PLANS TO SUCCOUR LIBERATED EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23972, 12 June 1943, Page 4

PLANS TO SUCCOUR LIBERATED EUROPE

MEDICAL RELIEF

More individuals died from famine and preventible diseases in the three years after the last war than were killed in the four years of the war itself. This was in great measure due to the inadequacy of the attempts made among the governments of the victorious countries to co-ordinate such remedial measures as were taken. Every day that relief work is delayed after a country or part of a country is liberated is necessarily measured in terms of human life, and suffering. Of the multiple problems with winch we shall be faced on the conclusion of hostilities, or indeed upon the liberation of any part of an occupied country, those calling for medical action can probably be foretold with the greatest degree of accuracy. Already there is famine in certain areas -of Europe and even among some of the peoples more fortunately placed malnutrition is widespread. Typhus fever is occurring in both eastern and central Europe, as well as in North Africa. Malaria, too, is increasing, particularly in south-eastern Europe. Of the extent of such grave diseases as typhoid fever, dysentery, relapsing fever, diphtheria, and cerebro-spinal meningitis, we have little information, but the social conditions there must give grounds for the gravest apprehensions as to the present extent and future spread of these maladies. Lack of Resources

Yet it is not so much the varieties of disease as the scale of their potential occurrence that is so appalling, combined with the fact that the local machinery which would ordinarily combat infectious diseases is enormously reduced in personnel and equipment. Moreover, at the time each country is liberated further aggravation of the grave conditions existing in Europe at the present time is to be anticipated. The disappearance of the Nazified local authorities throughout each occupied country must necessarily cause temporary chaos at a time when the position will be complicated still further by the return of freed prisoners of war, transported workers, demobilised soldiers, and refugees. The most superficial consideration of military possibilities will show how suddenly the necessity for relief work may arise, possibly ovep very wide areas, before the post-war relief programme properly speaking can be put into operation. The vast size and involved character of the relief problem puts it beyond the administrative or financial scope of voluntary organisations and governmental action becomes essential. Nor can it be dealt with individually by any one government. Widespread epidemics affecting a number of countries can only be controlled by international action. Moreover, the fair allocation of relief stores and personnel depends on welllaid plans of distribution drawn up and agreed to by representatives of the Allied Governments in conference. An Allied Conference A logical step was therefore taken when, after an Allied Conference held at St. James’ Palace in September, 1941, an Inter-Allied Committee on post-war requirements was set up in order to enable the Allied governments to collaborate in making supplies of food, raw materials, and articles of prime necessity available in the immediate post-war period for the needs of countries liberated from the Nazis, and to co-ordinate their respective plans. On this committee 14 governments are represented—those of the United States of America, Great Britain, the Dominions, and the European allies. At the same time an Allied PostWar Requirements Bureau was established to - assist the individual European Allied governments in preparing their estimates of relief requirements, to collate and co-ordinate these and to present proposals to the committee. The staff of this bureau is at present Bntisn.

t The general planning work of the Inter-Allied Committee is carried on mainly through technical advisory committees composed of experts representing the governments concerned. Such committees have now been set up not only for medical requirements,

PBy a Medical Correspondent in "The Times."]

(Published by Arrangement.)

but also for nutrition, agriculture and inland transport. Their character £ thoroughly international; thus the chairman of the Nutrition Committee ' is an American, of the Inland Trans, port Committee, Dutch, and of the ' Medical Committee, British. : i Technical Advice The Medical Advisory Committee ? covers the whole of Europe. , It is an official body composed of medial ■'«(. cers representing different’ co nw t In order that it may obtain tc , £ - technical advice possible on speoW questions, expert sub-committees have been created and are at work on the following subjects:— Drug and hospital requirements* tuberculosis; maternity and child fare; malaria; typhus fever; typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, and diphtheria; and laboratory equipment, ineluding vaccines and sera. The Medical Advisory Committee has made considerable progress in what is necessarily the first part of its work—the estimation in detail of the various medical requirements in Europe for general medical practice, surgical and specialised hospitals, laboratories, the control of epidemics, maternity, and child welfare, tuber, culosis, ophthalmic work, radiology, and dentistry. These estimates are being prepared under different priorities to meet the three stages into ; which relief work in each country may be expected to fall. Priority A requirements are in. ■ tended to cover a period immediately after the liberation of a country when fighting may still be going on and are likely to be chaotic in the absence of any effective government and in the face of widespread refugee movement. At this time ’ transport will be required for troops , >■ and munitions and the amount of relief material and staff must be re- ’ duced to an absolute minimum. The second period is one in which local and central governmental administra- . tions are in process of re-establish-ment and transport is easier. The final period anticipated is one of stable local government with steadily increasing transport and distribution > facilities, when true reconstruction’ can begin. It must be assumed that ; every occupied region, whether liber* ated directly by force of arms or not, will pass through these three phased ? the length of each period varying in . different countries in accordance with conditions which it is impossible to forecast. Health Services Concurrently with the preparation of estimates of requirements, the committee is studying and planning the administrative steps required for the general reconstruction of the medical, public health, and hospital services in the occupied countries and the control of typhus, malaria, and other disease* which may exist in epidemic form. -,, Malnutrition and the lack of such elementary articles as clothing, blanket*, < and soap will not be the only difficul- - ties. The re-establishment of dis- . placed populations will present medi- ' cal as well as other problems. Care - will have to be taken of mothers,- infants, and children of school age; institutional accommodation will have - to be found for orphans, the aged, epileptics, and mental cases: and the medical faculties of the universitie* will have to be reopened and staffed. In all this work the British Govern- .. ment is taking its full share. It is j also placing at the disposal of the various committees the medical and . scientific resources of Great Britain; * and, finally, it is encouraging suitable :<>■ measures of liaison with, and between, ; the voluntary organisations in this - country. These have much to con-* tribute to any allied governmental!ac- > tion, and many of them have import/. tant international affiliations. A . ginning has thus been made to mef Wjp an inevitable tragedy, the character which can be already defined in considerable detail and to some extent visualised. These initial steps are , fraught with grave responsibility, for;: on how wisely the foundation for the organisation of relief is laid will depend the lives and health of million* now living and the physique and welfare of generations to come. _