AFR/RC22/R1: 1971-1972 The Regional Committee,
Having examined the Regional Director’s report for the period 1971-1972;
Considering that once more emphasis has been unanimously placed, both in this report and during the subsequent discussions, on:
(i) the training of health personnel, first priority among public health problems, which is a necessary condition for the success of any health programme;
(ii) the improvement of environmental sanitation, which is the basis for all efforts concerned with communicable diseases control;
(iii) health planning which is the only way of balancing the needs of the people for health care against the means available for meeting them; and
(iv) the development of the basic health services, an essential precondition if integrated activities for the protection and promotion of health are to be carried out;
Considering that, as is shown by the present report, the Regional Office for Africa is sparing no effort in assisting the countries of the Region to develop concerted national and regional health policies, adapted to the needs,
1. FULLY APPROVES this excellent report, which clearly reflects the fruitful and positive work being carried out by WHO in the African Region;
2. CORDIALLY CONGRATULATES the Regional Director and his staff and URGES them to pursue their efforts to speed up the achievement by Member States of the highest possible level of health, which is an indispensable condition for their overall social and economic development; and
3. REQUEST the Regional Director to continue to give his unflagging attention:
(i) to the training of staff for teaching public health personnel in order to enable the Region to train its own staff much more easily, and
(ii) to health planning, including the establishment of adequate and efficient systems designed to ensure a better management of the health services.
September 1972, 22, 7
