August 19, 1974

Dr. Martin Freeth

British Broadcasting Corporation
Kensington House

Richmond Way

London W14 OAX ENGLAND

Dear Mr. Freeth,

Thank you for your letter of June 28th. It would be difficult
to stage an adversary debate on issues like world health, since we are
frustrated by apathy and disinterest rather than by overt opposition.

I think we could have a lively presentation on “Are scientists
meeting their responsibilities in furthering world health and human well-
being; and if not, why not?"

In my view the barriers can be categorized as

i. International political complexities
There is no world tax base for world health

2. Intranational competition for resources
Health va. other goods
Indirectness of returns on investments
Cultural barriers to optimal health
(e.g. diseases of affluence
" " ignorance)
3. Conflicts within professional and academic convention
a) Health service vs. research
b) Inadequate communication among basic and applied research

If I were to take part, I might stress 3b together with some
prescriptions about productive opportunities -
applications of molecular biology to
tropical disease
nutrition
envirénmental hygiene
acceleratéon of development and validation of new drugs.

Some people who come to mind are

Sir Peter Medawar, London
Dr. G.J.V. Nossal, Melbourne
Dr. A. Buzzatti Traverso, Paris (UNESCO) and Rome,

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Mr. M. Freeth -2- 8/19/74

W.H.O. is obviously at the center of these concerns. Perhaps you
should build a program with just that focus: is WHO doing the job
expected of it, and if not why not. This would not exclude any of my
previous suggestions but would also embrace the director of WHO and
various past and present members of its Adv. Com. Med. Res. — see copy of
enclosed list.

In addition, interesting and well-informed personalities in WHO are:
Deputy~Director General Chang (P.R. China)
Dr. Martin Kaplan - Director of Research Programs.

I know of only one political-analytical study of WHO (outside of
its own reports):

H.K. Jacobson {Hndvempief dfiftkehtgly) Y4keR.W. Cox and Jacobson
“Anatomy of Influence", Yale U. Press, 1973.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

JL/rr
Enclosure