u) Most countries have waived customs duties, totally or partially, 2. National

~ N I T E D NATIONS NATIONS UNlES

WORLD

HEALTH O R G A N I Z A T I O N

R E G I O N A L OFFICE F O R THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE EBSTERN MEDITFLW~EAN Fourth Session

ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA S A N T ~ BUREAU REGIONAL P O U R LA

MEDITERRANEE

^ORIENTALE

RCUWU

2G

August

1954

ORIGINALc ENGLISH

ACTION TAKEN

ON

RESOLUTIONS OF THE THIRD REGIONAL COMMITTEE

The Third Regional Committee, meeting i n I s t a n b u l in

1950,

passed a number o f r e s o l u t i o n s (~~3/P1/38.Rev.l). A s a considerable time has elapsed s i n c e t h e ~ t h e i n t e r a s t i n some of t h e s e r e s o l u t i o n s has no doubt decreased.

Howovor, t h e Regional Director has f e l t t h q t . t h o Committee w u l d l i k e t o have a b r i e f summary of what it has been possible t o do t o implement t h e main reso-

l u t i o n s . T h i s information i s a v a i l a b l e i n h i s r e p o r t t o t h e Fourth Session ( R ~ d / w 6 ) , but t h e present document brings together t h i s information without tending t o make t h e r e c o r t i t s e l f i n t e r n a l l y r e p e t i t i o u s .

The Committee may wish t o i n d i c a t e (under item 18 of t h e agenda) whether they f i n d a documont such as t h i s worthy of r e p e t i t i o n i n tho f u t u r e ,

hi.\

1. Customs d u t i e s on i n s e c t i c i d e s and pharmaceuticals

u)

Most c o u n t r i e s have waived customs d u t i e s , t o t a l l y o r p a r t i a l l y , 2. National

WHO

Committees (5.5,)

So far t h e r e i s no n a t i o n a l committee i n . t h i s region.

3.

Public h e a l t h administration (7.1.2.1.3')

Member S t a t e s have supplied t h e r e g i o n a l o f f i c e with much u s e f u l information on t h i s subject. However, t h i s information i t s e l f i s not s u f f i c i e n t t o enable t h e Organization t o make s p e c i f i c recornendations f o r t h e improvement of p l b l i c h e a l t h administration e s p e c i a l l y i n view of t h e many d i f f e r e n t systems and ad- m i n i s t r a t i v e t r a d i t i o n s . Public h e a l t h advisers have been appointed t o t e n

c o u n t r i e s i n t h e region a t one time o r another, The i n t e n t i o n now i s t o make a more d e t a i l e d study country by country, i n cooperation with t h e h e a l t h

a u t h o r i t i e s , of l o c a l conditions and resources, f i n a n c i a l , educational and administrative. I n a d d i t i o n from time t o timo t h e r e g i o n a l public h e a l t h a d v i s e r s c o n s u l t with t h o m i n i s t r i e s of health. These advisers a r e a l s o working on t h e problem of standards of public health. (7.1.2.3.)

4.

Short-term consultants ( 7 . 1 . 2 . ~ ~ )

Short-term c o n s u l t a n t s have u s u a l l y been engaged t o undertake.those surveys which a r e a necessary precedent t o t h e planning of a p r o j e c t o r which i n some cases form t h e i n i t i a l phase of a p r o j e c t , These surveys and t h e r e p o r t s a r i s i n g from them a r e a necessary complement t o t h e work c a r r i e d o u t by r e g i o n a l advisers and others. Every e f f o r t i s made t o ensure t h a t t h e d u r a t i o n of t h e v i s i t s of these consultants should be long enough t o enable them t o acccanplish t h e i r tasks. It has a l s o been possible t o arrange

R C ~ / E N / ~ ~ Page 2

f o r a consultant t o pay a second v i s i t a f t e r a considerable l a p s e of t h e t o t h e same country. This s e r v i c e becomes i n c r e a s i n g l y p o p l a r and some t h i r t y consultants have been engaged i n some f i f t y surveys,

5.

Znviromental s a n i t a t i o n ( 7 ' 1 . 2 . ~ ~ )

A

r e g i o n a l adviser was appointed from October 1951. Progress i n t h i s f i e l d becomes more ropid.

6. Health education of t h e public (7.1.2.6.3,)

Health educators have been appointed i n four p r o j e c t s and search i s being made f o r a number of o t h e r s but public h e a l t h educators a r e d i f f i c u l t t o find.

7. Malaria (7.1.2,7*)

A r e g i o n a l advisor wes appointed i n 1951 and has now gone t o t h e Africar region. Thc question of replacement i s under copsideration.

8. Cbntinuation of BCG campaigns (7.1.2.85.)

Two campaigns have been completed, seven are i n o p r a t i o n , and advice i s being given f o r possible f u t u r e campaigns i n two countries.

9 , R e h a b i l i t a t i o n of t u b e r c u l o s i s p a t i e n t s (7.1.2.8.2.)

%.---

-

This i s a f e a t u r e of a l l WIIO a s s i s t e d t u b e r c u l o s i s c o n t r o l p r o j e c t s and w i l l be a f e z t w o of those t o come.

10. Venereal diseeso and treponcmatosis (7.1r2.2.)

Three projects heve beon completed, four a r e i n operation, and two a r e contomplated.

U. Tyahus and r c l a p s i n v fever (7.1,2.1,10.)

--

One survey i s being made during t h e curront year,

Ten surveys have been made, two p r o j e c t s a r e operating, one i s contemplated.

13. Trachoma (7.1.2.13.1

A r e g i o n a l seminar has been held and one p i l o t c o n t r o l p r o j e c t i s t o be s e t up.

Research has been done i n t h e epidemiology of t h i s d i s e a s e and it has bean found u s e f u l t o introduce c o n t r o l propammes a l o ~ g . w i t h maleria o o n t r o l proje&ts.

15. Smallpox (7.1.2.15.)

Enquiries showed t h a t d r i e d vaccine was being a c t i v e l y used with good r e s u l t s i n one country i n t h e region. Many others expressad i n t e r e s t i n it and a com- prehensive paper i s a v a i l a b l e t o t h e Fourth Session of t h e Regional Committee,

( ~ ~ 4 / * 8 )

%4/W16

Page 3

16. Rabies ( 7 . 1 . 2 . 1 ~ 1

The work rcconnended has been c a r r i c d out i n t w o c o u n t r i e s and an eval- u a t i o n of one of t h e s e was presented t o t h e Expert Connittec. The d a t a

a v a i l a b l e from both was a l s o p e s e n t e d t o t h i s Cornittee and an i n t e r - regional seninar has been held.

17. Leprosy (7.1.2.17.1)

One survey has been c a r r i e d out followed by a c o n t r o l p-oject.

S t u d i e s on tho vclue of mass vaccination have been made and _whooping cough hcs been made n o t i f i a b l e i n most of t h e ' c o u n t r i e s , Studies have been made elsewhere and t h e i n f o r n a t i o n on t h e vclue of-e Technical Reports S e r i e s No.61 contains t h e l a t e s t

--

vaccine,

---- --

19,

---

N u t r i t i o n (7.1.2.18.2)

-

^--.--.

The j o i n t WHO/FAO Nutrition Centre p o j e c t was held i n Cairo and drew t r a i n e e s f r o n t e n countries, one of which was outside of t h e mgbm. Pour n a t i o n a l n u t r i t i o n c e n t r e s a r e e i t h e r i n operetion o r a r e planned.

20. Mental h e a l t h (7.1.2.1g.3)

There i s a r e g i c n a l adviser on a part-time b a s i s who pays p e r i o d i c a l v i s i t s . He has v i s i t e d s i x countries end a consulteat has been appointed t o one country,

21. School h e a l t h (7.1.2.20.) .

k paper on t h e orgenization of such s e r v i c e s was s e n t t o a l l Menber Governncnts and seven t r c i n e e s went from t h i s rsgion t o a study-group orgenized i n Denmark and t h e Netherlands.

22. Health demonstretion areas (7.1.2.21.) ^a.A_-

Qolyub h e a l t h demonstration area has been i n o p r a t i o n s i n c e August 1953, The WHO s t a f f now nunhers six.

23. P r o f e s s i o n a l and t e c h n i c a l education (7.1.2.22,) _..-

The following statement shows how t h e Committee's reconmendation on fellowships has been followed:

No.of fellowships S o u r c e o f f u n d e

awarded

- m f T v w

+ ( t o end o f ~ u l ~ )

A d e t a i l e d statement of fellowships i s given i n Appendix I (a) and (b) of t h e Regional D i r c c t o r t s report. There have been f i v e teaching o r advisory missions and a s t a t i s t i c a l t r a i n i n g c e n t r e was held, Some v i s i t i n g professors have becn appointed.

24. Coordination with UN end S w c i a l i z e d h m n c i e s ( 8 , )

Throughout t h e Rogional Director 1s Rnport (%lN6),/ w i l l be found t h e evidence of g r c a t and growing cooporotlon between

a l l

t h e agencies concerned including non-UN agencies. These a r e being g r e a t l y f a c i l i t a t e d by t h e sst- eblishnent of coordineting connittees within t h e c o u n t r i e s concerned, t h i s being t h e only l e v e l where p r e c t i c a l coordination con t e k e place.

Overell or b a s i c agreenonts have been signed by every country i n t h e region. h l i s t of p r o j e c t agreements w i l l be found i n Appendix I1 of t h e Rogional Director Is r e p o r t ,

( R C ~ / W ~ )

No Government has y e t nede use of t h i s f a c i l i t y . 27. E p i d e m i o l o ~ i c a l i n t e l l i g e n c e service

---

($0)

Tho reconnendetions have been implemented and a d e t a i l e d r e p o r t on t h i s subject i s t o bo found i n hppendix V of t h e Regional Director's r e p o r t

( ~ c d W 6 )