755 



there seenm little 'point in icithholding medical assistance and advice to 

 lesser developed countries on the grounds that the more lives we save 

 the more lives there are. Obviously, one should expect some long over- 

 due philosophical and educational assistance along these lines from 

 non-medical sources. It is not the business of doctors to make social 

 decisions simply because they know how to implement them. 



U.S. Benefits From Increased Investment in World Health 



It is difficult to present an explicit statement of the return 

 to the United States taxpayer of a vigorously supported and ex- 

 panding program of global jjreventive medicine under the aegis of 

 the World Health Organization. The scope of the canvass is too large, 

 and the options for improvement are too varied and detailed. However, 

 a general statement of the proposition may be in order. Several lines of 

 oppoitunity are given as illustrations : 



1. Pockets of infectious and communicable disease exist all over 

 the world — not only in the less developed countries but in the ad- 

 vanced countries as well. Under conditions of social disruption, floods, 

 hurricanes, and other natural disasters, these pockets can become 

 sources of world epidemics. Conversely, by a relatively modest in- 

 vestment in each case, they can be eradicated or controlled. 



2. Heavy U.S. investnient in capital equipment has for two decades 

 gone to the less developed countries to advance their productivity. 

 However, measured in terms of labor productivity alone, the dollar 

 investment in the capital of public health has yielded higher returns. 



3. Arrangements for global medical surveillance and early warning 

 of the dangerous spread of disease have hardly scratched the surface. 

 The benefits of a more thorough system of early warning, especially 

 in influenza and the more lethal viruses, and of an ability to take 

 prompt remedial measures of global control, seem obvious. More 

 controls mean international surveillance, rapid identification, rapid 

 vaccine development, and rapid application to susceptible populations. 



4. Smallpox eradication, already a global campaign of WHO, could 

 be brought to a much earlier and effective conclusion with additional 

 funds and effort among the cooperating countries. This would be 

 particularly valuable to the United States, which must now contend 

 with the cost of protecting its people against this infrequent but dan- 

 gerous, incurable, and highly infectious disease. 



5. With the growing problem of medical education and increasing 

 demands for health care in the developed nations there is need in the 

 World Health Organization for a greater sharing of country experi- 

 ences and experiments in the delivery of health service. It would ap- 

 pear that the United States could benefit greatly by evaluating some 

 of the various systems of health care now in operation around the 

 world. 



6. The United States might benefit from a set of international 

 standards and guidelines accepted by WHO on : 



a. electronic medical diagnostic equipment 



b. water and air pollution 



c. methods of choice in the treatment of alcoholics and heroiu 

 addicts 



d. safety and efficacy of drugs. 



