World Health Organization: Regional Office for Africa

Abstract

Factors and Social Services, and Community Organization, and each commission formu^ lated a number of recommendations.A plenary session approved motions proposed by the head of the French delegation relating to the continuation of international co-operation in the matter of rural welfare and the holding of other similar conferences. World Health Organization: Regional Office for AfricaTHE report of the Director, published in August 1953, gives a brief account of the organization of the office for Africa in Geneva and its transfer to Brazzaville in October 1952, and describes the work of the year 1952/3.Many initial difficulties had to be overcome-in particular, shortage of housing, high costs of living, and ill health among members of the staff.In addition, though communication with Europe was good, trans-African postal services and other means of communication were slow and unreliable.Recruiting of professional and office staff has also been difficult.The report emphasizes the need for the appointment of an Information Officer, whose duties would be to familiarize himself with what has been done in the field of public health in different territories, to keep the Regional Office informed on events in the field of public health administration, and to be responsible for external information, making known to the African world the policy, aims, and methods of the World Health Organization.The report makes special mention of the appointment of a cultural anthropologist, M. Jean-Paul Lebeuf (see Africa, xxiii.2, p. 15 8), and of the importance of the study of the habits and reactions of human beings by a specially trained social scientist.During the year under review M. Lebeuf attended a meeting of the Scientific Council for Africa South of the Sahara (C.S.A.) at Kampala, and also travelled in the Cameroons and attended the UNESCO International Seminar on Public Libraries in Africa, held at Ibadan, July 1953.Dr. Carothers, attached to the Regional Office for the purpose of studying psychiatric and psychological problems, visited Belgium, England, France, and the United States and several areas in Africa; he also attended the meeting of the Centre International de l'Enfance in Brazzaville in December 1952.Dr. J. Karefa-Smart, Public Health Medical Officer, delivered an address on ' The West African Village and its Problems' at the West African Area Conference of the Y.M.C.A. held at Accra in March and April 1953.The report concludes with a warning against attempting to introduce into Africa ' western' systems of public health administration and social programmes without considering whether such systems and programmes are suitable for application in the African environment, and against starting expensive and elaborate schemes which cannot be maintained or cannot at a later date be taken over by the population itself.