WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
REGIONAL OFFICE FOP.
•
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
THE WESTERN PACIFIC
BUREAU R~GIONAL DU PACIFIQUE OCCIDENTAL
REGIONAL COMMITTEE
WPR/RC36/ 18 1 July 1985
Thirty-sixth session Manila 16-20 September 1985 Provisional agenda item 23
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH
SELECTION OF TOPIC FOR THE TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE THIRTY-SEVENTH SESSION OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE
Report by the Regional Director
The Regional Director presents in this document possible topics for the Technical Discussions to be held in conjunction with the thirty-seventh session of the Regional Committee in 1986. Attention is also drawn to the subject selected for the Technical Discussions at the Thirty-ninth World Health Assembly in 1986.
WPR/RC36/1& page 2
The Regional Committee, at its thirty-third session in 1982, decided that Technical Discussions in a modified form should henceforth be held in conjunction with sessions of the Regional Committee instead of a Technical Presentation.! "The role of traditional medicine in primary health care" is the topic of the Technical Discussions to be held in conjunction with the thirty-sixth session. The Committee may wish to consider the foUowing suggestions for the topic for Technical Discussions in 1986.
1.
CHANGES IN EDUCATION FOR NATIONAL HEALTH MANPOWER FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Important changes wi11 be needed in the production and utilization of health personnel if health care is to be delivered in accordance with the principles of primary health care and withthe goal of health for aH by the year 2000. These changes will not be limited to the field of educational technology alone. Political, sociological, cultural and economic considerations are also involved. The Regional Office for the Western Pacific organized a conference on the theme, "Towards future health and medical manpower: New strategies in education for the XXIst century" in Tokyo in April 1985 at which the necessary changes for the proper production and utilization of health manpower were discussed. This meeting undoubtedly opens the door to important new areas of collaboration with countries.
2.
MANAGERIAL PROCESS FOR NATIONAL HEALTH DEVELOPMENT
It is an accepted fact that the demand for goods and services, fuelled by the ever-increasing expectations of the population, is growing at a much faster rate than the increase in resources. This is true of all sectors of the economy, but particularly of the health sector, which usualJy ranks lower in priority than other sectors. The need for leaders imbued with the enthusiasm to achieve health for all their peoples by the year 2000 has become more urgent because of this situation. Such leaders must be able to develop the mechanisms and skills needed to apply the managerial process in their countries to ensure realistic planning, dedicated management and objective evaluation of their national health strategies. In most countries of the Region, the managerial process for national health development needs to be considerably strengthened.
lsee resolution WPR/RC33.R20, Handbook of Resolutions and Decisions of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, Vol. II. 4th ed., 1984, page 134.
WPR/RC36j18
page 3
3.
PROMOTION OF INTERSECTORAL COOPERATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN NATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR HEALTH FOR ALL
Two of the essential features of the global strategy for health for aU are community involvement and the cooperation of related sectors. There appears to have been little debate on their importance. The issue is how community involvement and intersectoral cooperation can be developed and made to function effectively. An exchange of experiences on the subject, including reports of research activities carried out to date, would be very useful. Topics might include a discussion of how existing mechanisms can be further developed or improved, and how the expressed needs or opinions of the community can be conveyed to the highest level in order to influence policy-decision making.
**** Representatives may, of course, wish to suggest other topics for the Regional Committee to consider.
**** The subject selected by the Executive Board for the Technical Discussions at the Thirty-ninth World Health Assembly in 1986 is "The role of intersectoral cooperation in national strategies for health for all". The R~gional .c~mr:nittee is requested to assist the Secretariat in identifying relevant natiOnal mtmstnes and other development sectors that should be involved in the area of intersectoral action for health, which is of vital importance in achieving national development goals.