During the course of the 50th Meeting of the Executive Committee, it was emphasized that the Organization should increase its assistance to the countries in the training of auxiliary personnel. The shortage of auxiliary personnel was a problem which would become more and more acute as the countries of Latin America continued to expand their public health programs at a more rapid pace than that at which professional personnel in various branches of medicine were being trained. It was pointed out that the more advanced countries used auxiliary personnel under the supervision of professional health workers to a much greater extent than did developing countries and, as a result, they were able to cope with general health activities. The item was widely discussed during the XV Meeting of the Directing Council held in Mexico City last year and, in compliance with a resolution of the Executive Committee, the Council adopted Resolution XXIX, by which it instructed the Director to prepare a study on the training of auxiliary workers that may serve as the basis for discussion at a meeting of national authorities experienced or interested in the question, with the collaboration of international experts, for the purpose of presenting, for consideration by the Organization, a policy for the training of auxiliary workers based on the needs of the countries of the Americas. (AU)