governments on the progress of current long-term projects receiving WHO assistance during the period July 1970-June 1971. It constitutes a second report on the subject matter, the first having been submitted to the twenty-first session of the Regional Committee in 1970 (document WPR/RC21/l0). /A summary •••
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WPR/RC22/1-a page 10 A summary of the replies received from governments based on the questionnaire used for the study appears· in the conclusions on page 4 of the document. same section. Representatives may wish to comment on the findings and on the method employed to obtain the information. Their views as to whether this annual assessment of the progress of projects should be continued, or whether it might be prepared every two or three years would provide useful guidance to the Regional Director. 20 LONG-TERM INTER-COUNTRY PROGRAMME IN THE FIELD OF HEALTH LABORATORY SERVICES (Document WPR/RC22/13) Document WPR/RC22/13 entitled "Long-term inter-country programme in the field of health laboratory services" calls attention to the fact that health laboratory services are essential components of each national health service. Their development must be foreseen, planned and implemented to While there is a meet the needs and priorities of the health services. adequate to meet specific country needs. The limitations of the study are mentioned under the
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great need for assistance at the country level, WHO resources are not For this reason, a Inumber of inter-country activities designed to meet such needs in general are presented for consideration of the Committee. The attention of Representatives is particularly invited to the following: (a) The purpose of an inter-country programme in the field of health laboratory services. (b) (See page 3, section 2.)
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How to develop closer collaboration and co-ordination between the health laboratory services in countries within the Region. Would the health authorities be willing to provide information needed to prepare a directory of laboratory services for the Western Pacific Region? (See page 4, paragraph 3.1.)
(c)
Would the health authorities agree with the planned activities under each specific subject? (See pages 5-7, paragraph 3.2 Bacteriology, to paragraph 3.6 Production and control of /biologicals. )
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WPR/RC22/l-a page 11 Do Representatives wish to suggest the
inclusion of any other topic or type of activity not included above? (d) >.
If the health authorities have the choice of only one activity per year under the tentative timetable given on page 9, which activities would they select?
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ESTABLISHMENT OF A TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NURSING (Document WPR/RC22/l4) With the growing demand for more and better quality health care,
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there is a clear need to evaluate thoroughly the many factors affecting the education and practice of nursing/midwifery personnel. Some of the principal points requiring study and action are: (a)
analysis of the present systems of preparation and utilization of nursing/midwifery personnel;
(b)
the effectiveness of these systems to meet the needs and demands for nursing/midwifery manpower;
(c)
clarification of the required functions of nursing in the health care system and definition of education programmes in relation to these functions.
Document WPR/RC22/l4 contains proposals relating to the establishment
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of an Advisory Committee on Nursing which will appraise realistically the present situation and draw up recommendations to give direction to the Organization's future programme planning in the nursing/midwifery fields. Details of the composition of the Committee are given on page 3. Representatives are invited to comment on the proposal. 22 STATEMENTS OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND SPECIALIZED AGENCIES, OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN OFFICIAL RELATIONS WITH WHO Representatives of the United Nations, the Specialized Agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in offiCial relations with WHO, wishing to do so, will be invited to make statements on the morning of Friday, 24 September . /23 SELECTION OF •••
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WPR/RC22/l-a page 12 23 SELECTION OF TOPIC FOR THE TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS DURING THE TWENTY-THIRD SESSION OF THE REGIONAL COMHITTEE (Document WPR/RC22/l5) Document WPR/RC22/l5 contains the suggestions of the Secretariat as to the topics which might be considered for the Technical Discussions in 1972.
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CONSIDERATION OF THE REPORT PRESENTED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS
The Chairman of the Technical Discussions will present the report of the Technical Discussions to the Committee at its plenary session on Tuesday afternoon, 28 September. The final text will be issued as document WPR/RC22/TD7. 25 TIME, PLACE AND DURATION OF THE TWENTY-THIRD AND TWENTY-FOURTH SESSIONS OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE (Document WPR/RC22116) The attention of the Committee is drawn to document WPR/aC22/16 which contains a letter from the Government of New Zealand in~iting
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the Committee to hold its twenty-fourth (1973) session in Wellington and the Regional Director's reply. No invitation has yet been received for the twenty-third session of the Regional Committee. The Committee is required to make a decision in connexion with the site of its next two sessions. 26 ADOPTION OF THE DRAFT REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
A summary of the discussions and the resolutions adoptediwill be incorporated into a final report for approval at the last plenary session. 27 ADJOURNMENT
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