1960 - New York
24-29/06/1960
13th International Congress of the “Permanent Committee and International Association of Occupational Health”
The 13th International Congress is held in New York in June 1960, in compliance with the decision taken by the majority during the Helsinki Congress in 1957. In a subsequent meeting, held in New York at the School of Medicine of the New York University, the Organizing Committee Members are appointed: President Dr. Leo Wade, Secretary General Dr. Robert Eckardt. The crucial issue is the budget for organization, which is extremely high being for the first time out of Europe and fund raising is implemented with the support of the USA industry.
Registrations start to get in ever since June 1959. The Congress, inaugurated on June 24, 1960 for the first time hosts, beside contributions by single experts, also those by newly established scientific committees. Absenteeism, Maximum Allowable Concentration (MAC’s), Respiratory disease in textile workers (Byssinosis) and Constitution. Most participants are from the USA (about 2/3 of the total), but the number of participants being extremely high (1568 in total), European delegations are rather substantial in absolute, specially from Scandinavian countries, exceeding on the whole 100 participants.
Scientific committees and relationships with international bodies.
In his speech, President Forssman outlines a short history of Permanent Commission from 1906, underlining the main changes occurred along over fifty years. He emphasises the role of Scientific Committees established in 1957 made up by several reputed scientists from different countries allowing collaboration in notable research fields promoting occupational health ever since the early years. And this thanks to the close contacts with international governmental bodies working in the same field: ILO, WHO and ISSA.
Also the contribution by Louis H. Bauer, Secretary General of the World Medical Association is noteworthy: at the end of his speech, Bauer congratulates on the successful outcome of the Congress and declares his willingness – as the WMA representative – for future scientific collaborations.