NATIONS UNlES

~ N I T E D NATIONS

ORGANISATION MONDIALE
DE LA S A N T ~

WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

BUREAU REGIONAL P O U R LA
MEDITERRANEE ORIENTALE

REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE

EBSTERN MEDITFLW~EAN

RCUWU

Fourth Session

ORIGINALc ENGLISH

2G August 1954

ACTION TAKEN ON RESOLUTIONS OF THE THIRD

REGIONAL COMMITTEE

The Third Regional Committee, meeting i n Istanbul in 1950, passed a

As a considerable time has elapsed
number of r e s o l u t i o n s (~~3/P1/38.Rev.l).
since t h e ~ t h ei n t e r a s t i n some of these resolutions 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 resoThis information i s available i n h i s r e p o r t t o the Fourth Session
lutions.
( 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 repetitious.
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 ,

1.

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

hi.\
u)

Most countries have waived customs duties, 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 national 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 regional o f f i c e with much u s e f u l information

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
on t h i s subject.
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 the many d i f f e r e n t systems and administrative traditions.
Public health advisers have been appointed t o t e n
countries 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 addition from time t o timo t h e regional public h e a l t h
advisers consult with tho 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 consultants have usually been engaged t o undertake.those

surveys which a r e a necessary precedent t o t h e planning of a project o r
which i n some cases form t h e i n i t i a l phase of a project,
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 out by regional advisers and others.
Every e f f o r t i s made t o ensure
t h a t t h e duration 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

RC~/EN/~~
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
This service becomes increasingly p o p l a r and some t h i r t y
t h e same country.
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 regional adviser was appointed from October 1951.

f i e l d becomes more ropid.
6.

Progress i n t h i s

Health education of t h e public (7.1.2.6.3,)

Health educators have been appointed i n four projects and search i s

being made f o r a number of others but public health educators a r e d i f f i c u l t
t o find.

7.

Malaria (7.1.2,7*)

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

Rehabilitation of tuberculosis patients (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 tuberculosis 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 rclapsinv fever (7.1,2.1,10.)

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

Ten surveys have been made, two projects a r e operating, one i s contemplated.

13.

Trachoma (7.1.2.13.1

A regional seminar has been held and one p i l o t c o n t r o l project i s t o be

s e t up.

Research has been done i n t h e epidemiology of t h i s disease and it has bean

found u s e f u l t o introduce control propammes a l o ~ g . w i t hmaleria oontrol proje&ts.

15.

Smallpox (7.1.2.15.)

Enquiries showed t h a t dried vaccine was being a c t i v e l y used with good r e s u l t s

Many others expressad i n t e r e s t i n it and a comi n one country i n the region.
prehensive paper i s available t o the 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 countries and an evalThe data
u a t i o n of one of these was presented t o t h e Expert Connittec.
available 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 carried out followed by a control p-oject.

Studies on tho vclue of mass vaccination have been made and whooping
Studies have been
cough hcs been made n o t i f i a b l e i n most of the'countries,
No.61
contains
the l a t e s t
made elsewhere and the
Technical
Reports
Series
--vaccine,
infornation on t h e vclue of-e

---- --

19,

---Nutrition
-

(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
national n u t r i t i o n centres a r e e i t h e r i n operetion o r are planned.
20.

Mental health (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 periodical

visits.
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 services was sent 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 since August 1953,

The WHO s t a f f now nunhers six.
23.

Professional 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
awarded

S o u r c e

o f

f u n d e

( t o end of ~ 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 centre 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 hmncies (8,)

Throughout t h e Rogional Director 1s Rnport N

%
(/,6)l
w i l l be found t h e
evidence of grcat and growing cooporotlon between a l l the agencies concerned
These are being g r e a t l y f a c i l i t a t e d by t h e sstincluding non-UN agencies.
eblishnent of coordineting connittees within the countries 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 teke place.

Overell or basic agreenonts have been signed by every country i n t h e

h l i s t of project agreements w i l l be found i n Appendix I1 of t h e
region.
Rogional Director Is r e p o r t , ( R C ~ / W ~ )

No Government has yet nede use of t h i s f a c i l i t y .

27.

---

Epidemiolo~icali 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 the Regional Director's r e p o r t
(~cdW6)