NEW HEALTH FOR ASIA

New Zealand Listener, Volume 22, Issue 547, 16 December 1949, Page 18

NEW HEALTH FOR ASIA

UNRRA’s liquidation, there were at least thirty million European children, and a greater number in Asia in need of help. The United Nations General Assembly by unanimous vote established the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) as an international co-operative for children. "It was a means," says an official publication, "through which both needy countries and those that had been spared might pool essential supplies for children’s aid, and re-distribute those supplies from a common stockpile according to need." I" 1946, at the time of The fund’s operations began in Europe: in the winter of 1947-48, on an initial contribution of 15,000,000 dollars from the United States Government. In 1949 operations were extended to Asia, where,‘for a year, Dr. M. H. Watt, formerly Director General of Health in administered the fund in a collection of territories with a total population of six hundred million .people. He had to spread a sum of 9,300,000 dollars (with a further prospect of about 2,000,000 dollars) over Pakistan, India, Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Indo-

China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the British Colonies of Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo, Brunei, and Sarawak. Dr. Watt, who has just returned to New Zealand, had his headquarters in Manila for three months, and then shifted to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, geographically about the centre of the territories he had to administer. His deputy was Ralph Goodman, of Auckland, one of the many Naval Reservists captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong -and one of the very few who escaped. Two World Health Organisation doctors were originally attached to the Bangkok Headquarters; a pediatrician, a Scotswoman, and a French malariologist. A third, Dr. Cottrell, of Dunedin, who has established a very fine reputation for his work in connection with refugees in the Middle East, has just joined the staff. On the business side, Dr. Watt was assisted ,by a Dutch Finance Officer, an American Administration Officer, and by another New Zealander, Don Watkins (an ex-student of Victoria University College) as Supply Officer. Two Australian girl secretaries completed the occidental representation, and the rest of the Headquarters staff was made up of Thai nationals. Four smaller missions were established in other key parts of

the territory. Miss Elsie Moyle, of Auckland, for a short time did good service as Mission Chief in Manila. It was obvious, Dr. Watt told The Listener, that with the funds and food available to UNICEF, nothing much could be done about feeding all those who were undernourished. So instead of providing relief in the way of food, UNICEF helped the countries in the territory to build up their public health services and teaching facilities, with special emphasis on maternal and child health. Three Ma jor Problems A UNICEF Mission having been invited to help, would ask a national government to provide an estimate of its needs. This estimate would be submitted to UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, and, if approved by these bodies a plan of operations would be prepared. Then the national government would be asked to match the assistance given from outside by providing buildings, local staff, transport, locally available equipment, and money for the’ board and travel expenses of UNICEF Officials. Co-operation established, an attack would be made on the three major public health problems of the Far East;

malaria, tuberculosis, and yaws. The attack against malaria is developed in rural areas, by spraying the inside of every house with DDT. After such treatment the incidence of malaria has gone down considerably in the districts visited. A start is being made with the provision of X-ray and laboratory facilities for the diagnosis of tuberculosis, and public health nurses are being trained to supervise contacts, and keep an eye On patients who are being treated in their own homes. The disease is widely established, and there are not sufficient hospital beds for the treatment. of even the worst cases. In an endeavour to inctease the people’s resistance to tuberculosis, one million dollars has been set aside for mass vaccination with BCG in Pakistan, India, and Ceylon, and further extension is planned. Yaws is a skin disease common in children and young people. It has been found that the organism is particularly susceptible to penicillin therapy, and a campaign with penicillin is at present being planned in Indonesia, where the breakdown of medical services due to war devastation has led to an increase in the incidence of the disease. New Zealand Can Help UNICEF is making great efforts to provide nationals of Far Eastern countries with at least basic training in maternal and child health. For this purpose it proposes to spend considerable

additional sums in developing an International Training School in India, and national training schools in some or possibly all of the countries in the area. Already it provides tedchers and equipment where training can be undertaken in the country concerned, and it has established fellowships for training in other countries. Dr. Watt emphasised that training should not be too academic, and should, if possible, be carried out in an environment resembling the Far Eastern people’s own home. For instance, he thought that work amongst the Maoris of North Auckland would provide excellent training under very suitable conditions. "We owe it to ourselves," said Dr. Watt, "to build up goodwill ir. the countries of Asia. We in New Zealand can provide fellowships, and we can send teachers and leaders of a ver} good type. New Zealanders are an adaptable people; those who are already at work in the Far East have proved themselves under difficult conditions. Our nurses have enterpri:2 and initiative, their training is essentially practical and thc, are not afraid of hard work. We should do what we can, and we can work best through the organisation. now set up by UNICEF. ‘There are throughout the world many millions of mothers and children who are in great need. If a

further United Nations Aid to Children appeal is launched in New Zealand, I can assure the public that any money they contribute will be used wisely in improving the lot of an unfortunate group of their fellow-beings."