The Work of the World Health Organization
| Published date | 01 June 1963 |
| Author | J. Handler |
| Date | 01 June 1963 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002085236302900207 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
The
Work
of
the
World
Health
Organization
by
J.
HANDLER,
Director,
Division
of
Public
Information,
World
Health
Organization.
UDC
61 :
061.1
(100)
Fifteen
years
of
international
health
work
have
laid
solid
grounds
for
believing
that
age-old
diseases
such
as
malaria,
smallpox
and
yaws
can
be
not
only
controlled
but
eradicated
-
completely
wiped
out.
This
conclusion
has
been
reached
by
the
World
Health
Organization
in
evaluating
the
results
it
has
achieved
to
date.
The
goal
can
be
reached,
however,
the
organization
believes,
only
if
more
and
more
health
workers
are
trained
and
only
if
determined
campaigns
are
waged
until
the
last
source
of
infection
is
gone.
Working
towards
its
basic
objective
r the
attainment
by
all
peoples
of
the
highest
possible
level
of
health
»,
WHO
has
sent
experts
around
the
world
to
help
govern-
ments
build
up
health
services;
to
train
medical,
technical
and
nursing
personnel;
and
to
demonstrate
new
methods
of
attacking
diseases,
with
supplies
and
equipment
pro-
vided
by
UNICEF.
During
1962
the
num-
ber
of
fellowships
awarded
by
WHO
to
doctors,
nurses,
sanitary
engineers
and
others
for
advanced
training
abroad
exceeded
1,792.
In
1959
WHO
was
able
to
report
that
« malaria
eradication
is
now
a
global
pro-
gram
~.
1 he
population
in
areas
freed
of
malaria
totaled
329
million
b,y
1962.
Eradic-
ation
programs
at
present
in
operation
cover
737
million
people.
The
advantage
of
era-
dication :
land
long
infested
with
malaria
is
now
available
for
cultivation,
and
farmers
once
too
weak to
work
are
able
to
plant
and
harvest.
In
leprosy
campaigns,
nearly
two
million
patients
were
under
treatment
in
1962
and
the
effectiveness
of
new
drugs
and
home
treatment,
without
old
methods
of
segregation,
has
been
proved.
In
the
fight
against
yaws,
a
crippling,
disabling
disease,
the
rate
of
infection
has
been
reduced
in
some
areas
from
20
per
cent
or
more
of
the
total
population
to
less
than
one-tenth
of
one
per
cent.
Altogether
285
million
persons
have
been
examined,
and
38
million
given
peni-
cillin.
The
rate
of
growth
of
urban
areas
is
often
faster
than
progress
in
providing
good
water
for
the
inhabitants.
WHO
is
attempting
to
improve
this
situation
through
its
commun-
ity
water
supply
program,
which
was
speeded
up
in
1962
and
directed
towards
the
technic-
al
analysis
of
water
supply
systems
and
exploration
of
the
possibility
of
loans
so
that
construction
can
begin
as
quickly
as
possible.
WHO
is
also
strengthening
its
support
of
health
research,
with
special
attention
to
research
on
communicable
diseases,
cancer
and
heart
aliments.
Working
through
estab-
lished
institutes
all
over
the
world,
WHO
sponsored
175
research
projects
in
1962.
In
other
current
programs,
WHO
is
continuing
aid
in
tuberculosis
prevention
and
control,
maternal
and
child
health
services,
mental
health
projects
and
nutrition
improvement
(in
cooperation
with
FAO).
In
1962,
WHO
provided
experts,
fellowships
and
other
ser-
vices
in
143
countries
and
territories.
In
addition,
WHO
organizes
international
training
courses;
sponsors
the
work
of
tech-
nical
committees
on
specific
problems
rang-
ing
from
polio
vaccines
to
care
of
the
aged;
maintains
a
world
epidemic
warning
intel-
ligence
service;
sets
international
standards
for
drugs
and
vaccines;
acts
as
a
world
clearing-house
for
medical
information;
and
works
with
other
United
Nations
family
members
in
health
aspects
of
atomic
energy
and
problems
of
radiation.
WHO
was
formally
established
on
1
Sep-
tember
1948.
Its
work
is
guided
b,y
the
World
Health
Assembly,
composed
of
repre-
sentatives
of
all
Member
States.
l3etwecn
sessions,
activity
is
directed
by
the
WHO
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