Work Of World Health Organization Research Articles

World Health Organization

Sixteenth Assembly: The sixteenth session of the Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) met in Geneva on May 7–23, 1963, under the presidency of Dr. M. A. Majekodunmi (Nigeria). During the discussion of the Director-General's report on the work of WHO in 1962, delegates expressed agreement on the importance of the planned development of health services, medical education, and the training of auxiliary staff. Endorsing the Organization's medical research program, some members suggested its extension to other fields. Other members felt, however, that WHO was devoting too much time and money to work that could be carried out by national research institutes. Several delegations appealed for a more flexible approach in providing aid to less developed countries. Dr. Candau, the Director-General, spoke of the efforts that had been made to secure staff from a wider range of countries.

World Health Organization

The fourteenth session of the Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) was held in New Delhi from February 7 through 24, 1961. In his address the President of the Assembly, Dr. Arcot Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar, stated that among the many international organizations set up by the UN, WHO occupied a foremost place in its efforts to improve the conditions of millions of people in all parts of the globe. Dr. Mudaliar pointed to the contributions of the WHO regional offices in bringing the work of the organization more directly into contact with the countries concerned. WHO had achieved its most spectacular successes in programs designed not merely to control but to eradicate diseases of which the causative organisms were well known and with respect to which effective steps could be taken—in this regard Dr. Mudaliar mentioned the malaria eradication campaign. Other diseases of a communicable nature—smallpox, cholera, several of the water-borne diseases, and many others carried by insects—could hopefully lend themselves to similar eradication programs. Dr. Mudaliar also referred to the work of WHO in areas of the world stricken by natural or man-made disaster, and in particular to the organization's emergency work in the Republic of the Congo (Leopoldville). As for the future tasks of WHO, the President of the Assembly observed that although tuberculosis had been one of the four diseases that had been given priority by the first WHO Assembly, much still remained to be done to control it; the results of domiciliary treatment carried out in the city of Madras, India, he continued, gave some promise of success in the control and treatment of the disease. Dr. Mudaliar also singled out leprosy as a disease the organization should try to eradicate, and mentioned the problems of mental illness stemming from the stress and strain of modern society as being worthy of attention.

World Health Organization

The twelfth session of the Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) was held in Geneva, from May 12 to May 29, I959. In his inaugural address, the President of the Assembly, Sir John Charles, spoke of the tasks of the individual worker and of WHO in the field of medical research, stating that the task of the former ended with the presentation of his information, thereby enabling WHO to enter the field of medical research through its contribution—just as important and quite apart from its own research in fields such as tuberculosis and the virus diseases—in the way of coordination and communication. The Director-General, introducing his report on the work of WHO during 1958, observed that, as 1958 had marked the tenth anniversary of the organization, it was natural that the year's activities had been viewed in the light of progress made during the entire decade. He recalled that great strides had been taken in the eradication of malaria and smallpox, but stressed the fact that WHO's goal could not be accomplished without world-wide eradication: as long as malaria or smallpox survived in a single country it constituted a danger for all. He also spoke of the intensified international program of medical research, in which the WHO fellowship program was playing an important role, and of the problem of environmental sanitation, with regard to which WHO had failed in its attempt to arouse public interest.

World Health Organization

The thirteenth session of the Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) was held in Geneva, from May 3 to 20, 1960. In his inaugural address, the President of the Assembly, Dr. H. B. Turbott, spoke of the ground gained by the idea of world health since the early days of WHO, of the new and growing challenges with which the Assembly would have to deal in discussing the 1961 program—such as the control of pestilential diseases, protection against radiation hazards, the evaluation of live poliomyelitis vaccine, extended nutrition programs, and the world shortage of competent health personnel—and of the problems of particular concern to the more developed countries, such as heart, cancer, and mental illness. Dr. Turbott also described the integration of preventive and curative services as one field to which WHO should devote more attention. The Director-General, presenting his report on the work of WHO during 1959, stressed the urgency of the world-wide malaria eradication campaign, pointing out that malaria was the most important single obstacle to the development of the economic and social potentials of the underdeveloped areas of the world. The year 1959, he continued, had witnessed intensified research activities by the Organization, an increase in experts trained under WHO's fellowship program, and improved coordination between inter-country and inter-regional projects, but the problem of the resistance of malaria vectors to insecticides remained an obstacle to malaria eradication, and the question of funds for international technical assistance was still unsolved. In concluding, the Director-General predicted diat, at die present rate of progress, malaria could be eradicated, at least from Europe, the Americas, North Africa, and large parts of Asia, within perhaps the next ten years.

World Health Organization

To mark the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO), the eleventh regular session of the Assembly was preceded by a special two-day tenth anniversary commemorative session. The eleventh session was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from May 28 to June 13, 1958. The President of the Assembly (Dr. Leroy E. Burney) stated in his inaugural address that WHO's efforts during its first ten years had been concentrated largely on the fight against the major communicable diseases. He emphasized the necessity for more research, the importance of intensifying training activities, and the need for wider public participation in health work. The Director-General, introducing his report on the work of WHO during 1957, stated that one indication of the direction in which WHO's work was likely to develop in the future was to be found in the repeated references made in the report to the coordination of research. He stated that one of the most pressing immediate needs continued to be the strengthening of national health services. He proposed an effective working budget for 1959 of $14,287,600, which represented an increase of 5.3 percent over the effective working budget for 1958. The Assembly approved the proposed budget.

World Health Organization

The 23d session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) was held in Geneva from January 20 to February 3, 1959. The Director-General's proposed program of activities and budget estimates for 1960 were examined by the Board, and their adoption was recommended to the Twelfth World Health Assembly. The budget showed an increase of $1,251,960 or 8.25 percent over the revised budget for 1959, for a total estimate of $16,418,700; the proposed program reflected a new trend in the work of WHO, namely, the widening of the concept of control to that of eradication in the case of such communicable diseases as malaria, smallpox, and yaws, and eventually tuberculosis and leprosy. In addition, certain activities were to be expanded, including vital and health statistics services, nutrition surveys, the control of bilharziasis, research, and the teaching of psychiatry and mental health techniques.

World Health Organization

Ninth World Health Assembly The ninth Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) met in Geneva from May 8 to 25, 1956 and elected Professor J. Parisot (France) president. The Assembly appointed a special committee to study means of enabling inactive members to reassume their rights and fulfill their obligations, with particular emphasis on a method of settling arrears of contributions. The committee report, which was adopted by the Assembly, provided that contributions should be paid in full for the years during which such countries had participated actively in the work of WHO, while for other years a token payment of 5 percent of the amount assessed would be required. Three newly independent countries, Morocco, the Sudan and Tunisia were admitted to WHO as full members and the Gold Coast, Nigeria and Sierra Leone were admitted as Associates.

World Health Organization

The activities of the World Health Organization (WHO) during 1955 were surveyed in the anuual report to the World Health Assembly and to the UN of the WHO Director-General, Dr. Marcoline G. Candau. During 1955, Dr. Candau stated, substantial results had been achieved in three categories of programs: the fight against communicable diseases, the strengthening of national health services, and the raising of standards of education and training for all types of health personnel. Malaria, tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, and trachoma were among the communicable diseases towards the eradication of which WHO activities had been directed, with in many instances considerable progress. However, it had become increasingly evident that the beneficial effects of such campaigns against disease could only constitute concrete gains for public health if national health services could be effectively strengthened, and during 1955 a large part of WHO's work had continued to be devoted to that aim, in all regions but particularly in the Americas, southeast Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. In the development of national health services, particular attention had been devoted to such matters as the principle of program integration, nutrition and health education, changes in health services necessitated by the aging of populations, mental health, and environmental sanitation. In regard to education and training of health personnel, an effort had been made in the regions to increase the use of all methods which had proved their value in the past, including direct training of health personnel at all levels, provision of fellowships for study abroad, assistance to institutions and the sponsoring of international conferences, training courses and seminars.

The WHO in Southern Asia and the Western Pacific

HE Fifth World Health Assembly, meeting in Geneva in May T1I952, approved a program of activities for the World Health Organization (WHO) for I953 which includes a comprehensive range of projects for the countries of Southern Asia and the Western Pacific. Their cost will be approximately US$9oo,ooo out of a total working budget for the Organization of about 9V2 million dollars.' In terms of the population of Asia (excluding the Soviet Union and continental China) and the countries of the Western Pacific, the field budget for these areas represents a per capita expenditure of about one-seventh of a cent for the year. Expressed in these terms, the program seems hopelessly inadequate-or might it be that this method of measuring the work of WHO is wrong? To answer this question, it is necessary to know how WHO goes about its work in relation to the problems confronting it in these two regions. The scientific activities of WHO fall within two major categoriescentral technical services and advisory services to governments. The former include the collection and dissemination of intelligence regarding epidemic diseases and the standardization of biological products, such as insulin, the hormones, the vitamins, vaccines and sera. These activities entail the pooling of knowledge and experience obtained from various countries, which are then available on an equal basis to all countries through WHO publications. The advisory services to governments are specific services provided in response to requests for assistance. The latest knowledge and skills needed for the solution of particular health problems or for general strengthening and improvement of local health or medical services can be placed at the disposal of governments. The advisory services are provided through the regional staffs of the Organization. Unlike the United Nations and the other Specialized Agencies, WHO now operates through six regional offices in