110RLD HEL'l.L TH ORG.ffliZI!"''IO!l
REGimPL COMJftiTTEE Fourth Session Tokyo 3rd to 8th September 1953
4th August 1953 WESTE!iN PACIFIC REGION
PUBLIC INFORMATlOU
The Constitution of VVHO states that infonned opinion ao"cper3tion ~n the part of the public are of the utmcst importance in the improvemunt of the had th of the people. ~nd ~ctive
The co-operntion of ull Governments is clearly a prerequisite to success in this vital field. It should be noted thet the Organization's public infcnmetion pro~remme does not eio merely tc publicize WHO os such, but also seeks generally to enlist public support f'cr the cause of intern:;.tione.l co-operation in r~ising levels of health. The best advisers on public information work fer ~ny gtven country will be nationals oi' that country. For that raeson, it hes been suggested thet Governments endeavour each to establish e ~rmanent li aison service with the public infonnntion unit of the Regional Office. ReprGsentstives will rocoll that et the Second Meeting of tho. Western Pncific Regional Committee held in Manila in September 1951, the following resolution (iiP/RC?/13) wss unanimously adopt0d: "The negional Committee RECOMMENDS t•:> ~~ember Stetes which hnve net already done so to ncminete a member of the st::1ff oither of their Directornt0 of Honl th or of their netional infoi'IlUJtion service to act as Liaison Officer 'nth the Publio Information Unit of the Regional Office, to consult on the most effective vmys <;f carrying on public infonnation a.ctivities in their country, and to bo respcnsiblo within thnt ccuntrJ for the distribution of public informntion mutorinl put out by the lforld Health Orgonization." The implementetion of this resolution would do muoh to meet our needs. Another very helpful step would be the teaching of the /oims and activities
WP/004/1& Page 2 aims and e.otivities of YiHO to schoolchildren at suitable levels. story of the United Nations is e.lrea.-:y being told in the schools of several countries of this Region. The specinl story of WHO would nlso be a beneficinl subject, ond one oopable of expansion into activ3 assistence in the safe-guording of community end neti onal health. With the above in mind~ this Commttto·e may wish to consider tho following resolution: "The Regional Committee REALIZING the importance of an infor.med public opinion, The
RECOHNENDS THAT ooch Member Stato take immedi~te stops to translate where necessary, to reproC.uce end to di.stri'bute on the widest possible sc~.le·, in:f'onnation concerning the WQrk of WHO; TR!iT each l'>omber State take ootion to establish the liaison service nlrofldy opproved; and THtT ·avoh Memb~:~r Sto.te include teaching on WHO as o subject in the ourrioulc of Government ond, wher,; possible, private schools."