Memories of a WHO expert in midwifery.

In this memoir a retired World Health Organization (WHO) field worker reflects on her experiences. Her first shock came when she realized that she was going to be sent to her first assignment with no specific instructions. Fortunately she encountered helpful WHO staff when she arrived in Manila. Conditions for delivering health care were primitive health statistics were frightful and working conditions were indescribable and were hampered by the lack of electricity and running water. The WHO focused on creating health services from scratch in the poorest countries and then training teachers to prepare staff. WHO nurses functioned as teams that were thrown together with no regard for compatibility. Another challenge was learning to work with national counterparts to prepare an appropriate training curriculum and to decide how students would gain experience in local hospitals where the teaching staff was viewed with suspicion. As WHO field workers gained experience they were able to design innovative programs such as moving training from the classroom to a village setting. In some countries there were numerous WHO staffers in residence but before WHO began holding regular meetings there were few opportunities to coordinate activities. The regional office however maintained excellent relationships with the field staff. Being a WHO field worker meant hard but extremely satisfying work.