FIFTH REPORT - World Health Organization

268 FIFTH REPORT ON THE WORLD HEALTH SITUATION
Community- oriented education, Faculty of Medicine,
Aleppo (1966 -1972) UNDP: a WHO consultative group
helped to draw up a request for UNDP assistance in
establishing a Faculty of Medicine at the University of
Aleppo. The Faculty enrolled its first students in 1967.
Teachers are provided and fellowships awarded.
Government health expenditure
In 1972 total government expenditure amounted to
3188 million Syrian pounds, of which 48.5 million
were spent on health services. Per capita expenditure
by the Government for health purposes was thus
7.3 Syrian pounds.
TUNISIA
Population and other statistics
At the last census, taken in May 1966, the population
of Tunisia was 4 533 351. Population estimates and
some other vital statistics for the period under review
are given below:
1969 1970 1971 1972
.
Mean population . 5 027 000 5 137 000 5241 000 5 380 000
Number of live births 1 . 194 940 185 756 182 749 198 785
Birth rate
(per 1000 population) . 38.8 36.2 34.9 36.9
Number of deaths' . . 52872 45435 48762 40053
Death rate
(per 1000 population) . 10.5 8.8 9.3 7.4
Natural increase ( %) 2.83 2.74 2.56 2.95
Number of infant deaths 1 15156 13 344 13 934 ...
Infant mortality rate
(per 1000 live births) 77.7 71.8 76.2
Number of deaths,
1 -4 years 1 11 063 7 758 8 044
Registered events only (it is estimated
and 73% of all deaths are registered).
The communicable diseases most frequently notified
in 1972 were: early syphilis (1154), infectious hepatitis
(952), typhoid and paratyphoid fevers (904), meningococcal
infections (536), tuberculosis, all forms, new
cases (216), poliomyelitis (67), amoebiasis (62),
diphtheria (33), malaria, new cases (19), leprosy (17),
cholera (4), typhus (4).
Organization of the public health services
The Ministry of Public Health is responsible for
all health and medical activities in the country. The
Minister of Public Health is assisted by the Higher
Public Health Council and by the Public Health
Inspectorate- General, which includes a programming
and planning service. At the central level the Ministry
of Public Health comprises the Directorate of Technical
Services and the Directorate of Administrative and
Financial Coordination. The subdirectorates under
the control of the Directorate of Technical Services
are responsible for public health and epidemiology,
preventive and social medicine, and pharmacies and
laboratories.
The country is divided into 13 governorates, which
correspond to the health regions. Each governorate,
the health services of which are supervised by a
public health administrator, is subdivided into medical
districts (circonscriptions). There is a regional hospital
in each governorate and an auxiliary hospital in each
medical district. At the local level there are multipurpose
dispensaries that serve a population of from
1000 to 10 000 inhabitants. About 90 % of the population
is entitled to free medical services, which are
financed by social security funds.
Hospital services
In 1971 Tunisia had 90 hospitals and other inpatient
establishments providing a total by 12 571 beds -
equivalent to 2.4 beds per 1000 population. These
12 571 beds were distributed as follows:
Category and number
Number of beds
General hospitals 19 7631
Local or rural hospitals 54 2 272
Medical centres 8 76
Paediatric hospital 1 300
Blood transfusion institute 1 29
Cancer hospital 1 141
Ophthalmological hospital 1 131
Orthopaedic hospital 1 95
Tuberculosis hospitals 3 878
Mental hospital 1 1 018
Ambulatory medical care was provided at hospital
outpatient departments and at 388 dispensaries.
Medical and allied personnel and training facilities
In 1971 Tunisia had 1004 doctors -equivalent to
one doctor for 5220 inhabitants. Other health personnel
included:
Dentists 76
Pharmacists 163
Veterinarians 34
Midwives 225*
Medical supervisors 196*
Senior male nurses 321*
Nurses 2 989'
Nursing aides 4 361*
Technical personnel 392'
Social assistants 51'
In government service.
The arrangements for the training of medical and
other health personnel in Tunisia are as follows: