WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

REGIONAL <FFICE FCR THE WESTERN PACIFIC

REGIONAL COMMITTEE WP ,/RC5 /MI.n/6 16 September 1954

Fifth Session Manila l0-16 September 1954 ORIGINAL1 ENGLISH

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MINUTES CF THE SmH MEETING

Institute of H~iene 1 Manila Thursday, 16 Septe er 1954 at 3 p.m.

CHAIRMANI Di. F. s. MACLEAN

CON!'ENTS

Statementsby Observers

Election Procedure• Revision of Rules 26 and 28 of the Rules of Procedure of the Regional Committee (continued)

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Time, Place and Duration of the Sixth and Seventh Sessions 5 of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific

Consideratio~ of the Report and Recommendations Presented by the Technical Discussions Group

Other Business

Adoption of the Summary of DecisUJ.m Made and Resolutions APproved by the Fifth Session o£ the Regional Committee

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WP ,.1iC5 ftti.n/6 Page 2

S irlh Meeting

Thursdsr, 16 September 1954 at 3 p.m.

Representatives present

AUSTRALIA

CAMBCDIA

CHINA (TAIWAN)

FRANCE

JAPAN

KOREA

LA.OS

NEI'HERLANDS NEW GUINEA.

NEW ZEAlAND

FHILIPPINES

PCRTUGAL

UNITED KIN<DOM

Dr. H. E. Downes

Dr. You Chhin Dr. Mam-Komsann

Dr. J. Heng Liu Dr. c. H. Yen

Medecin-Colonel Robert Augere Dr. Marcel Demange

Dr. T akemune Soda Mr. Ald.ra Sai ta

Dr. Haing In Paik Mr. Yun Young Lim

Dr. Koukeo Sa.ycocie Dr. Chao Souvath

Dr. J. Bierdrager

Dr. F. ~. Maclean

Dr. Rafael Tumbokon Dr. Tranquilino Elicaiio Mr. Marcelo Angeles Dr. Demetrio Lacuna Dr. Clemente Gatmaitan Dr. Antonio Rodriguez Dr. Arsenio c. Regala Dr. Antonio Bjercito Hon. Nicolas G. Escario Ho~. Gregorio B. Tan Hon. Pedro G. Trono

Dr. Joao Albino Ribeiro Cabral

Dr. R. E. Anderson Dr. L. J. Clapham Dr. G. Graham-Cwnming Dr. R. H. Bland

UNITID STATES

VIErNAM

Observers present

BIOMEXRIC SOCIETY

INrERNATIONAL OOUNCIL OF NURSES

INTERNATIONAL DENTAL FEDERATION

INi'ERNATIONA.L LABOR ORGANIZATION

INTERNATIONAL UNION AGAINST CANCER

INTERNATIONAL UNION AGAINST THE VENlru'.AL DISEASES

ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION

· SINGA..PCRE EPIDEMI:O:WGICAL INl'ELLIGENCE STATION

SOUTH PACIFIC COMMISSION

UNITED NATIONS KOREAN RECONSTRUCTION AGENCY

UNITED NATIONS TEaiNICAL ASSISTANCE BOARD

WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Dr. Horace DeLien

wP ,Res /Min/6 Page .3

Dr. Richard K. ~. Lee

Dr. Le Van Khai

Dr. Manuel M. .Aycardo

Miss Annie Sand

Lt •. Col •. A •. L •. Zarate Dr. J. Nilo Gonzales

Mr. Juan L.. Lanting

Dr. J. z. Santa Cruz

Dr. Leonilo E. Flores

Dr. O. R. McCoy

Dr. W. W. Yung

Dr. Guy Loison

Dr. F. Hennessey

Mr. E. R. Chadwick

Dr .• Sixto Maceda1 Jr.

Members of Technical Discussions Panel present

Dr. A. Dalisq

Dr. H. Lara

Dr. O. R. McCoy

Prof • L. c. ~tll.lnq'er

WP ;Rc5 ,Min/6 Page 4

l STATEMEMI'S BY OBSERVEltS

Dr. J. z. SANTA CRUZ (International Union against Cancer) note(

that there was not a single item on cancer on the agenda. Cancer was a

health problem in a great man¥ countries and, in the Philippines alone, was

among the first causes of death. He appealed to the Committee for greater

interest and participation in the campaign against this disease.

Dr. M. AYCAROO (Biometric Society) expressed the thanks of the

Society for the invitation to attend the meeting, and emphasized the

importance of statistics in health work. There was a great need to plan

statistically, and failure to do this would make evaluation of the work

to be carried out impossible. He was encouraged ~ the resolution passed

by the Committee relating to the appointment of a Regional Statistician.

2 ELECfiON PROCEDUREs REVISION OF RULES 26 AND 28 CF THE RULES CF ffiOCEDURE OF THE REGIONAL COl+UTTEE ( c6ntinued) ; Item 13 of the Agenda.

Dr. LEE (USA) enlarged further on his reasons for introducing a

resolution on the proposed revision of the Rules of Procedure, and referred

to various sections which showed that defects existed.

The SECR~~ARY drew the attention of the Committee to the working

paper which had been circulated and which treated the matter in further

detail.

Dr. TUMBOKON (Fhilippines) stated that in view of the further

explanation given in the working paper, the Philippine delegation had no

objections to considering the revision of Rules 26 and 28 at the moment,

and suggested that the r esolution contained in document WP/RC5/.l3 be

adopted. This was unanimously' agreed. (WP,1tC5.Rl3)

Dr. LEE (USA) agreed to withdraw his proposed resolution, but

wished it to go on record that discrepancies existed in the Rules of

/Procedure. He

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Procedure. He supported the Resolution presented by the Philippine repre­

sentative which would permit the whole matter to be reviewed at the next session of the Committee.

Mr. SAIT.A. (Japan) also supported the proposal of the Philippine

representative.

The Committee then reconsidered the proposed resolution which

was carried unanimously. (WPfitC5.Rl~)

3 TIME, PLACE AND DURATION OF THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH SESSIONS OF THE REGIONAL OOMMITTEE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC' Item 14 of th8 Agenda.

The SECRETARY informed the Committee that prel~nar,y negotiations

were going on in regard to the invitation to hold the Sixth Session in

Singapore, and he would like to know whether they wished the meeting to

be held in the second or third week of September lasting six working days.

The Committee agreed that the suggested time and duration was

satisfactory and unanimous5r adopted the following resolution•

liThe Regional ColiUilittee,

Having accepted the invitation to hold the Sixth Regional

Committee Meeting in Singapore,

DECIDES that the Sixth Session of the Committee will be held

for six working days during the secorrl and third weeks of September 1955

in Singapore,

FURTHER DECIDES that the Seventh Session of the Regional

Committee will be held in Manila in 1956 unless an invitation is

received by the Regional Director not later than during the Sixth

Session of the Regional Committee." (WP/RC5.Rl5)

/4 CONSIDERATION

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4 OONSIDERATION OF THE REPORT AND RECOMMKNDATIONS PR.ii:SENI'ED BY THE TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS GROUP, Item 15 of the Agenda.

The Committee considered the report and recommendations of the

Technical Discussions Group and unanimously approved the followii?&

resolutions

"The Regional Committee,

Having reviewed the basic documentation, minutes of the plenary

sessio~ reports of the Discussion Group and the recommendations resulting

from the Technical Discussions,

NOTES the above with interest, and

APPRECIATES the efforts of those who made these Discussions so

stimulating and effective." (WP;i'tC5iR16)

5 OTHER BUSINESS

5.1 Resolution of appreciation

Dr. PAIK (Korea) proposed and Dr. LEE (USA) seconded the fol­

lowing resolution which was carried unanimous1yt

"The Regional Committee,

HAVING been the recipient of many facilities, courtesies, favours

and entertainment;

RESOLVES to express, as it does hereby express, itsappreciation

and gratitude 1

(1) To His EKcellenc,y, President Ramon Magsaysay, for receiving

the Representatives, Observers and Members of the Secretariat at Malacanang,

(2) To Secretary of Health Paulino Garcia and the Delegation of

the Philippines for the hospitality tendered in.honour of the Representa­

tives, Observers and Members of the Secretariat,

(3) To Director W. de Leon and the entire staff of the Division

/of Public

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of Public Health and Research Laboratories of the Department of Health for

the visit to the Alabang Serum and Vaccine Laboratories and for the lunch

tendered in honour of the Representatives, Observers and I'1embers of the

Secretariat,

(4) To Dr. A. Ejercito and the staff of the Malaria Control

Division of the Department of Health for their kindness in inviting the

Representatives, Observers and Members of the Secretariat to visit the

Malaria Field Centre at Tala, Rizal,

(5) To Director Harry A. Brenn of the United States Operations

Mission to the Philippines for the hospitality tendered in honour of the

Representatives, Observers and Members of the Secretariat,

(6) To President Vidal A. Tan of the University of the Philip­

pines and Dean H. Lara and the entire staff of the Institute or Hygiene for

kindly placing the excellent premises and facilities of the Institute at

the disposal of the Committee,

(7) To the Department of Health and FaA-Philippines for the use

of tape recording facilities,

(8) To the Moderator, panel members, special contributors, and

the chairmen and rapporteurs of the discussion groups for the highly satis­

factory technical discussion,

(9) To the official Observers of non-governmental organizations

in official relationship with the WHO for their greetings, good wishes and

for their cont~ibution to the deliberations,

(10) To the press and radio for the wide coverage of the session,

(11) To all the agencies of the Philippine Government, specially

the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Quarantine, Immigration and

Customs authorities, for their courtesies and assistance,

(12) To the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and the Rapporteurs for

making the session a success,

(13) To the representative of the Director-General for his

advice and assistance,

(14) To the Regional Director and Members of the Secretariat

for the hospitality in honour of the Representatives and Observers and

/for their

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for their excellent and invaluable work in the preparation and the smooth

and efficient function of the present session,

REQUESTS the Regional Director to transmit copies of this

Resolution to the persons and organizations mentioned above." (WP;RC5.Rl7)

5~2 Assistance to Less Favourably Situated Member States

Dr. DeLIEN (USA) submitted the following resolution for con­

sideration of the Comrnitteet

ttThe Regional Committee,

Having further studied and noted document WHA7.42 concerning

local costs in respect to international project personnel under the regular

budget whereby WHO will pay for housing, subsistence, per diem and other

local expenses to international staff assigned to new projects,

Having noted also that the amount to be spent for this purpose

is estimated in excess of forty thousand dollars for this Region,

Having unanimously supported the proposal to give priority to

health projects requested by Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and contained in

Supplementary List if funds become available (WP;RC5~~3),

Believing that the present budgeting procedure provides more

favourable support to Member States whose fiscal and administrative

position would allow them to obtain travel duty of the Secretariat

staff and other consultants,

Believing further, that this budgeting procedure reduces the

amount available to provide direct health services to the Member States

less favourably situated fis~,

DIRECTS the Regional Director to make adjustments necessary to require

the staff and other consultants appointed to give first priority of their

services to the less favourably situated Member States."

,A)r • LE VAN KHAI

WP/RC5/Min/6 Page 9

Dr. LE VAN KHAI (Vietnam) thanked the US representative for his

suggested resolution and pointed out that his Government had had great

difficulty in finding the necessary opposite numbers for the international

personnel. Local expenses for international personnel represented an

additional burden which his Government could not undertake, and now that

they were faced with a refugee problem reaching a total of approximately

300,000, funds were even more restricted. His Government would accept

with thanks any assistance offered to his country.

The SECRETARY asked for clarification of the last paragraph

in the resolution as it contained a directive. WHO could assist govern­

ments only upon request, and neither the Regional Office nor Headquarters

could do anything unless a formal request was received.

Dr. DeLIEN (USA) stated that the intention was to give priorit,y

to less favourably situated Member States when considering requests for

assistance.

The SECRETARY requested guidance on the definition of rtless

favourably situated States.n

Dr. DeLIEN (USA) said that he felt that Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

and Korea came within this definition.

The resolution was then adopted. (WP/RC5.Rl8)

6 ADOPTION OF THE SUMMARY OF DECISIONS MADE AND RESOLUTIONS APPROVED BY THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTE:S: Item 16 of tho Agenda.

Dr. YOU (Cambodia) moved the adoption of the summary of decisions

and resolutions. This w·as unanimously approved by the Committee.

In his closing remarks, the CHAIRMAN stated that in his opinion

it had been a very successful meeting and that the Technical Discussions

;had been

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had been more successful than in previous years. He thanked the represen­

tati ves for their cooperation am the Secretary and his staff for the

assistance they had given him. He then declared the clos'Ul'e of the Fifth

Session of the Regional Committee.

The Committee adjourned at 5tl5 p.m.

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FIFTH SESSION CF THE RIDIONAL OOl+UTTEE FOR THE WESI'ERN PACJFIC Manila, lo-16 September 195~

Address by Retiring Chairman Dr. Takemune Soda

Honourable Representatives of Member States, Dr. Fang, Regional Director, Distinguished Guests af Honour, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is for me a great honour, as well as a privilege, to have the opportunit.y of addressing this distinguished Assernb~ on the occasion a£ the opening of the fifth session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Western Pacific.

It is With much pleasure that I extend a hearty welcome to each one of the honourable representatives from the Member states attending this meeting. Once again we have the pleasure of convening our meeting in this great cit.y of Manila, and I should like to pay a most sincere tribute on behalf of this Committee to the government, and to the people of this magnific-e.Dt country for the courtesy and generosity they have shown to us. I am confident that we will all enjoy our stay here and will be able to carry out our work sa tisfactori~ under the efficient manage100nt of our Regional Office.

Last year your Committee bestowed on 11\Y own country the trivilege of being host to the distinguished Assemb~ of the fourth session of our Regional. Committee and further honoured us by electing me as O:l.airman of that Assembly. In spite of the fact that our field progranme was great..cy' handicapped by the scarcity of financial resources, the meeting of the fourth session, in our opinion, proved to be a most successful one • The health problems iri each of the states in the region were wisely presented and we were all in agreement that international, consolidated effort would contribute to a solution of these problans and to the general welfare or~ the people living in our region. It convinced us too, that this type of conference where ~ of us sit together around a table to discuss matters of common interest strengthened our morale arrl the comradeship tie in the common struggle against the menace of our peoples.

It is, therefore, nv earnest hope that the present session will prove to be as successful as the preceding meetings and will contribute to a deepened :mutuaJ. Uirlerstanding and a renewal of the determination to join forces in the fight against diseases which are challenging the welfare of our peoples.

In order to carry out a successful health programme aqywhere it is necessary to have a good public health organization and trained persormel, I reel sure you• will agree with me that in a great many areas in our

)region there •••

region there is a need for improved public health organizations and a more thorough training of personnel. It is, therefore, gratifying to know that due attention has been given to the award of fellowships inside and out­side of the region, and to various forms of assistance to our State educational institutes. I should like at this time to ask the coiiJilittee to urge the Regional Director to continue to ~ t emphasis on this type of ass is ta~e in the years to come.

Environmental sanitation, which, in D\Y opinion, is one of the basic requirements of health programmes in alW" democratic country, seems to be taking its proper place in the WHO progr8Dille of assistance·. In fact it is most encouraging to note that the recent trend in maey countries in our region is to place stronger emphasis on this p:1.rticular field and to allocate mre funds and more personnel for this purpose. In zey opinion tbis-ahould not be overlooked and all possible assistance should be given to Member Governments who are struggling for an improved sanitary environ.. mnt since this will prevent the occurrence of a great 'majority of health problems.

Health education of the PJ,blic is another programme of basic importance which should be given continued attention. The sue cess of any type of programme can only be assured through understanding and cooperation of . the public, ani it is imperative that the people in all countries should be well informed of their own health conditions, and of the national, as well as the local, programmes for the betterment of their own living conditions. It is encouraging to note that a conference on this subject is expected to be held in the coming year in this region. Although insufficient attention has been given to work in this field in the past, we should not forget that this is one of the basic requirements of a successful health administration in aey form of goverrunent. We should like to see a continuance of this type of service by WHO to all interested governments in our region.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have taken this opportunity to describe a few matters of basic importance in the general field of health, all of which represent problema which no single government can tackle on its own. Permit me to expE"ess 11\V hope and confidence that the present session will look most carefully into these, and other Il'Oblems of sinrl.lar importance, with a view to consolidated action through the World Health Organization. Our task is not an easy one. With limited financial resources we are expected not only to explore the health needs of the region but to find the best way ot approaching them in the most economic and efficient manner. With renewed faith in 'WHO let us dedicate ourselves to the furtherance of the noble goal of perfect health conditions for all the peoples in our region. I am sure that · during the time we are to spend in this great city of Manila surrounded by the warm hoe pi tali ty of our friends we will be able not onlY to enjqy ourselves but to accomplish more than any of us expected.

I now declare the opening of the fifth session of the . World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Western Pacific.

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::-;1 E !- r.:r·· RF.TIJRN AFTE~t USE Tf' ~ . .... .. i;..\ t.,i c - • """ L. l B E ;, R Y

FIFTH SESSION OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC Manila, 10-16 September 1954

Fellow Representatives, Ladies and Gentlemen

Address by Incoming Chairman Dr. F. S. Maclean

I suppose it is the Chairman 1 s privilege to modify from time to time

the order of the items on the Agenda, and I would crave your indulgence

and suggest that we now go back and deal with Item 3 - the Address by

the Incoming Chairman. In doing so, there is one thing that gives me

a little confort. I note from Document W:PJRC5/l-a, "The Annotated

Agenda", that ttit is customary for the Incoming Chairman to give a

brief address" • I am clinging to the word ~'brief" and I thank Dr. Fang

for the hint.

First of all I should like once again to express nv very great

appreciation of the honour you have paid to nv country, and to me per­

sonally, in electing me to this high position, and I can assure you that

I shall do ~qy best to be impartial, and to carry out the important duties

of this responsible office to your satisfaction. I know that I can

confidently rely on the assistance and support of our most able Secretary,

and on the co-operation of the Members of the Committee.

One of the most pleasant aspects of these annual meetings is the

opportunity one has of renewi~ old friendships, and of making new

friends among those representatives who have not been to previous

ITEetings, or whose attendance at Regional Meetings had not coincided

with one's own. Not the least of the valuable work done by WHO is the

opportunity it provides for meeting fellow workers from other countries,

and receiving the stimulus and support of both the formal and the

informal discussions that take place among us. It is also a great

pleasure to ~et periodically the Regional Dire ctor and the members

of his staff.

Speaking of the Secretariat, I should like especially to welcome

to this meeting Dr. Gear who is representing the Director-General..

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Dr. Gear is well known to most of you, as he has been very closely connected

with WHO since its earliest days - first as a delegate· representing his oountry,

then as a Member of the Executive Board, including the CbairmaiJShip of the

Board, and now as Assistant Director-General. We are very pleased to have

him with us. Finally, I should like to extend a welcome to the Observers

who are attending this Meeting and who represent a large number of important

international organizations that are in relationship with our Organization.

I feel that in particular I should refer to the representatives of the U~ted

Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Technical Assistance Board.

Both of them work in very cl9se and fruitful association with WHO, and we are

pleased to have themwith us.

In considering the activities of the year just past, I think you will

agree that it has been a year of considerable achievement, as well as a year

of considerable difficulty. Dr. Fang has already referred to the financial

crisis that has occurred since the last meeting of this Committee, and this

matter has been the subject of much discussion both in the Executive Board

and at the recent Assemb~. It has necessitated a substantial review of the

programme in this and in other Regions, and our Director has alreaey supplied

you with documents which explain the necessary adjustments.

I cannot help feeling that ultimate benefit may accrue from these

financial difficulties. One thing is certain, that rna~ an Administrative

Body has suffered in both efficiency and prestige through having too ImlCh

money, and through becoming a little careless in the spending of it. It

is probably good for us to have to review our resources occasional.l.y"1 and to see

that every dollar is spent to good effect.

Speaking for rnf own country, I feel that during the past year our

r elationship with WHO has been considerably strengthened. As you know, in

May last, we had a Dental Seminar in Wellington, and our Government was very

pleased to act as Host on this occasion. Not only were thirteen territories

in this Region represented, but there were also participants from five

countries in South East Asia, and two countries of the Eastern Mediterranean

Region. The Consultants were drawn from Norway, United States, United Kingdom,

India and Malaya. The opportunity was taken to bring the work of WHO

/Prominent~ before •••

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prominently before our own people, and articles appeared in the press

every day, in which reference wa? made to the proceedings of the Semint.r

and to the work of WHO generally.

The Regional Director, in his report has already given you a very

complete summary of the work carried out in the Region during the year,

and it is unnecessary for me to refer to it in detail, But it is

quite apparen~ both in this Region and in the others, that the work of

WHO is beginning to produce results--in some cases in a most spectac~lar

manper. Perhaps the most obvious achievements are in the direction of

the control of mass diseases like Malaria, Venereal Disease and Yaws.

Some of our other problems will not be so easily solved, and probably

we should, in the long run, place more importance on activities that

take longer to come to fruition such as Maternal and Child Welfare,

Environmental Sanitation, Health Education and Training, and the

strengthening of National Health Administrations, Perhaps, the last­

named is the most important of all, and as it happens that is the

subjec~ for this year1s Technical Discussions. I think it was wisely

chosen.

I notice that in getting out the detailed Budget and Programme

Proposals, the Director has adopted what seems, to me at least, to be

an innovation. I refer to figures set out in parenthesis, here and

there, showing contributions made by recipien~ Governments themselves

towards the cost of field activities undertaken by WHO. This seems

to me to be of the utmost importance as showing the full effectiveness

of WHO's work, WH0 1s regular budget of something over tlo,ooo,ooo,

which came in for such critical comment in the Assembly, is a mere

drop in the ocean when set against the preventive health work that

requires to be done throughout the world. But when we realize for

example, and I am quoting figures selected at random, that .281 000

spent by WHO on one project is matched by tl92,000 spent by the local

Government on the same project, and we begin to reckon up the total

of all the sums spent by all the Governments as their share of the

field work stimulated and organized by WHO, we begin to see that WHO's

true function is not to spend money so much as to encourage other

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people to spend it in far greater amount., and to show them how it can be

spent so as to produce the best results.

I began by saying that I would be brief, and I have already said

more than I intended. I will conclude ~ expressing the wish that all the

Representatives gathered here, and their coileagues, will find this Meeting

both enjoyable and stimulating, and that they will depart with the firm

conviction that WHO's work in this Region is becoming increasing~ more

productive, and that its ultimate achievements depend in large measure on

the active co-operation of every Government.within the Region. It is we,

of course, who must stimulate our Governments. Finally, I would thank

Dr. Fang and his staff for the effe9tive work they are doing in guiding

and co-ordinating our joint efforts.

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