Women’s role in public health

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33870, 16 June 1975, Page 6

Women’s role in public health

MANILA

The growing importance of the role of women in medicine and public health was emphasised by a committee of the twentyeighth World Health Assembly,, says a press release from the World Health Organisation.

A resolution adopted by the committee in connection with International Women's Year called upon Governments to review the major obstacles and constraints affecting women so as to I further integrate them into! health work. It also urged Governments' I to widen the range of opportunities for women in all; facets of social and economic life related to health. The resolution also stated' that W.H.O. would assist member States in preparing strategies and programmes aimed at increasing women’s ' participation in the economic, social and cultural life. It recommended that particular attention be paid to the health of mothers and children of working women. The. assembly heard a statement by Mrs Helvi Sipila. United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for social development and humanitarian affairs and sec-retary-general of International Women’s Year. Mrs Sipila pointed to the ■ “enormous wastage of human resources caused by ' high rates of child and maternal mortality and morbidI ity,” and paid tribute to I W.H.O. programmes which

gave due importance to the role of women in family health and to child nutrition and birth spacing.

“The right to space and; limit birth is directly related! to the right to health, and! the infringement of one! automatically affects the other,” she said.