Reply to the memorandum (1968) on the activities of the World Health Organisation
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 26 September 1968 (16th Sitting) (seeDoc. 2437, report of the Committee on Social and Health Questions). Text adopted by the Assembly on 26 September 1968 (16th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Having noted with interest the memorandum presented by the Director of the Regional Office for Europe on the activities of the World Health Organisation ;
2. Congratulates WHO which celebrates this year the twentieth anniversary of its existence on the important work achieved in the last two decades towards improving the health conditions of humanity ;
3. Appreciates that WHO intends to extend and to strengthen in the years to come the close collaboration with the Council of Europe already existing in appropriate technical fields ;
4. Noting that the collaboration of WHO and the Council of Europe contributes towards the achievement of a greater unity between European states in the technical aspects of public health;
5. Observes the important role WHO plays in the field of public health education and research, and hopes that the Regional Office for Europe of WHO will continue to make arrangements for people of developing countries to broaden their education in Europe especially for post-graduate studies ;
6. Stresses the importance of environmental health problems and the inter-relationship between health planning and overall economic policy in town and country planning schemes and in particular hopes that the Council of Europe may be able to help in increasing knowledge and co-operation between the different administrative systems in this field in Europe ;
7. Hopes that the studies undertaken by WHO relating to premature ageing will lead to proposals relating to flexible measures which would offer, particularly for those in retirement, possibilities to engage in an activity which takes account of the psychological and physiological aspects of their condition ;
8. Observes that WHO studies the high consumption of drugs and examines to what extent this is due to over-prescribing influenced by sickness insurance policy and, taking note of the important work of the international pharmacopoeia, hopes that the closest collaboration between WHO and the Council of Europe will continue in this field ;
9. Urges that ways be found for immediate action in the field of controlling the production and marketing of synthetic drugs like amphetamines and LSD - if possible by including them in the so-called Single Convention of 1961 - as an act of international solidarity with those countries which are facing a rapidly increasing use of such drugs ;
10. Takes note of the recent increase of venereal diseases and hopes that further research on the sociological background of this phenomenon will be carried out ;
11. Appreciates that WHO makes an important contribution towards the solution of new public health problems arising in a world of rapid change.
