OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION No. 139 THE WORK OF WHO 1964 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR -GENERAL TO THE WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY AND TO THE UNITED NATIONS The Financial Report, 1 January -31 December 1964, whichconstitutes a supplementtothisvolume,is published separately as OfficialRecords No. 142. WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION GENEVA March 1965 The following abbreviations are used in the Official Records of the World Health Organization: ACABQ - Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions ACC - Administrative Committee on Co- ordination CCTA - Commission for Technical Co- operation in Africa CIOMS - Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences ECA - Economic Commission for Africa ECAFE - Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East ECE Economic Commission for Europe ECLA - Economic Commission for Latin America EPTA - Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization ILO - International Labour Organisation (Office) IMCO - Inter -Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization ITU - International Telecommunication Union MESA - Malaria Eradication Special Account OIHP - Office International d'Hygiène Publique PAHO - Pan American Health Organization PASB - Pan American Sanitary Bureau TAB - Technical Assistance Board TAC - Technical Assistance Committee UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund UNRWA - United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East UNSCEAR - United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation WFUNA - World Federation of United Nations Associations WMO - World Meteorological Organization © World Health Organization 1965 Publications of the World Health Organization enjoy copyright protection in accordance with the provisions of Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention.Nevertheless governmental agencies or learned and professional societies may reproduce data or excerpts or illustrations from them without requesting an authorization from the World Health Organization. For rights of reproduction or translation of WHO publications in toto, application should be made to the Division of Editorial and Reference Services, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.The World Health Organization welcomes such applications. PRINTED IN SWITZERLAND - II - CONTENTS Page Introduction v PART I - GENERAL REVIEW Chapter1. Malaria Eradication 3 Chapter2. Communicable Diseases Tuberculosis - Endemic Treponematoses and Venereal Infections - Veterinary Public Health - Virus Diseases - Parasitic Diseases - Bacterial Diseases - Leprosy - International Quarantine 6 Chapter3. Environmental Health Community Water Supply - Wastes Disposal - Environmental Pollution Sanitation Services and Housing - Environmental Biology - Vector Control and Insecticide Resistance 27 Chapter4. Public Health Services Public Health Administration - National Health Planning - Organization of Medical Care - Health Laboratory Services - Nursing - Health Education - Maternal and Child Health 35 Chapter5. Health Protection and Promotion Cancer - Cardiovascular Diseases - Dental Health - Human Genetics - Mental Health - Nutrition - Radiation and Isotopes - Social and Occupational Health. 42 Chapter6. Education and Training 51 Chapter7. Medical Research 55 Chapter8. Health Statistics 57 Chapter9. Biology and Pharmacology Pharmacology and Toxicology - Biological Standardization - Immunology - Pharmaceuticals 59 Chapter 10.Publications and Reference Services 63 Chapter 11.Public Information 65 Chapter 12.Constitutional, Financial and Administrative Developments Constitutional and Legal - The Financial Position - Administration 67 Chapter 13.Co- operation with other Organizations 71 PART II - THE REGIONS Chapter 14.African Region 79 Chapter 15.Region of the Americas 86 Chapter 16.South -East Asia Region 97 Chapter 17.European Region 103 Chapter 18.Eastern Mediterranean Region 108 Chapter 19.Western Pacific Region 116 65424 PART III - PROJECT LIST Page Projects in Operation in 1964 126 Africa 127 The Americas 137 South -East Asia 156 Europe 168 Eastern Mediterranean 178 Western Pacific 191 Inter -regional 201 ANNEXES 1. Members and Associate Members of the World Health Organization 211 2.Membership of the Executive Board 212 3. Expert Advisory Panels and Committees 213 4.Organizational Meetings and Meetings of Expert Committees and Advisory Groups 221 5. Tentative Schedule of WHO Organizational Meetings in 1965 225 6. Non -governmental Organizations in Official Relations with WHO 226 7. Regular Budget for 1964 227 8. Structure of the Headquarters Secretariat 228 9.Numbers and Distribution of the Staff 229 10. Composition of the Staff by Nationality 231 11. Status. of Malaria Eradication 232 12. Fellowships awarded, by Subject of Study and by Region 233 13. WHO Collaborative Research Projects 235 14.Research Grants for Training and Exchange 236 15. WHO International and Regional Reference Centres, and Institutions where they are located 237 MAP 1. WHO Regional Offices and the Areas they serve 78 The designations employed and the presentation of the materialin this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Director -General of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. - tv - INTRODUCTION SEVENTEEN years after the creation of the World Health Organization the control of communicable diseases isstill the most important health challenge facing mankind.For example, the quarantinable diseases, which many people think of as scourges of the past, are still daily realities.The incidence of plague is increasing in certain areas; cholera has taken the lives of thousands of people in recent years; smallpox continues to be a major hazard to all nations with the number of cases reported in Africa, Latin America and South -East Asia running into tens of thousands a year. Malaria is far from being eradicated. Tuberculosis remains one of the most widespread infectious diseases in both the developing and the developed parts of the world. There has been a definite up -surge in the incidence of syphilis and gonorrhoea.Yaws still constitutes a major public health hazard in many parts of the tropical and sub- tropical belts. Gastro- intestinal disorders are among the outstanding causes of morbidity, as well as of mortality, especially among infants and young children.In respect of some diseases for instance bilharziasis, filariasis and other helminthiases-progress is severely handicapped by lack of knowledge.In other cases, for example malaria eradication, international assistance in the financing and the organizing of campaigns has not yet reached the desired level. The most formidable obstacle to bringing communicable diseases under control, however, is that mast of the countries concerned do not yet have an adequately functioning public health service. The need for emphasis to be laid on the strengthening of health services became evident early in WHO's history.It was clear that the organization and administration of health services at both the local and national levels was an essential pre- condition for the lasting success of all public health activities. And indeed, quite a number of WHO programmes have been, and are being, carried out with this aim in view.The accumulated experience acquired has shown that while piecemeal and dispersed efforts are undeniably useful in breaking the vicious circle of disease, low productivity and poverty, the ultimate goal must be the establishment of permanent, well -staffed and effective health services. There is no doubt that this task can better be accomplished within the framework of national health plans conceived as an integral part of an overall scheme for the economic and social development of the country. It is against this background that the Organization's efforts in the field of national health planning over the last few years should be viewed. The task has not been an easy one. Statistics, an essential tool in all planning, are incomplete in most of the countries concerned.While this component of long -term programmes is being developed, one has to be satisfied with project proposals for dealing with speck problems. Planning is the product of a creative state of mind and a mature approach to needs and the -V- ways to satisfy them. It calls for the ability to discern an order of priorities and therefore to renounce immediate possibilities for the sake of essential and lasting results.Thus a sustained educational process preparing those responsible for health planning in their respective countries is as necessary as the various types of technical training. Despite a gratifying amount of goodwill and, in some countries, even enthusiasm for this arduous task, it will be a long time before the developing areas can fully enjoy the advantages to be derived from national plans for economic and social development.Such schemes will have to incorporate the country's efforts towards improvement of human resources, the increase of economic opportunities by raising the general levels of health, and the expansion of facilities for technical education and training. Meanwhile, however, some promising advances can be recorded.The ever -growing interest of countries in this fundamental aspect of