The fonds contains records predominantly created between 1972 and 2000 by the Population, Health and Nutrition Sector. A small portion of records that date from 1963 are external reports and other material used for background reference by department staff. While sector records were maintained in the Bank-wide centralized filing system from the early years of operations in the 1940s until mid-1987 and some of these records remain part of the Central Files fonds, departments often kept separate working files. It is primarily the working files of the Population, Health, and Nutrition Sector that comprise the records in this fonds, along with records created after 1987 when recordkeeping responsibilities were turned over to the records-creating offices. See the arrangement note below for more information about the centralized files.

The records reflect the range of the sector's functional responsibilities including: producing studies and publications; policy development; operational support to the Regions regarding quality review of Bank projects; maintaining Bank partnerships and sponsorship of joint programs with United Nations agencies and other multilateral and private-sector organizations; managing and monitoring global trust funds; and participation or organization of conferences, training, and other learning events.

The series consists of records created by the Population, Health and Nutrition Division (PHRHN) and its subordinate units beginning from 1988 and continuing through 1995 under its' successor, the Population, Health and Nutrition Department (PHN) of the Human Resources Development (HRO) Vice Presidency.

Records generally consist of outgoing memoranda and letters, specifically hard copies of All-In-1 messages and attachments. Much of the correspondence is between division staff and external agencies, institutions, and governments discussing information exchange, collaboration on projects, and conferences. Correspondence between PHN staff and other Bank departments relates to: research paper publication; peer review and comments on research, strategy, and policy papers; conference attendance and planning; preparation of sector reviews; grants and trust funds; and assistance to and collaboration with the regions. Other records occasionally found among the correspondence are back-to-office reports; terms of reference (TORs); aide memoires; published and unpublished reports and policy papers; sector reviews; and business plans.

A small body of correspondence files all dated 1993 were provided classification by country or subject presumably by IISC (see Archival History field for further information). Most of the country files contain a single memorandum regarding projects, pre-appraisal and reviews, or country health or nutrition data. The subject files are also thin, and cover a variety of topics under: administration (including budget, work program, special grant or donor funding, and fiscal review); policy development and research; dissemination and training (including publications and attendance at conferences, workshops, roundtables, and other events); and general functional areas). This set of files contain mostly memoranda between PHRHN division staff and other Bank staff, including the Regions, often in the form of TORs and back-to-office reports.

Series primarily contains records related to conferences, seminars, internal training courses, brown bag lunch (BBL) presentations, or other events organized or attended by the Health, Nutrition, and Population Team (HDNHE) and previous units. A portion of the records were maintained by Principal Economist Helen Saxenian who was also the health, nutrition, and population sector training coordination committee chair. Records were also maintained by Senior Nutritionist Judith McGuire, Consultant Joy Miller de Rosso, and others.

Records comprising the series include: correspondence; seminar and presentation papers; back-to-office reports, several regarding health reforms and health systems studies; sound and video recordings of presentations; hard copies of presentation slides; minutes and agenda of committee training meetings; and learning materials such as course descriptions and BBL summaries occasionally filed with statistical data tables or articles.

Topics include, but are not limited to: HIV/AIDS, evidence-based medicine, vaccines, health care and poverty, nutrition, health and social sector reform, Safe Motherhood or women and children's health, and country health care systems.

There are also two files related to the Bank's Economic Development Institute (EDI) case studies (1980 - 1990).

The series also contains audiocassette recordings of the Food and Nutrition Policy Course (1997 - 1998) and one file of textual records containing the course material. The videocassette titles included in the series are "What do Women and Children Die of?" (1998) and "Challenges for Health Sector Reform in Latin America and the Caribbean" (1999).

Series consists of records documenting the partnerships of the various divisions and departments responsible for the population, health, and nutrition sector with external organizations across the sector and program collaboration.

The largest volume of records in the series relate to the administration of the International Health Policy Program (IHPP, 1983 - 1989) initiated by Pew Charitable Trusts, and later jointly funded by Carnegie Corporation, to provide institutional grants for health policy research and individual fellowships for career development. The Population, Health, and Nutrition Department (PHN) and World Health Organization (WHO) provided guidance and support to IHPP. Beginning in 1986, the Bank provided office accommodations to the program's three-person secretariat within PHN (soon the Population, Health, and Nutrition Division [PHRHN] after the Bank-wide 1987 reorganization). The IHPP Secretariat was led by Director Davidson R. Gwatkin who reported to the international Advisory Committee responsible for guiding and overseeing the activities of IHPP. The secretariat salaries and expenses were paid by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the agency that administered Pew's contribution. Dr. Anthony Measham and David de Ferranti of PHRHN represented the Bank as members of IHPP's Advisory Committee.

Records reflect the secretariat's role in managing the IHPP including handling proposals and inquiries and directing operational strategy and activities primarily focused on Asian andAfrican countries. There are also records related to meetings and conferences attended by the secretariat and the Bank's activities related to the IHPP. Types of records include correspondence (some arranged in a chronological file), proposals, guidelines, reports submitted to IIE, discussion notes, external reports, Pew conferences papers, and financial and administrative records.

The series also contains records related to the Bank's partnership with the WHO / United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) / Bank Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR, 1972 - 1988, predominant 1978 to 1987). TDR was formed in 1975 to develop research, leadership, tools, and strategies to control the endemic tropical diseases (malaria, schistosomiasis, filariasis [including onchocerciasis], trypanosomiasis, leprosy and leishmaniasis) in developing countries. The Bank became a cosponsor of the program in 1977 as well as administrator of the TDR trust fund which consisted of contributions of governments and multilateral organizations. In fiscal year 1982, the Bank became a financial contributor to TDR. Records document PHN's administration of the TDR fund, participation in TDR's annual governing body meetings (Joint Coordinating Board), Standing Committee, the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), and operational support.

TDR records include: memoranda, letters, and cables between PHN Directors Dr. John Evans and John North and TDR partners and donors, and some memoranda between PHN senior staff; programme, committee, and annual reports; financial statements; Board documents; copy of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement; Director Evan's back-to-office report and memoranda to senior vice president of operations; consultant reports; aide-memoirs; data tables; and printed material such as TDR newsletters, and external articles and reports. The MOU and fund arrangement file also contains the proposal for World Bank financial participation in international health research programmes, prepared by PHN in 1981 and presented as a memorandum from President McNamara to executive directors. Internal memoranda cover a range of topics such as securing resources to support TDR, arrangements for Bank's financial contribution to TDR, methods of investment and rate of return, budget, projects, policy, audit planning, comments on discussion papers and draft reports, and research capability strengthening. Correspondence from WHO assistant director-general to government officials and donors is copied to PHN director and relates to acknowledgment of contributions and soliciting participation in the Joint Coordination Board and fund raising. There is also correspondence between WHO assistant director-general and Senior Public Health Specialist Dr. Bernard Liese (PHNDR) regarding TDR contributions, budget, and other matters. A small number of files relate to the External Review Committee and history of TDR and background material for Bank participation (1974 - 1980).

Several files related to TDR thatwere originally maintained in the Non-Regional Information Center (NRIC) primarily contain correspondence beginning from 1972. These files contain original letters and memoranda to and from director of the Office of Environmental and Health Affairs (CPSEH) Dr. James Lee, (1975 - 1979) to WHO and the TDR director, and letters to and from the Bank's Water and Urban Development to TDR Officer. There is also correspondence sent and received by Public Health Officer Dr. Arlene Fonaroff (CPSEH 1978 - 1979, Population Projects Department Operations Division [POPD1] late 1979 - 1980, Division 1 Africa [PHND1] and PHN Director's Office [PHNDR] until 1981). Fonaroff and Lee were members of the TDR Standing Committee until approximately 1979.

The series also contains several files related to the Diarrheal Diseases Control (CDD) Programme (1978 - 1985) launched by WHO in 1978 in collaboration with PHN on behalf of the Bank, and other partners, UNDP, and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).Records include, but are not limited to: memoranda authored by Dr. James Lee on a draft proposal for CDD; memoranda between Fonaroff and Director Dr. Evans regarding CDD meetings and activities; and original letters from WHO director-general regarding CDD meeting follow-up.

Also included among the records in this series are several files related to PHN

budgeting and coordination support for the global Onchocerciasis Control Program (1979 - 1987) also known as river blindness disease. PHN supported the control program through technical assistance, attendance at statutory and technical meetings, co-organizing symposia, reviewing health project preparation, disease surveillance and control arrangements in OCP countries, and evaluating operational research undertaken by OCP such as the Onchocerciasis Chemotherapy Project Working Group. Onchocerciasis records were primarily maintained by PHN Epidemiologist Dr. Andre Prost and Deputy Division Chief Dr. Bernhard Liese (PHND2) who was a member of the secretariatof the OCP Committee of Sponsoring Agencies (CSA) and Expert Advisory Committee. Records include: back-to-office reports; copies of OCP committee and program reports; WHO OCP progress reports; Bank authored and WHO joint-authored research papers; PHN position paper on OCP; original and copies of internal memoranda between Prost, Liese, various PHN directors, and West Africa Region (WA1) senior management; copies of internal memoranda and outgoing letters from the Bank's OCP Coordinator Bruce Benton and theOCP programme director in Burkina Faso and correspondence from Bank senior vice president of operations and director, country programs in Africa to sponsoring members and donors.

The series also contains records related to the Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP) in which the Bank is a partner with WHO, UNDP, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and UNICEF. HRP was formed to conduct research in human reproduction, bringing together policymakers,scientists, health care providers, clinicians, consumers, and community representatives to identify and address priorities for research to improve reproduction and sexual health. Records primarily include annual technical reports, biennial reports, meeting reports of the policy and coordinating committee of HRP attended by PHN Senior Population Adviser Dr. Tom Merric or Director Ann Hamilton on occasion, and related correspondence. There are also files concerning the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group(STAG), Standing Committee Reports (1986 - 1994), and the Bank's role in global population efforts (1989, 1992 - 1994).

Series also contains two files related to Bank - UNDP partnerships on projects implemented by UNDP. These are: UNDP/GLO/81/007 Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) - Sub Committee on Nutrition Research Planning (SCN) (1981 - 1983); and UNDP/GLO/77/014 - International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research (1978 - 1981).