Commemoration of Pan American Health Day

19411 DÍA PANAMERICANO DE LA SALUD

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REP6BLICA DOMINICANA

El 30 de octubre de 1940, el Presidente de la República Dominicana dicM un decreto declarando el 2 de diciembre de cada año Día Panamericano de la Salud, y encomendando a la Secretaría de Estado de Sanidad y Beneficencia la formulación ‘de los actos a celebrar en ese día.

El programa comprendió, entre otros, los siguientes actos: asamblea de au- toridades sanitarias de todo el pais; mensajes al Generalísimo Trujillo Medina y al Primer Magistrado de la Nación; instalación del Consejo Superior Directivo de la Liga Nacional Antituberculosa; y radiodifusión de un mensaje alusivo por el Secretario de Sanidad.

Ademas del decreto dictado por el Ejecutivo declarando el 2 de diciembre Día Panamericano de la Salud, las autoridades de sanidad, asi como las escolares, la prensa, el radio, etc., prestaron toda su cooperación para que el programa de festejos organizado tuviera toda la brillantez deseada. Entre otros actos, el programa comprendió una radiodifusión de una hora, en la que participaron el Ministro de Salud Pública, el Presidente del Consejo del Niño, el Decano de la Facultad de Medicina, el Presidente del Consejo de Enseñanza Industrial, el Director de Higiene del Ministerio de Salud Pública, etc.; una recepci6n en el Ministerio de Salud Pública, y explicaci6n de la trascendencia de esta efemérides en los establecimientos de enseñanza.

VENEZUELA

El Ejecutivo Venezolano dictó el 19 de octubre de 1940 un decreto declarando el 2 de diciembre como Dia Panamericano de la Salud, y autorizando a los Minis- tros de Relaciones Interiores y de Sanidad y Asistencia Social a preparar y llevar a cabo el programa pertinente, que comprendió: (1) publicaciones en la prensa y conferencias por radio por los médicos jefes de las unidades sanitarias; (2) conferencias por los medicos del Servicio de Higiene, dedicadas a padres, maestros y escolares; (3) publicación en todos los periódicos del país de biografías de Vargas, Beaupertuy y Rangel; (4) todas las oficinas de sanidad abrieron sus puertas al público, explicando a los visitantes las funciones de cada servicio.

COMMEMORATION

OF PAN AMERICAN HEALTH DAY

In presenting a brief review of the manner in which the Ameritan Republics demonstrated their enthusiastic response to Pan Ameritan Health Day, December 2, 1940, it must be recalled that reports have not yet been received on all the ceremonies which took place, so that this summary is far from complete.

The Pan Ameritan Sanitary Bureau contributed to the celebration with the preparation of a special edition of the BOLETíN containing messages from Ameri-

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cations. A special radio program to be broadcast to al1 the Ameritan Republics was considered, but the idea had to be abandoned because of the difficulty of synchronizing the program for al1 countries and also because of the desire not to interfere with the official celebrations of other countries.

Highlights in the celebration in the various Ameritan Republics, as reported up to the present time include:

Argentina: A decree, November 21,1940, declaring December 2 Pan Ameritan Health Day, and addressed to the attention of al1 provincial, territorial, uni- versity, and health authorities; special meetings at which health problems com- mon to all the Americas were diacussed;

Bolivio: Decree, October 26, providing for the holding of public ceremonies emphasizing the value of health, with the program to be coordinated by the Ministry of Public Health and Hygiene, and carried out through the Ministries of Health, Education, Defense, and Government;

CoEombia: Decree, October 21, setting up a Commission to arrange for the celebration of Pan Ameritan Health Day in 1940 and future years, the Commission being composed of the Minister of Labor, Health and Welfare; Dr. Jorge Bejarano (Honorary Preside&, Pan Ameritan Sanitary Bureau); the President of the National Academy of Medicine, and the Director of the Colombian Medical Federation, among others; municipal program committees were also appointed; among actual ceremonies were a commemorative visit to the tombs of distin- guished public health workers, and the presentation by the President of the Republic, at a special session of the National Academy of Medicine, of the Boya& Cross to the hygienists Drs. Marco A. Iriarte, Jorge Bejarao, Julio Aparicio, Luis Patido Camargo, Bernardo Samper, Arturo Robledo, and E. Correa Rengifo;

Costa Rica: Presidential decree, and the organization of a program by the Secretariat of Public Health and Welfare;

Cuba: Decree of November 26 and programs including a meeting of the health authorities, installation of branches of the National Tuberculosis League in al1 the Republic; luncheon given by the Secretary of Health and Welfare to the health authorities; radio broadcast; talks in the public schools;

Dominican Republic: Decree of October 30, 1940, and programs prepared by the Department of Health and Welfare; including meeting of health authorities; messages fo Gen. Trujillo Medina and the Chief Executive; installation of the Directing Council of the National Tuberculosis League; anda broadcast featuring a talk by the Secretary of Health;

Ecuador: Decree, November 18, and the issuing of circulars to State, Uni- versity, press, and private authorities requesting their cooperation; organization of special programs including radio broadcasts;

Guatemala: Proclamation of October 16, and a program including messages from the Public Health Service to children, and from the Education Section to adults, read in al1 schools; public ceremonies organized by the Department of Health delegations; public meeting of the Health Council, with lecturea; radio broadcasts; distribution of a Pan Ameritan Health Day poster; and the unveiling of a bronze tablet at the Building of the National Department of Health, on which are inscribed the names of the President of Guatemala (General Jorge Ubico), of John D. Rockefeller, and of Dr. Hugh S. Cumming (Director of the Pan Ameritan Sanitary Bureau), as benefactors of public health; with the legend, “From Guatemala’s Public Health Service fo her benefactors: General Jorge Ubico, Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Dr. Hugh S. Cumming. First Pan Ameritan Health Day, December 2, 1940”;

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schools, associations, and the peopIe; and program including religious cere- monies, message from the President of the Republic to youth; radio broad- casts; sports events, and motion pictures;

Honduras: Presidential decree and the organization of programs by the health authorities;

Mesico: Celebration arranged by the health authorities, which included a concert in the Palace of Fine Arts; organizations cooperating in the celebration included the National Academy of Medicine, and in Guadalajara, the School of Medical and Biological Sciences, the School of Medicine, and the Rotary Club;

Nicaragua: Presidenta1 decree; celebration including programs in the schools; opening of health offices to visits from the public; inauguration by the President of the Republic and other high officials of Local Health Unit No. 1, with an address by the Director of Health (Dr. Luis Manuel Debayle), and the showing of a health film; and a national radio program;

Punama: Programs arranged by the Secretariats of Public Health and Public Works and Education;

Paraguay: Declaration of Pan Ameritan Health Day as a national holiday; Pm-u: Decree of November 5, 1940, and programs arranged under the super- vision of the Ministry of Public Health, Labor and Social Welfare, with the cooperation of other institutions;

Unz’ted Stutes: Presidential proclamation of November 26, requesting the co- operation of al1 citizens, State, Territorial and Insular governments; the medical, dental and allied professions; scientific bodies, the press, radio, school authorities, and so on; editorials by the Ameritan Medical Association and other important organizations; special programs in schools of medicine; special messages from a number of scientific societies, including the Ameritan Public Health Association, the Ameritan Hospital Association, the Ameritan College of Surgeons, the Ameri- can DentaI Association, the Ameritan Nurses’ Association, the National Tuber- culosis Association, the American Society for the Control of Cancer, the Ameritan Social Hygiene Association, and the Ameritan Foundation for Tropical Medicine; Uruguay: Executive decree, and program arranged by health and school authorities, with the cooperation of the press and radio, including a one-hour broadcast in which the Minister of Public Health, the President of the Children’s Council, the Dean of the School of Medicine, the President of the Council of Industrial Education, the Director of Health of the Ministry of Public Health, and others participated; a reception at the Ministry of Public Health, and talks in schools on the significance of the Day; and

Venezuela: Decree of October 19, authorizing the Ministries of the Interior and Health to carry out a program which included special articles in the press; radio talks by chief medical officers of health units; talks by physicians of the Health Service to parents, teachers, and school children; publication in all jour- nals of the country of biographies of the scientists Vargas, Beaupertuy and Rangel, and opening of al1 health offices to visits by the public, with explanation of the functions of the various services.