RESOLUTIONS

 

 

CD40.R1    The Directing Council,

 Having considered the report of the Director on the collection of quota contributions (Document CD40/25 and Add. I) and the concern expressed by the 120th Session of the Executive Committee1 with respect to the status of the collection of quota contributions;

 Noting that Venezuela paid $11,007,131 in arrearages in 1997 and is no longer subject to the application of Article 6.B; and

 Further noting that Bolivia and Cuba have outstanding quota amounts in excess of two full years of assessments and are subject to the application of Article 6.B of the Constitution,

RESOLVES:

1. To take note of the report of the Director on the collection of quota contributions (Document CD40/25 and Add. I).

2. To express appreciation to those Member States that have already made payments in 1997, and to urge all Member States in arrears to meet their financial obligations to the Organization in an expeditious manner.

3. To congratulate Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Colombia, Dominica, El Salvador, France, Guyana, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Suriname for their successful payment efforts in fully meeting their quota obligations through 1997.

4. To compliment Antigua and Barbuda, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela for their payment efforts to reduce quota arrears for prior years.

5. To request the Director to notify Bolivia and Cuba that their voting privileges have been restored at this XL Directing Council, based upon Bolivia's recent payment and renewed commitment to the terms of its deferred payment plan, and Cuba's compliance with its deferred payment plan.

6. To request the Director:

(a) to continue to monitor the implementation of special payment agreements made by Member States in arrears for the payment of prior years' quota assessments;

(b) to advise the Executive Committee of Member States' compliance with their quota payment commitments;

(c) to report to the 25th Pan American Sanitary Conference on the status of the collection of quota contributions for 1998 and prior years.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R2    The Directing Council,

RESOLVES:

To appropriate for the financial period 1998-1999 an amount of $185,380,944 as follows:

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII   Part VIII

Governing Bodies Health in Human Development Health Systems and Services Development Health Promotion and Protection Environmental Protection and Development Disease Prevention and Control Administrative Services Effective Working Budget for 1998-1999 (Parts I-VII) Staff Assessment (Transfer to Tax Equalization Fund) Total - All Parts ===========

2,143,000 73,105,400 19,932,700 18,212,300 12,973,400 22,441,800 19,769,400 168,578,000 16,802,944 185,380,944 ==========

 

That the appropriation shall be financed from:

(a)               (b)

Assessments with respect to: Member States, Participating States and Associate Members assessed under the scale adopted by the Organization of American States in accordance with Article 60 of the Pan American Sanitary Code or in accordance with Directing Council and Pan American Sanitary Conference resolutions Miscellaneous Income       Total

173,680,944 11,700,000 --------------- 185,380,944

 

 In establishing the contributions of Member States, Participating States, and Associate Members, their assessments shall be reduced further by the amount standing to their credit in the Tax Equalization Fund, except that credits of those which levy taxes on the emoluments received from the Pan American Sanitary Bureau (PASB) by their nationals and residents shall be reduced by the amounts of such tax reimbursements by PASB.

3. That, in accordance with the Financial Regulations of PAHO, amounts not exceeding the appropriations noted under paragraph 1 shall be available for the payment of obligations incurred during the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 1999, inclusive. Notwithstanding the provision of this paragraph, obligations during the financial period 1998-1999 shall be limited to the effective working budget, i.e., Parts I-VII.

4. That the Director shall be authorized to transfer credits between parts of the effective working budget, provided that such transfer of credits between parts as are made do not exceed 10% of the part from which the credit is transferred, exclusive of the provision made for transfers from the Director's Development Program in Part II. Except for the provision made for the Director's Development Program in Part II, transfers of credits between parts of the budget in excess of 10% of the part from which the credit is transferred may be made with the concurrence of the Executive Committee. The Director is authorized to apply amounts not exceeding the provision for the Director's Development Program to those parts of the effective working budget under which the program obligation will be incurred. All transfers of budget credits shall be reported to the Directing Council or the Pan American Sanitary Conference.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R3    The Directing Council,

 Whereas Member States appearing in the scale adopted by the Organization of American States (OAS) are assessed according to the percentages shown in that scale, adjusted to PAHO Membership, in compliance with Article 60 of the Pan American Sanitary Code; and

 Whereas adjustments were made taking into account the assessments of Cuba, the Participating States, and Associate Members,

RESOLVES:

 To establish the assessments of the Member States, Participating States, and Associate Members of the Pan American Health Organization for the financial period 1998-1999 in accordance with the scale of quotas shown below and in the corresponding amounts.

 

 

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R4    The Directing Council,

Having reviewed the report (Document CD40/23) on the analysis of the Program on Health and Environment,

RESOLVES:

1. To call upon Member States to continue efforts to assume a strong leadership role in the management of environment-based health problems.

2. To accept the Director’s proposal for refocusing the operational approach of the Program on Health and Environment.

3. To request the Director to:

(a) continue negotiations with the Government of Mexico in order to proceed with the legal and administrative measures that may be required to formalize the disestablishment of the Pan American Center for Human Ecology and Health (ECO) by 31 December 1997;

(b) support the Government of Mexico in the establishment of a national center of environmental health;

(c) in view of the disestablishment of ECO, to make appropriate modifications in the program of work of the Pan American Center for Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences (CEPIS), with special reference to training, particularly in the area of environmental epidemiology, in consultation with the Government of Peru;

(d) ensure, in the respective measures, that the countries have easy access to the services of CEPIS and that the services be comprehensive and meet the countries' needs in environmental health.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R5    The Directing Council,

Elected Antigua and Barbuda, Ecuador, and Mexico to the Executive Committee upon termination of the periods of office of El Salvador, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the United States of America, and thanked the Governments of these countries for the services rendered to the Organization by their representatives on the Committee.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

 

CD40.R6    The Directing Council,

Having examined the report on the health of indigenous peoples (Document CD40/14);

Recognizing the growing evidence of inequities in health status and access to basic health services for the estimated 43 million indigenous persons in the Region of the Americas; and

Considering the economic, geographic, and cultural barriers to the efficient and effective delivery of public health and personal health care services in isolated rural and marginal urban areas in most countries,

RESOLVES:

1. To take note of the report on progress in the implementation of Resolution CD37.R5, to reaffirm the commitment to the goals of the Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, and to approve the activities proposed in Document CD40/14.

2. To urge the Member States, in the process of the implementation of health sector reform, to be persistent in efforts to detect, monitor and reverse inequities in health status and access to basic health services for vulnerable groups, including indigenous peoples.

3. To call to the attention of Member States that renewal of the goal of health for all requires that sustainable solutions are found to address the economic, geographic, and cultural barriers to adequate care for vulnerable groups.

4. To request the Director to continue his efforts to implement the Health of Indigenous Peoples Initiative.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R7    The Directing Council,

Having seen the report on the oral health of the population of the Americas (Document CD40/20);

Considering the strategic and programmatic guidelines of the Pan American Health Organization for the period 1995-19981 and the regional oral health strategy of the Organization;

Recognizing that oral health is a key aspect of general health conditions throughout the Region of the Americas, owing to its importance as part of the overall disease burden, the costs associated with its treatment, and the possibility of effective prevention measures; and

Recognizing that PAHO has cooperated with the countries of the Region in establishing conceptual and technical bases for the development of policies, infrastructures, and program capabilities in relation to national oral health programs,

RESOLVES:

1. To endorse Document CD40/20 describing the oral health situation in the Region and the proposed strategies for support to government efforts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of preventive oral health programs and to strengthen the organization and delivery of oral health services in the Region.

2. To urge the Member States to:

(a) promote the establishment and development of national programs for the prevention of oral and dental diseases, with emphasis on fluoridation via water, salt, or another vehicle as an effective and efficient way to reduce dental caries in the population;

(b) promote the establishment and strengthening of effective and sustainable national oral health services that are accessible to the neediest populations;

(c) strengthen the technical capabilities of the national and local institutions responsible for the oral health of the neediest population groups in their countries;

(d) promote measures for intersectoral cooperation among the respective countries to foster the proper development of their national oral health programs.

3. To request the Director to:

(a) support the establishment and coordination of strategic alliances to promote and facilitate the development of PAHO's regional strategy for oral health;

(b) encourage technical cooperation among countries in activities that promote oral health.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R8    The Directing Council,

Having seen the report on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the Americas (Document CD40/17 and Add. I);

Considering that sexually transmitted diseases increase the risk of transmission of HIV, and that HIV/AIDS is basically a sexually transmitted disease and an emerging epidemic that is affecting adolescents and young adults in the Region; and

Taking into account the growing number of people living with HIV/AIDS that will require appropriate, cost-effective, and humane medical care and social services,

RESOLVES:

1. To endorse the strategies and recommendations proposed in the aforementioned document, with a view to strengthening the managerial capacity of the national programs, improving epidemiological surveillance, identifying optimal prevention practices, validating appropriate models for the care of persons with HIV/AIDS, and stepping up specific activities for the control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the Region.

2. To urge the Member States, working with PAHO and UNAIDS, to:

(a) actively take the lead in coordinating national efforts and to promote the broad intersectoral response for the prevention of HIV/AIDS advocated by PAHO/WHO and UNAIDS;

(b) strengthen health sector activities in STD control, focusing specifically on epidemiological surveillance and care of the most common STDs with the greatest impact on women and adolescents;

(c) redouble efforts to mobilize resources at the national level and encourage horizontal cooperation among countries in order to strengthen the technical capabilities of the national programs for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and STDs at the subregional level.

3. To request the Director to:

(a) maintain the Region's technical and scientific capabilities and increase PAHO interprogram collaboration for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and STDs, and support for UNAIDS;

(b) inform the Governing Bodies, annually until otherwise decided, of the scientific, epidemiological, political, and programming changes that require their attention;

(c) support the countries' efforts to make the new treatments more accessible to all people living with HIV/AIDS in the Americas;

(d) collaborate with the countries to make the mass communication efforts of the countries to control the spread of HIV/AIDS increasingly effective.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R9    The Directing Council,

Having seen the Director's report on the nutritional situation in the Americas and the Plan of Action (Document CD40/31);

Considering the decisions adopted at the World Summit for Children (1990) and the International Conference on Nutrition (1992);

Recognizing the importance of nutrition for the social and economic future of the countries of the Region;

Recognizing that the nutritional status of mothers and children has consequences for the adult life of all individuals and for the generations to come:

Valuing active participation by the population in the solution of nutritional problems; and

Considering the technical cooperation that PAHO and other international organizations have provided for the design of policies and the development of plans and programs,

RESOLVES:

1. To approve the conceptual framework and Plan of Action for the Americas of the Food and Nutrition Program presented in Document CD40/31.

2. To urge Member States to:

(a) ratify the inclusion of nutrition in the political and public agenda;

(b) promote improvement of the technical and managerial capability of the countries for the design of policies, plans, and programs through technical and managerial training of human resources, participation by the public and private sectors, the use of countries' installed capacity, the involvement of the mass media, and the broad participation of the population itself;

(c) identify and carry out interventions using multidisciplinary personnel and intersectoral and interagency coordination, with emphasis on disease prevention and health promotion;

(d) strengthen intersectoral work by involving nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, the mass media, and civil society.

3.  To recommend that the Director:

(a) support the development and dissemination of the conceptual framework of the Food and Nutrition Program;

(b) advocate good nutrition for the population and especially for women, boys, and girls, within the context of health promotion in national and international entities;

(c) strengthen and activate the national, regional, and international networks working in nutrition, using the most advanced information networks;

(d) promote operational research, including the evaluation of food and nutrition plans and programs and their response to the changing needs of the population in this area.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R10    The Directing Council,

Having seen the report on the collection and use of core health data (Document CD40/19;

Considering that information on and knowledge about the health and well-being of the population is a strategic input for policy-making and for the programming, surveillance, and evaluation of social responses in the field of health; and

Aware of the need to ensure the availability of quality information on the health situation and health services coverage in the Region of the Americas,

RESOLVES:

1. To take note of Document CD40/19 and of the regional effort to consolidate an automated health information system that affords quick access to core data on the health situation of the countries of the Region.

2. To recommend that Member States:

(a) use a core body of health information for guidance in the development of policies and health programs and in the adjustment and evaluation thereof, and to continue reorienting the health services and strengthening surveillance systems in public health;

(b) reaffirm their commitment to the timely collection of data on the health and well-being of their populations, to ensure its validity and the coverage of all human groups, and to break down the information by geographical levels, sex, and population groups of interest for human health and development in the countries;

(c) make use of core health data as the principal source for the quantitative measurement and benchmarking of the achievement of nationally and internationally mandated health status goals.

3. To request the Director to:

(a) continue support to the development of the core health data initiative as a key component of PAHO's mandate to provide Member States with regional health information of the highest possible quality and relevance;

(b) establish coordination mechanisms with other international organizations and agencies that request this information in order to achieve the greatest possible consistency of the data submitted by them.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R11    The Directing Council,

Having seen Document CD40/24, which constitutes the chapter on the Region of the Americas in the document entitled Third Evaluation of the Implementation of the Strategy for Health for All by the Year 2000;

Recognizing that the chapter on the Region of the Americas has been prepared in keeping with the provisions of Resolution WHA39.71of the Thirty-ninth World Health Assembly;

Cognizant of the difficulties faced by the countries in implementing and utilizing these guidelines;

Considering that, with the approach of the new millennium, the Member States should renew their commitment to the goal of health for all and its health strategies; and

Bearing in mind that the report on this Region will be submitted to the WHO Executive Board for consideration by the World Health Assembly, together with the reports on the other regions of WHO,

RESOLVES:

1. To recommend that the Member States:

(a) give priority to the adoption of policies within the framework of equity, solidarity, and sustainability aimed at solving their health problems and improving the quality of life of their peoples;

(b) take appropriate steps to strengthen the renewal of their commitment to the goal of health for all and its health strategies;

(c) strengthen the information, analysis, and evaluation systems of their health sector in order to improve program planning and execution.

2. To request the Director to:

(a) transmit the report to the Director-General of WHO, together with the observations of the Regional Committee of the Americas;

(b) continue to cooperate with the Member States, assisting them, when necessary, in the renewal and implementation of the strategies, in the process of monitoring and evaluation, and in the preparation of the reports required in the future.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R12    The Directing Council,

Having seen the document on the steering role of the ministries of health in the processes of health sector reform;

Bearing in mind the issues raised by the Member States in the technical discussions held on the topic;

Aware that the sectoral reform processes in the Region are producing a redefinition of institutional roles in the health sector, particularly that of the ministries of health, in order to guarantee the exercise of their steering role in health;

Taking into account the trend toward the separation of functions in financing, insurance coverage, and service delivery, which demands a greater capacity to direct, regulate, and evaluate, while performing the essential public health functions corresponding to the health authority; and

Recognizing that PAHO has been cooperating with the countries in the design and implementation of their health sector reform processes in response to the mandates of the Summit of the Americas held in Miami and the resolutions of the Governing Bodies,

RESOLVES:

1. To endorse Document CD40/13, which traces the evolution of the steering role of the ministries of health within the context of the reform processes and proposes areas for concentrating PAHO cooperation, with a view to strengthening and developing the capacity to exercise that role as one of the key areas for the institutional development of the sector.

2. To urge the Member States to:

(a) strengthen the steering role of the ministries of health in the sector and their intersectoral leadership role in order to achieve the national health objectives that have been adopted;

(b) enhance the regulatory role of the health authority and its institutional capacity to execute the essential public health functions corresponding to the State;

(c) develop the mechanisms that will permit them to monitor, supervise, agree on, and take corrective action with respect to financing, insurance coverage, and service delivery by the various public and private sectors operating in the sector;

(d) encourage the development of new institutional and leadership capabilities and their supporting legal frameworks, undertaking the structural and functional reorganization of the ministries of health that will facilitate the full exercise of their steering role in the sector.

3.  To request the Director to:

(a) assign the highest priority, within the Organization's efforts to develop health systems and services and the sectoral reform processes of the Member States, to cooperation activities geared toward consolidating the exercise of the steering role of the ministries of health and their institutional strengthening in order to achieve this goal;

(b) promote information exchange on national experiences in exercising the steering role of the ministries of health and on institutional development toward this end;

(c) establish and support an ongoing process of discussion, conceptual development, and reflection on application of the steering role of the ministries of health.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R13    The Directing Council,

Considering the grave consequences for health and the economy caused by "El Niño" in 1982 and 1983 in almost all the countries of the Region;

Concerned that the new manifestation of "El Niño" might be even worse than in the years mentioned;

Aware that the damages caused by this phenomenon affect several countries simultaneously, without respecting borders; and

Mindful of resolutions CD24.R10, CD26.R36, CD27.R40, and CD32.R10 of the Directing Council, which confer on PAHO the mandate to provide technical cooperation for health emergency preparedness programs to deal with disasters, for personnel training, and for the assessment of health needs in emergencies, and which request the Member States to allocate personnel and a budget for disaster relief in the field of health,

RESOLVES:

1. To urge countries affected by "El Niño" that have not already done so to update their contingency plans to provide an adequate response to the health problems arising from this phenomenon.

2. To request the Member States to:

(a) take the necessary steps to develop effective coordination among sectors and mutual cooperation among countries in the spirit of regional integration;

(b) strengthen and integrate their systems for early warning, epidemiological surveillance, and the control of communicable diseases, particularly water-borne and vector-borne diseases, and disseminate this information freely through the Internet and other modern means of communication.

3. To request the Director to:

(a) continue technical cooperation with the Member States for emergency preparedness to enable them to deal with any emergency or disaster caused by "El Niño," coordinating actions in the health sector with subregional institutions such as the Hipólito Unanúe Agreement and with other multisectoral institutions;

(b) ensure that the priorities of this cooperation are focused on analyzing epidemiological risk, coordinating the preparation of contingency plans, integrating responses among the countries, exchanging information for decision-making and public awareness, and training both medical and public health personnel.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R14    The Directing Council,

Mindful of the situation created by human Hantavirus infection and the action already taken by PAHO in this area since 1994, as well as the concern expressed by the ministers of health at this meeting;

Considering the increase in the number of cases observed and their geographical dispersal in several countries of the Region;

Aware of the social, economic, and public health impact of Hantavirus infection; and

Recognizing the need to take action to prevent infection with these viruses and improve knowledge in this area,

RESOLVES:

1. To request the Member States to:

(a) intensify surveillance measures for the detection of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome;

(b) strengthen the capacity to establish collaboration agreements and mechanisms among the countries for developing a diagnostic laboratory network for this pathology;

(c) promote multidisciplinary intersectoral research on the ecology of the infection, with a view to defining prevention measures appropriate to the epidemiological situation;

(d) promote, through information, education, and communication geared to all levels of the community, the adoption of good environmental sanitation practices.

2. To request the Director to:

(a) create, in the short term, a task force to issue recommendations on Hantavirus infection/disease with respect to epidemiological surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention;

(b) promote and support horizontal cooperation between the interested countries;

(c) prepare a progress report on this topic for presentation at the 25th Pan American Sanitary Conference in 1998.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R15    The Directing Council,

Having seen the report on dengue, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and yellow fever (Document CD40/19);

Considering the marked increase in the magnitude of the dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever problem in the Region of the Americas, and the serious risk of yellow fever epidemics;

Recognizing the public health, social, and economic impact of these diseases in this Hemisphere; and

Recognizing the need for cost-effective, sustainable programs,

RESOLVES:

1. To urge Member States to:

(a) approve the Hemispheric Plan for combating Aedes aegypti prepared by a Task Force during its meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, in April 1997, and adapt the Plan to the prevailing national conditions, taking into account the publication Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in the Americas: Guidelines for Prevention and Control (1994);1

(b) identify human and financial resources necessary for the implementation of the Plan, while recognizing the importance of mobilizing and empowering communities to create clean and safe environments;

(c) include yellow fever vaccine in their national immunization programs in all areas at risk of transmission of the disease.

2. To request the Director to:

(a) collaborate with Member States in the implementation of the Hemispheric Plan and related strategies, as resources permit;

(b) promote mechanisms of communication and collaboration among Member States to optimize the implementation of the Plan;

(c) cooperate with Member States in seeking external funds in support of national activities to implement the Plan.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R16    The Directing Council,

Having seen the Director's report on adolescent health and development in the Americas and the Plan of Action for strengthening and developing plans and programs in this area (Document CD40/21);

Considering the decisions adopted by the World Summit for Children and the resolutions of the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization at the Forty-second World Health Assembly (WHA42.41)1 and the 35th and 36th Directing Councils (CD35.R16 and CD36.R18), respectively;

Recognizing the importance of adolescent health and development for the economic and social future of the countries of the Region;

Recognizing that the adolescent health situation has consequences for today's adolescents, in their adult life, and in the generations to come;

Valuing the participation of young people and their contribution to the social, economic, and political progress of the Americas; and

Considering the support that PAHO has provided for the development of plans and programs and the cooperation of the international agencies, especially the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),

RESOLVES:

1. To approve the conceptual framework and Plan of Action 1998-2001 on adolescent health and development in the Americas presented in Document CD40/21.

2. To urge Member States to:

(a) advocate the inclusion of the topic of adolescence and youth on the political and public agenda;

(b) improve the capacity of the countries to meet the needs of adolescents by designing public policies for young people and training of human resources;

(c) strengthen networking and intersectoral actions involving universities, nongovernmental organizations, and the media;

(d) provide for the participation of young people in plans and programs, and encourage the active participation of adolescents in the promotion of their own health and that of their communities.

3. To recommend that the Director:

(a) support the development and dissemination of the conceptual framework of the Program on Adolescent Health;

(b) collaborate in the development of human resources to attend to the multiple needs in health;

(c) strengthen and activate national, regional, and international networks that work with adolescents;

(d) promote operational research in this area.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R17    The Directing Council,

Considering it advisable that the Rules of Procedure of the PAHO Governing Bodies be brought in line with current practice and that similar rules for each body be consistent;

Aware that the proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Directing Council and the Pan American Sanitary Conference were thoroughly reviewed by the Executive Committee and the Working Party established for that purpose;

Considering that the Executive Committee, by Resolution CE120.R17 of its 120th  Session in June, adopted changes to its Rules of Procedure and recommended that the Directing Council adopt its amended rules; and

Bearing in mind the provisions of Rule 62 of the present Rules of Procedure of the Directing Council,

RESOLVES:

1. To thank the Working Party and the Executive Committee for their comprehensive review of the Rules of Procedure of the three Governing Bodies of the Pan American Health Organization.

2. To adopt the amended Rules of Procedure of the Directing Council as they appear in Annex B of Document CD40/9.

3. To recommend that the Pan American Sanitary Conference adopt the amended Rules of Procedure as they appear in Annex C of Document CD40/9.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R18    The Directing Council,

Considering the revision made to the base/floor salary scale for the professional and higher categories of staff in graded posts, effective 1 January 1997;

Taking into account the decision by the Executive Committee at its 120th Session to adjust the salaries of the Deputy Director and Assistant Director (Resolution CE120.R14);

Having noted the recommendation of the Executive Committee concerning the salary of the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau (Resolution CE120.R14); and

Bearing in mind the provisions of Staff Rule 330.3,

RESOLVES:

To establish the annual net salary of the Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau at $99,059 (dependency rate) and $89,069 (single rate), effective 1 January 1997.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R19    The Directing Council,

Having seen the report on mental health (Document CD40/15);

Taking into account that the mental health care needs of the population are growing as a result of the demographic and social changes under way in the Region of the Americas and the widening scope of the field of mental health;

Aware of the existence of technologies that make it possible to control psychiatric disorders; and

Considering that actions for the promotion of mental health and the psychosocial development of children complement those promoted by the World Summit for Children,

RESOLVES:

1. To urge the Member States to:

(a) formulate and implement national mental health programs as an integral component of national health plans and within the framework of health sector reform;

(b) intensify support for efforts to reorient mental health services from an institutional to a community approach, in keeping with the initiative for the restructuring of psychiatric care described in Document CD40/15;

(c) actively promote and support the inclusion of mental health services in every health insurance or payment plan and every health care services program;

(d) develop programs for the treatment of affective disorders, epilepsies, and psychoses;

(e) strengthen or carry out actions for the promotion of mental health and the psychosocial development of children, with special emphasis on the early years;

(f) support training for the managers of mental health programs in the schools of public health;

(g) make efforts to improve the legislation that protects the human rights of persons with mental disabilities;

(h) declare 10 October World Mental Health Day/Pan American Mental Health Day;

(i) increase the appropriations for mental health training.

2. To request the Director to:

(a) continue technical cooperation with the countries and intensify it, as financial resources permit;

(b) continue supporting the inclusion of mental health topics in all health forums and activities, and in joint activities with other agencies of the inter-American system;

(c) express the Organization's appreciation for the generous collaboration being provided by European regions and communities, and its thanks to the WHO Collaborating Centers in the Region;

(d) support programs to train leaders specializing in mental health.

September 1997 OD 285

 

 

CD40.R20    The Directing Council,

Having examined the report of the Director (Document CD40/22) on the progress made by the Special Program for Vaccines and Immunization and on the regional initiative calling for the elimination of measles in the Americas by the year 2000;

Recognizing the continued commitment of Member States to assigning high priority to immunization programs and their efforts to introduce new vaccines into the national vaccination schedule;

Noting with satisfaction that Members States who have followed PAHO’s recommended three-step vaccination strategy against measles are effectively protecting children in the 1-15-year age range, but expressing concern that despite these advances the virus is still circulating in some parts of the Region and is affecting susceptible populations;

Concerned about the declining attention to the four acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance indicators, which are used to detect possible circulation of poliovirus;

Recognizing that the effectiveness of immunization strategies depends on the utilization of vaccines of assured quality; and

Recognizing the tremendous advances in vaccine research and development worldwide that will lead to important new vaccines,

RESOLVES:

1. To urge Member States to:

(a) allocate the necessary financial and human resources to support routine immunization programs in the Region;

(b) maintain the Region of the Americas polio free, with appropriate surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis;

(c) consider the changes in the epidemiology of measles, review their current vaccination strategies for measles accordingly, insure that all susceptible populations are protected, and determine the need for a follow-up campaign among all children 1-4 years of age, including appropriate international coordination;

(d) coordinate the mobilization of resources from the public and private sectors, including nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in support of overall immunization programs, through inter-agency coordinating committees;

(e) strengthen the vaccine quality control system at the national and regional level through the continued support of the Regional Network of Vaccine Quality Control Laboratories and national control authorities;

(f) organize national advisory groups for vaccines and immunization to strengthen and coordinate activities of all institutions and laboratories involved in vaccine research, development, production, and quality control;

(g) strengthen surveillance in preparation for the introduction of new vaccines (such as Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B, and measles/mumps/rubella (MMR)), to accurately determine disease burden and develop appropriate vaccination strategy;

(h) provide resources and participate actively in vaccine research and development, in order to facilitate the availability of new vaccines of regional importance.

2. Request the Director to:

(a) continue his efforts to secure funds for the implementation of the Plan of Action for Measles Elimination in the Americas by the year 2000;

(b) coordinate activities related to research, development, production, and quality control of vaccines in the Region;

(c) promote actions by the Organization and the countries to make the highest quality vaccines accessible to their peoples at the lowest possible cost.

September 1997 OD 285

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