WINTER (January-March), N" 39 2000

of tbe Asso ciation of Fortner V/HO StaffWHO, CH-1211 Geneua 27, Suitzerhnà, ( T?:+41 22 791 il 03; ffi' +41 22 791 07 46; e-mail: exstaff@uho.ch)

HealthParo tN Fur-l-

The Staff Health Insurancehas received payment in full forthe costs of emergency hospitaliza-tion of a colleague, who claimedreimbursement from a pharmacy inFrance after it had misfilled hisprescription.

The prescription had beenwritten for 1 mg of anri-coagulanr,but was filled for 4 mg. In a lerter tothe pharmacy his Sisss cardiologisthad said that the error had placed

his life in danger, necessitating hisreadmittance to Hopital La Toururgently, from where he had been

discharged after hearr surgery just48 hours earlier.

As health coverage was rhere-fore under the "carastrophic" sectionof the scheme, no pârr of the reim-bursement was due to the patient:the heaith insurance received theentire 1,000 CHF paid.

ensLons

SrIu oUT IN LIMBoPiry our Russian pensioners!

Despite promises by the govern-ment, self-professed "sympathet-ic", over three years ago, theirclaim for restorarion of their U.N.pension, which had been signedaway - against their will - tothe former Soviet IJnion, remainsunresolved.

According to the last reportby the Standing Committee, U.N.Joint Staff Pension Board, thegovernment "was suggesring aninternal solution, whereby a smallâmount would be added to Statepensions; this amount was mini-mal- less than $10 a month."

It was rejected by theFederation of Former InternationalCivil Servants Associarion,Moscow. Former staff retiringberween 1981 and 1990 nowreceive, in roubles, the equivalentof less than $20, and are growingolder in limbo.

II-I-NESS AT AN AovnNcED SrncEColleagues who live in coun-

tries which provide national healthservices free, or almost so, oftenforget - to their detriment - thatthey are covered also by their \/HOhealth insurance. Yet in the eventof illness at an advanced stage, thereare cases whe re the physician ar

home is unable to prescribe rreat-ment because its high cosrs cannor

ReeI OpENNESSIf you haven'r examined it closely before, look

now at the fairly-new payment advices from our healthinsurance plan. It's all there: How much you have beenreimbursed over the last three years, how many creditsyou still have for dental and eye glasses. And if a bill waspaid directly by the insurance, it shows the baiance owingby you to the doctor or the hospital.

That, says QN's '§ü'ise Old Owl, making its first

appearance on these pages as observer, is openness, or inthe politically correct word now -"rransparency". "lYbat shall ute do uith that hour tue gain tbis weeh-end?"

be met from public funds.

"So, if your doctor comes upwith an unpleasant diagnosis,remember to say that you are enti-tled to the best possible care under\ÿHO's Staff Health Insurance,"counsels Rosemary Bell, member ofthe AFSM Executive Board, andformerly a long-time representarive

of staff.

SIeEPING rN SearrLE (Alrraosr)

^

fter an investigation of geographical

A areas and locations in the Unitedl- IS,r,.r, we settled on BainbridgeIsland (where scenes were shot for the movie"Snow Falling on Cedars"),

.Washington

State (where the best-seller by the same

name was set). It takes about 25 minutesto cross to Seattle. The ferry (which was

a prominent part of the film "Sleepless

in Seattle") runs approximately every 45minutes from 6.00 to 2.00 a.m. so we neverfeel cut off from the mainland.

The island is about 20 miles north tosouth and 12 miles easr ro west. Population:17,000, 50 per cent of whom commuteto Seattle, others work on the island, orare retired. This is not a retirement com-muniry, however, as the average age is 49.

The island is self-contained, with small shops, a cinema complex, several good restauranrs, perrol starions,food markets. There are many artisrs among the community including a local thearre group which performthroughout the year. In addition, rhere are rwo golf courses.

The environment is relaxed, with a high level of personal security, apart from petry rhefr. Personal securiry,combined with the good reputation of the schools, were the key reasons for our choosing Bainbridge Island ratherthan the mainland. While Seattle is not too large, has many cultural arrracrions, its main drawback is traffic.It is rated the fifth most congested city in the U.S. A lot of people who work there look for solutions, andBainbridge Island is one of them, consequently property values have increased.

en I first saw the house we are renting and the others in the neighbourhood, I was reminded ofa Hollywood film set, where nothing is real, particularly the gardens.

.We were lucky to find a

rental home as they are few and far benveen. A home is rented nor more than 48 hours after beingannounced. There are about 20 houses in our community: families are either couples in their sevenries or intheir mid-to-late 30s. Everyone has been very welcoming and helpful. To be honesr, we much prefer the wayhouses are built in Europe perhaps because the gardens are a bit sauuage yet beautifui. Everything here is too"organized." I can'r think of a better word for it.

My wife, Vai, who is very English, has adjusted well. Bainbridge is not typical of U.S. sociery in manyresPects. She misses many things and finds the qualiry of many items here lacking in comparison to France.'W'e are however much impressed by the variety of choices of food plus non-edible consumer goods. Whilelood is not cheaper here than in France, by any means, clothing and many other things are less expensive. Themajor gap for us is our friends. \7e miss all of you. That has been the most difficult part of moving. I like tobelieve that it will prove to be a correct decision, especially for our children. There are many more opportunitieshere for them as well as for us, which is perhaps the best aspect of U.S. culture - ensuring something foreveryone. \ü7e will know better as time passes.

_Ron Anderson(formerly A/Cbief RMB )

Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA( E-mai l: ua lro n @ Bain bri dge. net)

Fearu REs

:

:

Elliott Boy

§eatth Art rrlu5.um §Art Muiêum _..r(è\ È

ller ," .:, \* q-§zi :" r:'. çEà , i Èioneer Ycslcr wtT*I \ r: §ouare YESLER TER.

ï r i i :::' *l,T **r,.r,on sr' I T#l;r+; :.À.*;ttlÿ!iL

r'--' l i ri s?# o§,:r4j âàI"*'on '''I Ë ;gtolirdrittônalL-* e xi:iqiirùh Cîl, j É èq,€ÿrÊ i,r'*a \2

I f, I ',4:i§:UI [ :6 Râinier Avcnuü 5'

I The Klngdome

20 minutes by 1"""y.

WHO,S FInsT D.G STRVED orue TeRMroch Cltisholm - Doctor to tbe World record.s the lifeof a _distinguished Canadian, born in Oakville, O"i"rlo i"1896, who is well known abroad for the right reasons and

remembered at home perhaps for the tü/rong orr.r. "r, describes hisgrowth and maturation; hii medical studie"s, general prrcci.e; hisinterest in psychiatry; his military service in \ÿorld \x/àrs I and II,where he rose to the rank of Major General; his role as DepuryMinisrer o[ Healrh; and his inrernârional service, initially *irti rheUnited Nations, then with \7HO.

. Despite his international repurarion, Brock chisholm cendsto be remembered ar home as "rlre man who killed sanra claus,"and unfortunarely the aurhor, Allan Irving, overemphasizes thismyrh. Chisholm used rhat metaphor freqüenrly to *rr. Dârenrsagainst rhe.wrong education of childre., ,"d ,lâ need of Àr,,rr.,enlighrened yourh ro lead a just sociery.

The second part of the book is devoted to the man of§rHo. He now wôrked for rhe world, confronting its preiudicesand realities, accords and rivairies; its population 3f ne'atrl-,v andsick. The inequaliries he wirnessed led à â b.li.f rhar herlth'-usrf: 1

Utiag. to.social justice and world peace. This was to becomenls legacy to hls successors.

[firsr mer this doctor in l95r when, as rhe represenrative o[I my graduaring class, I meekly wenr ro invite him to officiateI,at our {ippocratic Oath-raking. He was delighred ro accepr,

and devoted his address ro the.nece-ssiry of us new "do.,o^ infusiigour profession with noble ideals of 'service,

ethics and humanconsideration. Even more than technology, he told us, th. f..t....of mankind was in. rhe hands of the y"ou.rg., generation, whoshould.nor repeat the wars, errors

"rrd .r,rJl."r"-"drr.r, of li,

generatlon.

.In one single term (1g48-1953) as D-G, Chisholm fine-runed his srance towards the attainment of world health. Heanchored it in a concepr revolutionary for the times, rhat brokedown imperialistic and nationalistic boundaries, and ,ir", "ffir-.dthe best-quoted part of \MHo's constitution: "Health is a state ofcomplete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of di*"r. o, irrfir-l.li'

Tbis buçt of the tst D-G tüas presented tothe seraing D-G by Dr. Gunn to marh the50th anniuersar! of VHO. It is a grrt rfformer U.N. (Inder-S-G, Robert Mulhr.

Sculpted b1t Domenico Nazzone

At \XIF{O's fiftierh anniversary in 1998, another visionary D-G, Dr Halfdan Mahler, described Chisholm,smission as,"soaring.and down to éarth." His humiliry rlro i, legendary: ilaore joining \xrHO, I paid him acourtesy call at his home in British Columbia. In oui .or,.r.rrr,Ën h.'gr,r. no Éinmr"rll of hir-h'ruing b..nl::::l:i,^,Fl I:? drv, with companion of the order of canada, hi, .."';r'r'Àigh.;, h";;; ï;;ü leïrnt o[lt readlng rhe papers on rhe ferry back ro Vancouver.

^

s half the book is given over to Chisholm's internarional healrh work, a more analyrical study would have

l.ItËi.i':J:l,*i iJï::r.iir:s,ï: t;:iiîï)îi,tî:,',i*'"Tïl îixiïillï;ï::ii:::;(,:,T;flil:advocated by K9fi 4r:i-llr-\..Secretary-General); hi, id.rr o., *o.id r.a.r"rm'i.,o* i.fl..r.d i' tÀe È.,.op.".,Union); and other forward-looking concêpts.

One feels that this book falls short-of a.-deep study of a superior man, bur it is informative, well-writtenand must be required reading for all §7Ho colleagles, pJrt and pr'.r.",.

, (It isTy-!.ltlhed bv the Hannah Institute.for th_e Ht11ory of Medicine IISBN t-55_041-ts45J. Auaikblefoml:l:!:y.,6 whitesidiLtd., 195 Allstate Parkitay, Markha,/n,bnt., L3R 4TB, Canala. price-ôon.$ ial.gs. The\YHO Library ltas ordered the booh.)

-§Tilliam Gunn, M.D.

(Former Director IVHO Emergency Relief Operations,Nout administering the International Association For Humanitaria, tutr"d;rlir, Arirh'Ch;rhol*.1

page 3

ONe DoLLAR Plense!

T ooking out on a wintry day in Geneva, I long

I ,o roll the weeks back and bask again in the sunI-./on the Caribbean's largest island - Cuba. Lushgreen countryside, sun-drenched white beaches, warmturquoise seas, an ice-cool rum punch and the liltingsound of salsa music. Sounds like paradise, doesn't it?But as always there is another side to the picture.

Tourism is fast becoming the major dollar-earnerfor Cuba but it is a mixed blessing. Beggars, freelance

guides, prostitutes and souvenir vendors are appearing,all anxious for dollars since the dollar was legalisedas a usable currency. Basic foods are on ration forthe Cubans and their choice is limited. Salaries varylittle; whilst the girl rolling cigars may earn 200 pesos

a month or a bus driver 300, a fully-qualified doctorearns only around 500. (The peso is officially at parwith the dollar). Tour guides who receive tips indollars can earn up to 20 times more than a teacher,and you find doctors or engineers working as bell-boysin the tourist hotels.

After decades of ryrannical and corrupt militarydictatorships, Fidel Castro led a revolution that broughthim to power in January 1959. Eventually all landand property were nationalised and a ban was pur onprivate enterprise. Many previously "wealrhy" Cubansleft, and the United States placed a trade embargo onCuba which it still upholds today.

astro outlawed racial discrimination, slashed

rents and increased wages; volunteers taughtthe peasants to read and write. Today Cuba

has a literacy rate of 95 per cent - higher than thatof the United States. Health services are excellent andfree. But due to the U.S. embargo, medicines are

not readily available and pharmacy shelves lie empry.Plant medicines are however being developed, withpromising results. People travel mainly by horse andcart, by bicycle, in overcrowded buses or by hitch-hiking. Few Cubans own cars, and those date backto the 1950s1

I travelled with a tourist group from one endof the island to the orher, visiting most major rowns.Everywhere you see vestiges of Spanish colonial rimes,particularly the beautiful though faded and decayingmansions, but historic monuments and museums are

well-run and well-documenred.

f f you go to Cuba, stuff your pockets with one dollar

I bills: one each for the chambermaid, the museumI guide, rhe ever-presenr musicians, the toilet attend-

ants, the taxi-drivers. If you photograph people in thestreet, they too expect a dollar. Some people approachyou rubbing their arms; they are asking for soap, whichis rationed and of poor qualiry.

My fear is that the tourist boom will explode,bringing back some of the evils the revolution foughtso hard to eliminate, causing a sort of apartheid, withone set of rules for tourists and another for the localpopulation. As the world moves towards globalisationof trade and the lifting of barriers, surely it is timefor '§ÿ'ashington to end its senseless and immoralblockade against Cuba. To quote the United States

own Chamber of Commerce, "it is behaviour unworthyof a great nation."

-Dorothy Hoffinann

(formerly INF)

page 4

Winter2000

Health Corner LUMBAGott

§:to for being late," said Albert, "I had a terrible lumbago this morning, and wanted ro stay in bed, butt-Jthen A.lberta persuaded me ro ger up, and now I feel bettèr."

. Alberta.gave wise advice. According rc Scientifc American (August l99B), the dictum that bed rest is themainstay of therapy of lumbago is_one of the seven-myths about loriback pain. Of course, when severe backpain occurs for the first time, one should not take it automatically for

" b"grt.ll.; "if your b".k hrrrtr, you shouldtake it easy until the pain goes away is myth No. 3,-according io th. ,rni. paper. Ii is

"pproprirt.-tâ consulr aphysician and to delegate to him the responsibility of thinkinglabout the potriËt..r.rr. of ,h. p"ir,.

'-fll. Merck Manual - since 1899 the "bible" of (anglophone) practising physicians - in its 15th edition

Ii::'1,'n:;'"r,::i:::t'.f #iî":i*i:;l"rrî,1i6;:i[Hnï:;""r,"î,*.;,ï::,:::ilfl Iback, and tends to be selÊlimited, or transitory. Next in fi.qrr.rrày are b"one and joint disoiders (osteoarthritis,spondylarthrosis) in the_region of the back; these increase *irÀ age, and are pr.r..r, in more thr., i0 per cent ofpeople ab-ov5r1ge f0 (By the way, is this the reason why retirerÀenr age fo.'§trHo collaborators had'been fixedfor their 60tlr birrhday?) ,\7ith further

"g:tlg, occasion-al lumbago becLmes more and more common, definitelya fact of significance for the Association àf Fàr-.r staff Memberi.

On the other hand, "everyone with. back pain should have a spine x-ray" is, again, one of the myrhs. Sincemost.elderly people. do have changes ,l ,1. spine, imaging -ry .,oi really contribJte to a diagnosis oî th. cause;pain is often not related to the x-ray finding; A fu.ther myth is that everybody having , "riipp.d disk" shouldundergo surgery; patients to be operated up6n should_ be caiefully selected ty spe.i"lis,J Indir..iminately done,operatio^ns often result in failure. On the other hand, according to a study of pain-free individuals, about rwothirds of people. have disk anomalies, with_out any qain_.

- Surgery àt.s fo, b"ék pri., vary from counrry ro counrry,

depending on the cultural.atmosphere. Thus, in ihe lJniteà Siates, the rate fo. back rurg.ry is fiu.iim.s high.,than in Britain, showing that theie exist, even in serious medicine, culturally conditioneifaâs.

l-oming back to A.lberta's common-sense advice, various studies were done on the value of bed-rest as a

t ,treatment for lumbago. One such-study showed that the absence of patients from work depended only

\Jon the doctor's recommendation for how long ro sray in bed. Four days of bed ,.r, ,,.r.rêd out to beno more effective than rwo

{ays_, -or even no bed resi at all.

' Those *ho remained active despite the pain did

better in the long run -.they had fewer and ligÏter recurrences. Physical activiry may also h"r.'ro.r,. preventiveeffect, i.e. the onset of.lumbago.may be.less f..q....rt in physically acti.,e p.rrâ.,r, thrugh this is.ro't for-"llyPt9".":; .but patients^who have .developed lumbago do benefit from

"d.qr.r"t. exercise, oi.e th. acute pain has

subsided, or even before, while havingio-. pain.

Patients often tend to seek relief in various so-called alternative rreatmenrs, such as chiropractic,acuPuncture, electroth.Irpy, "transcendental meditation." Naturally, such procedures are followed by ,o-.positive results, since the pain, as in Albert's case, ofren subsides ,po.r,r.r.à1rsly, thanks to Mother Nrtur..The medical phrase customar.ily.lpplied is therefore "watchful wairing", ,..r,-..,t", complemented by classicalpain-killers, such as acetylsalicylic àcid, the good old honourable aslirin - often rno.. Ëff..,ive than modernsophisticated combinations of chemicals.

^____Tllki"g of olden times, where does the term "lumbago" come from? According to the Dictionary

of \Word.Origins, the distant ancestor of the Latin lumbm i", probably Germanic; ,lii, gr,,. in the 17thcenture the present term. denoting lumbar (loin) ache. Said Albert, "§(/ho needs erymol"frri I need it asmuch as a pain in the neck."

-Tom Strasser, M.D.(formerly CVD)

raa

.1 ',fl].i: Jl

boppsJoge use s

Casce B,

pÂques ,r"l*,r.l

News & VrEws

BnNKoWSKCIOMS has established a lecture on ethical aspecs

of health policy named after Zbigniew Bankowski,now retiring as its Secretaqy-General after serving for25 yr^rt. The lecture will carry with it a specialhonorarium and be funded from contributions fromcolleagues.

A §fHO staff member from 1965 to 1975,Dr Bankowski 'ü/as Responsible Officer, ResearchCoordination and the Programme for Research Training

The news is already out, published in the Tribunede Genèue (20 January 2000), that it will be a bigday for AAFI/AFICS on Tuesday, 4 July 2000 (coin-cidentally a big day too for a Member State). Asthe Associations turn 60, they pledge, among otherthings, to "strengrhen their capaciry for serving theinternational communiÿ," and at a practical level, to"avoid competition among associations for members."

Indeed, to do the latter, it may be possiblefor retiring staff to join its own association and AAFIiAFICS through "a combined application and a com-bined contribution, where feasible (of course)." The

Lrtrle' §ÿHO's is the largest association of former

staff. It has 1,200 members; followed by ILO, with700; ITU, with 160; \fTO with 100; and AFIS (rheAssociation of Former ITC Sraff Members) with 65.

. AAFI/AFICS, the umbrella organization thatpublished these figures, has 3,000 members, about2,000 in the Geneva area alone. It is open ro sraffof all U.N. agencies, thus many members are listedelsewhere as weli. The Chairman, AFSM, sits on itsexecutive board.

. Mail & Internet courses, four of them, wereoffered by AAFI/AFICS to members in 1999 whowere at different levels of skill, with generally good

I LECTUREand Grants, then served as \MHO Rep to Tunisia, whileholding a Visiting Professorship of Histology, Facultyof Medicine, Tunis.

CIOMS (the Council for InternationalOrganisations of Medical Sciences) was created.f oindy byUNESCO and'§7HO in December 1949, and ro mark\[HO's 50th Annirersary, organised an InternationalConference on Pharmacovigilance and Related EthicalIssues.

main events to mark rhe occasion are firsr, on 4 July,an anniversary lunch, and second, on 22 July, a concerrby the Chamber Orchestra of Geneva, both naturally atthe ILO, the grand-daddy of all staff associations.

Guests of honour at the lunch are Juan Somavia,D-G. ILO; and Dominique Follmi, President,Diplomatic Club, and former President of the Republicand Canton of Geneva.

(Meanuhile our AFSM will marh an occasion tooon 'W'ednesdq,

5 April, it holds it\ first euer generalmeetting, at 13.30, salle C)

LrNensresults reported. An example of conrinu-ing education that AFSM might like toemulate, says QN's \Wise Oid Owl. Tobe fair though, AFSM is exploring thepossibility of organizing bridge sessions,

a welcome initiarive.tt

" t^

. Yera Kalm, former Director of \WHO's LiaisonOfficer, U.N., New York, has translated into Englishby Jean-Jacques Chevron, which according to a forwardby U.N. S-G Kofi Annan "gives a simple, clear andconcise accounr of the history and work of the U.N."Profusely illustrated and ideal for schools and col-leagues, it is available at Naville, Palais des Nations.

BIC DEY FOR AAFI/AFICS (WZ HAVE c.NE TOO)

i.t_"q( \:

The QN editorial team produced QN38, its last24-page issue, by long distance - working from Naples,Florida (Peter Ozorio), from Malta (Rosemary Bell),from New Delhi (Michel Fèvre), from the Geneva area(|ohn Bland, David Cohen, Yves Beigbeder, JeryKilker, Jean Leclercq, Alain Vessereau and MarianneKirg, the glue in the operation). Last but nor leasr,

from Glasgow (Humphrey Matthey, who does the^\T

I \vl\ layout,.

QNBa: BY Loruc DrsrnrucEIt all went well, excepr for the loss in the

Christmas post of the envelope with all of the news-letter's artwork. That led to a wild scrambie rofind duplicates, and to a delay, but not by much,in production. Thus, with e-mail, fax and, as a last

resort, the old-fashioned telephone, and the post office,none could escape the long arm of editorial dury andresponsibility.

page 6

N" 39 2000

?a*Tælrria

No EScAPINGTreasurer Joe Chang-Wailing read this sign

over a pastry shop last year while on a trip roPefiiscola, Spain, rvith wonderment. It brings to

i§ mind what colleague David Payne, fo.-.rly -CID

and now in \7ales, earlier concluded about 'ù[HO:"Fortunately, or unfortunately, you cannot get rid

-'" ofit..."

WHO TRRNSLAToRS, REST EnsvHurrah, at last a solution to all our translation

problems, thought John Bland, former editor of WorldHeahh. He had discovered a rwo-way AutomaticTranslator Service on the interner, which will - forfree - translate, thereby doing away with mere humantranslators forever. A lover of words and, more preciselythe right word, he tested this e-novation with a shortpassage, then reversed the process, putting it back intoEnglish.

His original '§ÿ'hen Sue Black had left the party,

Faith '§ÿ'oods was still dead set on making the do gowith a bang. She cried: "Come on, let's cut a rug.§(/e're going to rock around the clock tonight." Not tobeat about the bush, she was cut to the quick that Suehad jumped the gun and done a bunk.

Tbe transhtion: Quand le noir de Sue était partide la partie, les bois de foi étaient encore.positionnementmort sur faire uont de pair auec un coup. Elle a pleuré:"Audncez, coupons un€ couu€rtur€. Nous allons basculer

uingt-quane heures sur uingt-quAtre ce soir. " Pour n€ pasbattre au suja du buisson, elle a été coupée au rapide queSue auait sauté l€ ?istolet et auait fait uie couchette.

The re-transhtion: '§ÿ'hen the black of knownhad started from the part, the wood of faith were stillpositioning died on making go hand in hand witha blow. It cried: "Advancè, coupons a cover. 'W'e

will rock twenry-four hours out of rwenry-four thisevening." Not to beat about the bush, it was cur rothe rapid which Sue had jumped the gun and hadmade a berth.

His conclusion: \ÿHO translators, rest easy,your jobs are secure.

To test it on your computer: first, 'Copy'your English (or French) rexr, then go robabelfish.altavista.com on the Net; next paste in yourtext; then select English to French (or vice versa) andhit "Translate". Your text will promptly appear onscreen.

LIPESTYLES

SEI-P-HeLP GRoUP SEEKING HeIpAFSM's Self-Help Group apparently is in need

of help to decide on a regular spot for its late-morning-coffee/luncheon gathering. It meets on the first Fridayof rhe monrh.

Hotel Suisse, which provided service at table, hasbeen the choice until it closed its restaurant. Thenext venue was the Bagatelle, âcross from Cornavinstation, and then the Hotel \ü/arwick for the year-enddo.

*I,:*yrt a rrifle pricey, but then the hotel is rated

tour ' .

"\7e had a pleasant room and a number of roundtables. This, together with rhe apéro served outsidemade it easier for everyone to talk to eveqyone else,"reports Rosemary Bell, one of the organizers. "To berepeated." But that was not to be. Since then, ithas been (temporarily) the Migros cafeteria at Balexert,which because of its clamour made chatting difficult,and instead of being served, it is cafeteria, selÊhelpsry\e. A suiure.

For more information or sussestions, call her(phone/fax: +33 450 422678 or"Marsaret Baker(i,hone +33 450 36 88 63).From Geneüa or nearbyVaud, 059 instead of +33.

SeIuNG, SAILINGA first cruise on the Mediterranean has been

announced by the AFSM Executive Group. It is beingplanned on the Italian liner "Costa Romantica" fromMonday, 23 Oct to Friday, 3 Nov 2000. Its route:from Nice to Italy, Egyp,, Israel, Cyprus and the GreekIslands.

To benefit from highly attractive Group Rates,a minimum of 20 bookings must be made by 1 June2000. Prices: Categories A: 8,950 French francs; BFF 9,350; C FF 10,350 and D FF 11,050. Nl 2beds to a cabin.

To book, write/fax/e-mail AFSM, room 4141,attention Drs David Cohen, Daniel Flahault.

FOR SALE BY FORMER STAFF MEMBER:Superb uilk(160m2) taith louely garden (1200m2) inT[toiry. 5 minutes fom uillage centre and Val Thoiry;4 bdrml 2 bths, liuing/dining utith freplace, uorkshop/storage area, hundry room, one car gdrage with sheber

for another 2 cars, beautiful terrdce. Price: FF 2.3mAuaikble I September 2000. Tel: Mrs H. Geueniger(059) 450 4t 28 96.

page 7

Jean-Noël Malavallon: Allthe colleagues and friends of Jean-Noël Malavallon were deeply sad-dened to learn of his death ar rheage of 62. Jean-Noël joined §fHOin 1962 as a Messenger-Driver andhis qualities were quickly noted andappreciated. Extremely serious as

a driver and meticulous in main-taining all the official §IHO cars,he very soon received promotionsand became driver for the Director-General.

Apart from his always impec-cable appearance, his tact and di.s-cretion were well appreciated bothby the management and by all theimportant dignitaries whom he hadthe opportuniry and the honour todrive. After more than 35 vears inhis career, he never had the ieast lit-

In Memoqta(n

tle incident or accident, nor had topay a single fine to the gendarmesof Geneva or an)"where else, whichrates âs quite a professional exploitwhen you consider that he drovemore than a million kilometres onEuropean roads.

It is noteworthy that he wasjust as active and appreciated inthe commune of Ferney-Voltaire forhis participation in a great manysocial activities and as an electedmember of the Municipal Councilfor many years. The crowd presentat his funeral is sufficient proof ofthe immense professional, social andfamily impact that Jean-Noël had

-**&.JF.tgc . - t

!:,,I'

'1*:--

you broughl 16 X rus; we will all keep in a cornerof our heart the memory of a faith-ful colleague and friend. To hiswife, Jeannine, and all her large fam-ily, we can only repeat our sinceresympathy and all our friendship.

-Jean-Pierre Aimé,

(Formerly CMS)

Eulog l2 January 2000, Notre-Dame Church, Ferney-Voba ire

on all aroundhim throughouta lifetime ofservice.

On behalfof them all, a

big "thank you"to you, Jean-NoëI, for all that

Joan Short: The news thatJoan had passed away last Novemberin Dorset, England, where she wasenjoying her retirement left us verysad.

She was a Secretary in theseventies and early eighties in the

Division of Environmental Health,and will be remembered for herefficiency, competence and dedica-tlon.

I had the good fortune towork wirh her for some years, andrecall her kindness, sense of humour

and ready smile. Joan always had\fHO and her friends close at heart,and visited Geneva from time totime. She will certainly be missed.

-Vic Pinto

(formerly EH)

IN rxe House

To BIc BUSINESS, A ..HOWDY PARDNER,,"Since I haue become Director-General (in June

1998), \X/HO has been reaching out to new pdrtn€rs in its

ffirt to conquer disease. W, Eaw strength'ened ties withU.N. agencies and established good collaboration with ah andful of p riuate- s ector co mp a n i es. "

Dr Gro Harlem Brunddand(Fact Sheet No. 235, October 1999)

The "first-ever" partnership with the businessworld occurred in 1948, with vàccine manufacturersand another notable one rook place in 1988, withthe pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., (which devel-oped the drug Ivermectin againsr river blindness andprovided it free).

But it was in 1999, that "major partnerships werelaunched" to fight leprosy and malarià, as evideÀced inthe naming of 12 Japanese pharmaceutical companiesas partners to develop new anri-malarials in 1ü7HO's

campaign "Roll Back Malaria."The D-G's statement is the mosr recent and

probably the clearest public indication ever of \MHO'sdiminished fear of an old bête noire, which shouldbe encouraging to programme managers. "Conflict ofinterest" used to be frequently cired by Legal in orderto shoo away the private secror.

Today, no longer as bashful, or fearful, of com-merce, WTIO seemingly wanrs to be a game player

, â.-*'-:--".',;&'ü: i

I t") t/\ a.

. ,,I!sL 'r:.:-

"fvçg//sns-let's run it

through legal."

9f.4

,l§\,l \,i Ii({

r,À,

k§ (Neu Yorher,

j0 Nou. '98)

as well, maKlng tne polnt ln a DacKgrounoer neao"Trade and Public Health" released for \MHO's 3Ministeriai Conference in Searrle in September 1999.All of this, of course, would be news to former staff.

The Staff Association's satirical newsletter, ZrSerpent Enchaîné, in December 1998, plavfully com-mented on this trend, thusly:

Corporate Cbums: Nout that the D-G has

lunched in Geneua utith 25 corpordt€ leaders, and has metthe CEO of Coca Cola in Washington, Serpent is surethat LEG," ofien ouerly careful witï rhem (i, on, ,orr,making it impossible for a programme t0 accept $ I milliondonation fom Mar) has adjusted its position.

Euen Nesth md! noto find fauour, muses Serp,considering that it ltas named a breakfastfood "Clusters."

page I

Lerrens(Uruhss stated to tbe contrary by correspondznts, letters receiaed are routinely considered,

and edited, for publication to encourage an excbange of aieuts among colleagues.- Editor)

A BRAIN AT Houe(Re: "A Burden of a Brain-Bank?", QN 38, Autumn1999)

To begin, I remember well the briefings ofDr Kenneth Sinclair-Loutit presented at the annualplanning meetings. They were colourful, honest andstraightforward. However, I wish to respond to hisquestion about invitations by the administration toformer staff to serve \MHO.

Although we may be surprised once in a while,such as in the case of Herb Crockett (another dearcolleague), who was invited to assist \fHO on therecent MAS/NF, and Dennis'W'arner, once, accordingro his own words, I personally know of only a fewcases when (usually well-connected) retired colleagueswere invited (usually by directly befriended active staff)to serve.

As to myself, since my retirement in Copenhagenin mid-1993, living there until my departure to Israelin February 1995, and since then, I have never beencalled on to help or to serve \fHO - despite severalverbal and written indications that I would. I hadthought that I could be of some use after 25 years ofservice, and after my initiation and implementation ofmany environmental health projects.

For me, therefore, it is not a case of a "Burden"or a "Brain-Drain", but a "brain" sitting at homewishing to be used before drying out. ...

-Michael J. Suess, Sc.D.(fo r m e r t7, u

^ o;

r?-ri ;, I 1f :: /,

TneN AND NOw IN SEARO"Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to be

young was very heaven," so 'W'ordsworth reminiscedabout revolutionary times. '§7ith the same zest, staff inthe formative years of \7HO felt a sense of fulfilmentas they contributed to building it up to its presentmagnitude.

In South-East Asia, it was a privilege for experi-enced technocrats and administrators to join \fHO.Young men and rvomen brought a missionary zeal toservice of suffe ring humaniry. Staff turnover was hardlyheard of but, following the retirement of Dr C. Mani,the first SEARO Regional Director, and some of hisclose colleagues, the era of staff retirement commencedaround 1968.

Although SEARO has done precious little to keep

pace with the economic and professional development

of staff, most staff have taken pride in serving \fHO.The nonfulfilment of staff aspirations and expectationsdid not diminish their spirits,

-Manmohan Singh

(Former Administratiue Officer to the WHORrpràientatiue in India)

UNINVITED(Re: "Pleased and Displeasel'i QN 38, Autumn, '99)

I never miss an opportuniry to visit Genevaas I remember the h"ppy years I spent there, and Iwould also make an effort to be present at the AnnualReception. The only problem is I have never beeninvited. The only time I have been presenr was whenI gate-crashed a reunion in 1993. I had no conscienceabout doing this as I felt I had a right to be there.

AFSM must be the only association where allmembers are not invited to annual receptions - andthey should be. I sometimes regret becoming a LifeMember as I feel the association is run for the peoplewho have settled in the Geneva area.

Perhaps this matter could be discussed ar rheAGM on 5 April. I presume all members have beeninvited.

-J""r, Pounder

(formerly Itr/H O, G eneua)

Darlington, UK

WHERE DID wE GO wRoNG?(Re "Honoured," QN39 Autumn I999)

The welcome news of The Frank A. CalderonePublic Health Prize being awarded to D.A. Hendersonfor smallpox eradication in 1980 reawakens an oldmystery, why no Nobel Prize for \fHO for this uniqueachievcment?

'§ÿ'as it true that opinions were divided betweenthe Medicine Prize and the Peace Prize? Surely remov-ing a killer disease from the planet did as much for"peâce" as UNHCR did in 19r4, UNICEF in 1965,ILO in 1969 and UNHCR again in 1981.

-John H. Bland

(form er Editor- in' C h i $ lVor ld H e a lt h )

EISIER IN THE ''BIG EASY',(Re "Anything But Raired," QN 38, Autumn, '99)

It's hard to believe that we have been at TulaneUniversiry in New Orleans for eleven years. Teachingrwo to three courses a year and directing a communica-

page 9

Iru rue PRgss

T 5 Top EcoNoMISTS HIRED

The task of a new committee created by Dr GroHarlem Brundtland, \fHO D-G, and headed by theU.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs will be to study ways

of reducing the growing gap between the public andprivate economy. The distinguished Harvard professorwas former adviser to the Russian government.

Fifteen economists brought together by \7HOhave 20 months to develop strategies capable of respond-ing to the health needs of the Third 'üZorld, withoutdeviating from the laws of the free market.

-Mathieu van Berchem

(Excerpted fom tlte Tribune de Genèue,19 Jan. 2000)

LuvveRLYThis full-page advertisement for Viagra was car-

ried by Parade magazine, a Sunday supplement that is

Achnouhdgen'rents: The Executiue Group thanks those

who haue made possibh this issue, especialfi Peter Ozorio(Editor), Yues Beigbeder, Rosemary Bell and Jery Kilker(Edirorial Board); Rajindar Pal (Chairman); MichelFèure, Jean Leclercq, Ahin Vessereau (French transla-tions), John Bland (English); also Marianne King, Edito-rialAssistance. Layout by Humphrey Matthey, Glasgow.

The opinions of the QN are those of the dutltzrs,not necessarily ofAFSM

distributed in all majorpapers in the UnitedStates. It is publiciryfrom Pfrzer, whichself-describes itself as

"an official sponsor ofValentine's Day," l4February. How veryclever, these publicrelations rypes, admits.§ÿ'ise

Old Owl.

tion centre as well as a library cum video resource forstudents keeps me occupied.

In addition, travels have been regular, mainly forthe nerwork of social mobilization training institutionsbut also for the communications work of iodine defi-ciency disorders, and for presentations at internationalconferences.

There has also been assignments for EMRO,which included a paper on health promotion andthe media for the Regional Committee meeting inAlexandria in 1999. So it has been anything but" retirement".

It is agreeable to work in Tulane. tüZe have

adjusted well to the relatively slow Southern pace oflife in "The Big Easy". There isn't a long line at

the post office, or at the bank. Even a visit to themotor vehicles office, a purgatorial trip in New York,is bearable here.

As we begin the new millennium, I wish toextend to my colleagues a healthy and successful newcentury. They are frequently in my memory.

--Jack LingDirector,

International Communications Enltancement CenterSchool of Public Heahh, Tulane Uniuersity.

(formerly Director, INF)

TnnNKS To THE CneIRMANThank you for your intervention, through the

HQ Surveillance Committee, which settled my claimsfor reimbursement of a hearing aid. It is encouraging

to know that the committee of AFSM can render suchservices for those of us who live away from Genevaand who also miss out on the many activities of theAssociation.

-V.M. Eyakuze

(formerly WHO, EMRO)Dar es Sakam, Tanzania

(Insurance ruh 290 prouides tbat "For ?ersonsrequiring a hearing aid, one singh payruent not exceed-

ing US$ 1,500 for eacb ear uill be made in any

fiae-year period. " -Editor)

Thank you for your intervention which helpedto solve the problem of the peyment of my pensionbenefits from December 1998 to May 1999.

^,;::::;ri;;;AFSM AsseuBLY: 5 Apnru 2OOO

I regret I will not be able to participate at the firstGeneral fusembly of AFSM . However, i look forwardto receiving the agenda and additional information.

I am always interested in the QN and, althoughI can understand the reasons for its late distribution(costs, prioriry given to the printing of other docu-ments), if it could be received earlier, the informationcontained therein would be more appreciated.

(rormerty--ii,:i:#il

Reproduced from originals provided.

page 10

CHOUDHURY, Sukumar JAUREGUI, Julio J.

t7.07.99 10.02.99

COLINEAU, Jacques H. KALLAB, Elke29.03.99

KANDEEL, EI H.01.06.99

KAPRIO, Leo14.08.99

RAMIREZ,NataliaHADJIIOANNOU.HATZIS, 16.02.99K.G.09.06.99

HAMMOUD, Esmat I.09.08.99

HUERTA, R.06.02.99

HUSSEIN, Sayed Ali28.08.98

28.12.98

LANDERE& Lucio01.12.98

MACIAS, Lüs Amaud05.08.99

MACKAY, Alice M.13.04.99

MALAVALLON, J.N.09.01.00

MAFFORT, Enearnacac C.17.05.99

MATHEN, Mary27,04.99

MOHAMED, AishaAbdel31.03.99

NOTANEY, Karùar H.18.06.99

The following deaths haveoccurred since the lastannouncem€nt

Bekele, Maaza19.02.99

CARVIN, Pierre J.M.r7.03.99

CHAND, Ram Bai04.04.99

CRAWLEY, Joan M.04.05.99

DAVENPORT, Sidney G.27.01.99

DEUS, LeonorA.03.04.99

DE ZIEGLE& Anne-Marie12.06.99

DIAZ ESCOBAR, Antonio05.03.99

GALAï, PasqualinaM.24.03.99

GALAZKAbArthur MaciedI1.05.99

GARG; Saraswati Deü18.02.99

GATAN, Mayumi12.02.00

GIBBS, WilüamNigel T.24.07.99

GONZALES, M.G.20.08.99

GUJRAL, Mohani12.03,99

GLTMNOLMAS, Pradit15.05.99

KARAMUSTAKIS, Christos 16.U.9918.05.99

SIRVENT, Ramos M.KERESSEDLIDZE,Tamaz 26.03.99

RENDUELAS, Robert10.06.99

RIDET, Jean17.02.99

RODENBURG, Julia Y.04.02.99

ROUZIC, MaryseH.A.02.01.99

ROY, Leo09.03.99

SHORT, Joan20.tl.99

SHOWMAN, Cecil01.02.99

SINGUI, D.

SUTHERLAND, Arthur G.29.01.99

TIERRA, Apolinario R.10.08.99

TIMMERMANS, YvesH.R.30.04.99

WERTHEIM, LudwigM.26.07.00

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONASSOCIATION OF FORMER WHO STAFF MEMBERS (AFSM)

ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTEASSOCIATION DES ANCIENS DE L'OMS (AOMS)

Geneva, April 2000Dear Colleague,

The Executive Group ol the AFSM is pieased to inform you that we are thinking of the participationof an "AFSM Group" - also <tpen to WHO serving s/all - in a cruise in the eastern Mediterranean from 23October to 3 November 2000 on board the COSTA ROMANTICA. You will find a brief description overleaf.

However, betbre going ahead with this pian, we need to know how many of you are interested inorder to obtain the mosl lavourable terms, available for groups of a minimum of 20 people.

For this reason, r,l'e should be grateful if you would be kind enough to complete the pre-registrationform belorv i1 you are interested and return it I luae at the latest.

This pre-registration - without commitment at this stage - will enable you to receive more detailedinlbrmation concerning the boat, the choice ol cabins, proposed excursions with prices, the possibiiity ofreductions in these prices if severai people sign up, the cost of drinks, tips expected, plus the telephonenumber of a travel agent able to repiy your questions.

With our best greetings.

Genève, avril 2000Cher (Chère) Coilègue,

Le Bureau Exécutif de I'AOMS a le plaisir de vous annoncer qu'il envisage la participation d'un"Groupe AOMS" - ouvert aussi au personnel OMS en activité - à une croisière en Méditerranée orientale -dont vous trouverez au verso un descriptif sommaire - du 23 Octobre au 3 Novembre 2000, à bord duC0§TA ROMANTICA. Mais avant de donner une suite positive à ce projet, il est nécessaire de connaître Ie

nombre de personnes intéressées afin d'obtenir les conditions avantageuses accordées aux groupes d'unminimum de 20 personnes.

Aussi, nous vous serions reconnaissants de bien vouloir remplir le Bulletin de Pré-inscription ci-dessous qui devra nous être retourné dès que possible, avant le ler Juin.

Cette pré-inscription - sans engaBement à ce stade - vous permettra d'obtenir en retour lesinformations complémentair€s qu€ vous pouvez encore souhaiter concernant le bateau et le choix de votrecabine, les excursions possibles et leur prix, les possibilités de tbrfaits pour les excursions, ies boissonset les pourboires, ainsi qu'un numéro de téléphone par lequel vous pourrez toujours trouver un agentsusceptible de répondre à vos questions éventuelles.

For the Executive Group / Pour le Bureau Exécutf : Dr.R.PAL, Président

@

PRE-REGISTRATION FORM Ifor the Cruise on the COSTA ROMANTICA inEast.Mediterranean from 23 llO to 3llll 2OOO

To be returned before I June to the AFSM, WHOroom 4141, 20 Av.Appia l21l GENEVA 27- CH

BULLETIN DE PRE-INSCRIPTIONà la Croisière du COSTA ROMANTICA en

Méditerranée Orient. du 23llo au 3llll 2OOO

A retourner avant le ler Juin à I'AOMS

bureau 4141, 20 Av.Appia 1211 GENEVA 27-CH

Je suis intéressé(e) par cette croisière :I am interested in the Cruise

Name and Forename / Nom et Prénom :

(in capitals / en ma.juscuies)

No of persons / Nbre de personnes : Address / Adresse

Fax e-Mail SignatureTel

CH. I2I I GENEVA 27-SWITZERLAND Fax (+41 22)''1 9 1 .3 1. 1 I http://www.who.int CH-I2I I GENEVE 27-SUISSE

With thc ASSOCIATION Of FORMER WHO STAFF

A wonderful Mediterranean Cruiseopen to both WHO former and serving staff

h$.re / G@@ Naml[G§, alMdfiq IPorû Sefrdl, AdMod, Ilnmrasson, RJMcs, srodkxffi,Xao*onon, fu / Dfre

on theCOSTA ROMANTICA from 23 October to 3 November 2000

,.. with a lecturer tbr the group, opportunities for a number of attractive excursions around Naples,

Cairo, Jerusalem, Cyprus, some Greek islands and many facilities offered on a luxury cruise !

Prices include the cruise with full board, port taxes and free transfers NICE / GENOA / NICE b-v bus.

Not included : travel to NICE (or directly to GENOA), excursions, insurances, drinks, tips.

Valid passport required.

N.B. All those interested in participating are invited to let us know - as soon as possible - by

filing in thc pre rqistration form (see verso) sent I June at the latest to the WHO AFSM Secretariat,

room 4141, Ave.Appia 20, lzll GENEVA 27 - Switzerland.

x***r.

"Group" price I Tarif "groupe" 1min. 20 p.;

Base : per person(ne) I 2 per cabin(e) / in FRF

CATEC,ORY A (low decks/ponts inf.)Int. cabin(e) lnt., 2beds/iits 8,950

CATEGORY B (high desksiponts sup.)

Int. cabin(e) int., 2beds/lits 9.350

CATEGORY C (low desks/ponts inf.)Ext. cabin(e) ext., 2beds/lits 10,350

CATEGORY D (high desks/ponts sup.)Ext. cabin(e), ext. 2beds/lits I 1.O50

Avec I'ASSOCIATION des ANCIENS de I'OMS

une magnifique Croisière en Mditerranéeouverte à ses membres mais aussi au personnel OMS en activité

Dfre / GM, n$am»[e§, AIffi, Pom Sald], AdMod, Jlft-onrareoll, IRIhordbE, Samûoran,Kaûdkolbm, GêaGs / D$icc

à bord duCOSTA ROMANTICA du 23 Octobre au 3 Novembre 2000

... avec un conlérencier pour le groupe, de nombreuses excursions possibles autour de Naples, du Caire,

de Jérusalem, de Chypre, et de quelques îles Grecques ... sur un paquebot de grand luxe !

Les prix comprennent la croisière en pension complète, les taxes portuaires et les transferts gratuits NICE

/ GENES / NICE en autocar Document nécessaire : passeport en cours de validité

Ne sont pas compris : l'acheminement à NICE (ou direct à GENES), les excursions, assurarces, bor.ssons,

pourboires,

N.B. Les personnes intéressées sont priées de se faire connaître - dès que possible - en

remplissant le formulaire de pré-inscripÉlba (voir au verso) et en l'envoyant au plus tard le ler Juin au

Secrétariat de I'AOMS, bureau 4141, Avenue Appia 20, 1211 GENEVE 27 - SUISSE.