OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION No. 45 THE WORK OF WHO 1952 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL TO THE WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY AND TO THE UMTED NATIONS WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION PALAIS DES NATIONS GENEVA March 1953 ABBREVIATIONS The following abbreviations are used in the Official Records of the World Health Organization: ACC Administrative Committee on Co-ordination CIOMS Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences ECAFE Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East ECE Economic Commission for Europe ECLA Economic Commission for Latin America FAO Food and Agriculture Organization ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization ICITO Interim Commission of the International Trade Organization ILO International Labour Organisation (Office) ITU International Telecommunication Union OHIP Office International d'Hygiène Publique PASB Pan American Sanitary Bureau PASO Pan American Sanitary Organization TAA Technical Assistance Administration TAB Technical Assistance Board TAC Technical Assistance Committee UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund UNKRA United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency UNRWAPRNE -United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East WFUNA World Federation of United Nations Associations WMO World Meteorological Organization PRINTED IN SWITZERLAND TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Foreword Introduction 1 PART I - DIRECTION AND CO-ORDINATION OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH WORK Chapter 1. Communicable Diseases 11 Chapter2.Tuberculosis Research Office 23 Chapter3.Strengthening of National Health Administrations 25 Chapter4.Education and Training 36 Chapter5.Epidemiological and Statistical Services 41 Chapter6.Drugs and other Therapeutic Substances 49 Chapter7.Availability of Essential Drugs and Equipment 54 Chapter8. Publications and Reference Services 57 Chapter9.Public Information 61 Chapter 10.General Administration 64 PART II - ASSISTANCE TO GOVERNMENTS IN THE REGIONS Chapter 11.African Region 73 Chapter 12.Region of the Americas 78 Chapter 13.South-East Asia Region 92 Chapter 14.European Region 106 Chapter 15.Eastern Mediterranean Region 125 Chapter 16.Western Pacific Region 137 PART III - COLLABORATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS Chapter 17.Co-ordination of Work with Other Organizations 151 Chapter 18.Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance for Economic Development 157 Chapter 19.Health Services for Special Groups 161 MAPS 1. Institutes approved by WHO for producing and testing Yellow Fever Vaccines 18 2.International Sanitary Regulations :Position of States and Territories at 12 December 1952 . 42 3.The Mecca Pilgrimage, 1951 45 4.Network of Epidemiological Radio-Telegraphic Communications 47 - In - Page 5.Regions and Offices of the World Health Organization 72 6.African Region 75 7.Region of the Americas 79 8.South-East Asia Region 93 9.European Region 107 10. Eastern Mediterranean Region 127 11. Western Pacific Region 139 ANNEXES 1. Membership of the World Health Organization 167 2.Membership of the Executive Board 168 3.Expert Advisory Panels and Expert Committees 169 4.Conferences and Meetings called by WHO in 1952 174 5.Conferences, Symposia, Seminars and Training Courses 176 6.Conferences and Meetings called by the United Nations and Specialized Agencies in 1952 at which WHO was represented 178 7.Conferences and Meetings of Non-Governmental and Other Organizations in 1952 at which WHO was represented 181 8.Tentative Schedule of Organizational Meetings to be called by WHO in 1953 184 9.Non-Governmental Organizations brought into Relations with WHO 185 10.Regular Budget for 1952 186 11.Status of Contributions and Advances to the Working Capital Fund 187 12.Structure of the Secretariat at Headquarters 194 13.Senior Officials of the World Health Organization 195 14.Growth of Staff in 1952 196 15.Composition of Staff by Nationality 198 16.Fellowships awarded in 1952 199 17.Entry-into-force of the International Sanitary Regulations 204 Dr. BROCK CHISHOLM Executive Secretary, Interim Commission of the World Health Organization, 1946-1948 Director-General, World Health Organization, 1948-1953 FOREWORD AS this is the last Annual Report which I shall make to the World Health Assembly it is perhaps appropriate to include a statement on the general state of the Organization. The whole Organization has now passed through its formative period.Its general policies and procedures and its relationships, both internal and external, have been established. A high standard of responsibility on a world level has been set by the World Health Assembly, with relatively few intrusions by concern for national or group interest or prestige.The maintenance of this standard is an essential factor in enabling the Organization to function as an organic whole. The Executive Board, to be able to fulfil its highly important role as technical adviser to and executive organ of the Assembly, is composed of members responsible to the Assembly alone, not to governments or any other bodies. In most instances the Board has lived up to this responsibility. Many members have scrupulously honoured it, occasionally even in the face of heavy pressure from their governments or from religious or political groups. Others, on the other hand, have on some occasions clearly represented speciai interests-national, regional or other-and a very few have even sometimes appeared to be acting under instructions or external pressure. Any such failure of members of the Executive Board to recognize their exclusive responsibility to the Assembly represents the greatest possible threat to the integrity of the Organization. It is absolutely essential that the Assembly should be able to feel complete confidence that the advice it receives from the Executive Board is based on technical considerations, and is entirely free from national or group interest of any kind or degree.Nothing short of complete world-mindedness is acceptable in any member of the Executive Board. Perhaps the most serious demand that WHO makes on its Member governments is that they should ensure these personal qualifications in the members whom they designate to the Executive Board, and then should respect the absolute independence of those designated.These same requirements apply equally to any alternates or advisers who may accompany members at meetings. Only governments can protect members of the Executive Board and enable them to carry out their proper functions. Any government unable or unwilling to allow the member it would designate this complete independence, even of suggestions, should of course refuse the privilege of making such a designation if it is offered. Equally, any member of the Executive Board who finds himself unable to act independently of the iqfluence of governmental or other pressure should resign at once. These are difficult requirements, but nothing less can meet the needs of the Assembly for unprejudiced technical advice. After six and a half years of development the Secretariat may now be said to have welded itself into an integrated and balanced instrument for carrying out the intentions of the Assembly and the Board. The early stresses engendered by the absorption of previous agencies and of individuals from many cultures have ".'". V been almost entirely resolved. All administration has been undertaken on the principle of mutual consulta- tion on the widest possible basis before decision. Further, all administrative decisions have been provisional to the greatest degree consistent with reasonable stability. Any frictions which continue to exist within the Secretariat are caused by still incomplete definition or acceptance of areas of responsibility, or by those personality factors from which no human institution can hope to be entirely free, at least until methods of selecting staff are more highly developed. On the whole I believe the Secretariat to be comp'etent, devoted to the ideals and the methods of work of the Organization, and ready, within the limits of human capacity only, to assume whatever responsibilities may be laid on it by the Assembly or the Board. Essential elements in the maintenance of the reliability and efficiency of the Secretariat are world- mindedness on the part of delegates to the Assembly, even greater world-mindedness and absolute inde- pendence of judgment on the part of members of the Board, and the complete freedom of the Secretariat from pressure or even suggestion from representatives of governments. Given these conditions, which are not under its own control, the Secretariat can serve the Organization faithfully and effectively. The relationships between the three organs of WHO have been, almost without exception, excellent, and, granted that each continues to live up to its whole responsibility, the Organization can look to the future with confidence. Finally, I would express my own deep appreciation of, and gratitude for, the unfailing understanding and sympathy shown by the Assembly and the Board for the problems of the Secretariat, and the helpfulness which I myself have found on all sides. The willingness of practically all members of the Secretariat to change their habitual methods oj work in order to adjust them to the requirements of a new setting, and the support they have so generously given me on all occasions, command my heartfelt admiration and thanks. I am confident that my successor will find the same unstinted support. INTRODUCTION Trends in World Health Health as a Part of