Special Programme on Human Reproduction: Difference between revisions

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==Creation of the Human Reproduction Unit==

Since the first United Nations [[World Population Conference]], held in [[Rome]] in 1954, the [[United Nations]] had a growing interest in the issue of demography and associated it with the economic difficulties of developing countries. following a request of the [[UN General Assembly]],<ref>{{Cite journalweb |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/204294|title=Population growth and economic development. |website=United Nations |date=March 9, 1963 }}</ref> the Secretary-General conducted an inquiry among the member-States and concluded there were indeed concerns among the developing countries about the growth of their populations. These findings were taken into account by the General Assembly in the resolution 1048 (XXXVII).<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/136768|title=Decisions of the United Nations, specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency affecting WHO's activities (programme matters): programme activities in the health aspects of world population which might be developed by WHO: report by the Director-General|date=March 9, 1965|hdl=10665/136768 }}</ref>

As the Second World Population Conference was meeting in [[Belgrade]] in 1965, the WHO was wondering how it could contribute.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/88958|title=Decisions of the United Nations affecting WHO's activities: resolution 1048 (XXXVII) of the Economic and Social Council|date=March 9, 1965|hdl=10665/88958 }}</ref> For the Director-General, as he said in a report demanded by the WHO Executive Council, "the importance of many medical, biological, social, cultural and economic factors in human reproduction makes it a major public health problem",<ref name="auto"/> which justified the decision to work on the demographic question, especially via the subject of human reproduction. The report was approved by the [[World Health Assembly]], and it was decided to study sterility, the regulation of fertility, and the health aspect of demography.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/89329|title=Programme activities in the health aspects of world population which might be developed by WHO|date=March 9, 1965|hdl=10665/89329 }}</ref> This mark the beginning of the Human Reproduction Unit. Its mission was to give technical advice on human reproduction aspects that were involved in public health.

==Development of the Unit and creation of a global program of research==

The Human Reproduction Unit continued its mission and expanded its research not to only take into account strictly the medical aspect of human reproduction, but also economic, sociological, cultural, and psychological factors. The Unit was organizing meetings of experts and began to create a centre of documentation on human reproduction. In 1970, the WHO designated the Reproductive Endocrinology Research Unit of the [[Karolinska Institute]] of [[Stockholm]] as research and training centre on human reproduction.<ref>{{Cite webbook |url=https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/85828|title=The work of WHO, 1970: annual report of the Director-General to the World Health Assembly and to the United Nations|date=March 9, 1971|hdl=10665/85828 |hdl-access=free |last1=Candau |first1=Marcolino Gomes |isbn=9241601884 |publisher=World Health Organization}}</ref>

Pleased by the progress made, the World Health Assembly requested the Director-General to consider a way to develop family planning services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/91257|title=Health aspects of population dynamics|date=March 9, 1969|hdl=10665/91257 }}</ref> In 1970, the WHO launched a feasibility study about a global program of research on human reproduction. A report was thus presented in 1971 and advocated for a five ways action plan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/361192/HR-71.4-Pt1-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|title=World Health Organization: Expanded Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction: Report of a Feasibility Project, May 1971; HR/71.4 (1971) part 1.|hdl=10665/361192 }}</ref> First, the designation of four ''Research and Training Centres'', which would have to be leaders on the research on human reproduction in their respective region. Second, the collaboration with ''Clinical Research Centres'' to facilitate the clinical evaluation of new fertility regulating agents. Third, the creation of ''task Forces'' to conduct the research projects. Fourth, the creation of an international documentation centre on biomedical aspects of human reproduction (this point was not executed due to limited funding at the time). The fifth point was about secondary objectives and miscellaneous recommendations.

The Human Reproduction Unit was charged with the creation and administration of the new "Expanded Programme of Research, Development, and Research Training in Human Reproduction". In 1972, the World Health Assembly voted the WHA25.60 resolution "on WHO’sWHO's role in the development and coordination of biomedical research", which requested the Director-General to "prepare proposals for the development of long-term WHO activities

in biomedical research within the framework of the programmes being carried out by the Organization".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/91995?search-result=true&query=WHA25.60&scope=&rpp=10&sort_by=score&order=desc|title=World Health Organization: Resolution WHA25.60 on WHO’sWHO's role in the development and coordination of biomedical research, Twenty-fifth World Health Assembly, Geneva, 9-26 May 1972 - Part I: resolutions and decisions pp.32-33|date=26 May 1972|access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> He presented a report on this matter in December of the same year, including human reproduction and especially the Expanded Programme in the researches to fund.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/146302/EB51_6_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|title=World Health Organization: EB51/6 - WHO’sWHO's role in the development and coordination of biomedical research: interim report by the Director-General, December 1972|date=20 December 1972|access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> According to previous directors of the Programme, it is the date which formally established the HRP.<ref name=lancet>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61025-3 |title=40 years of innovation in sexual and reproductive health |year=2012 |last1=Mbizvo |first1=Michael T. |last2=d'Arcangues |first2=Catherine |last3=Van Look |first3=Paul FA |last4=Benagiano |first4=Giuseppe |journal=The Lancet |volume=380 |issue=9843 |pages=705–706 |pmid=22920740 |s2cid=205966657 }}</ref>

==Expanded Programme of Research, Development, and Research Training in Human Reproduction==