GREETINGS FROM THE CHAIR
This meeting marks the half way mark in my tenure as the IH Section Chair. I have been very proud to have served the Section this year, and hope to improve my efforts in the coming year. As I reflect on the past year, I must say that the several natural disasters that have affected the United States in recent months have given us all a moment to pause and to think both as caring citizens and public health professionals about how we can contribute to ease the pain of so many families. The desire to aid communities and people who are in desperate circumstances is a basic reaction that motivates us as international health practitioners – we are servants
of the needy and proud to be so – as well as being scientists searching for knowledge and constantly learning by doing
. This is not the first time for many of us to experience disaster, and it certainly will not be the last time – however, by sharing our work and experiences as public health professionals, we can learn how to do this work better and more efficiently. By sharing our work and experiences, we can improve our technique and strategies that may bring relief more rapidly to so many who are in need.
During the past year the Section has achieved important advances – all of which are due to the members. Firstly, the leadership has met via a telephone conference call each month to discuss and make decisions which guide the Section. The leadership is no longer defined by those who have been elected to positions, but rather by those who are interested in Section affairs and choose to participate in the monthly conference calls. These teleconferences have been regular despite the challenging international travel schedules of the participants. In my opinion, one of the best investments we have made this year is the financing of these monthly sessions. It is gratifying to see the deep commitment of the leadership and other members who are engaged in Section activities or have asked to become engaged. If you are interested in participating in these telephone calls please contact Donna Barry at: <firstname.lastname@example.org
>. She is managing the conference calls for the Section. Thank you, Donna. By participating in the phone calls you can also be called upon to serve in a Section subcommittee – or to serve as a Section co-chair, which is a new position I have started to engage more members. Please do participate. We encourage all of you to become engaged.
Secondly, as I informed you in my last letter, APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, had asked the IH Section to coordinate Association-wide on the topic of health and global trade. In January the Section recommended that APHA launch a project to (a) begin to educate the association membership about issues concerning trade and health, and (b) engage in dialogue the U.S. government and other stakeholders to increase the priority given to public health in trade policy and agreements. During the summer, Dr. Benjamin reiterated the Section’s role in coordinating this agenda. I appointed Marty Makinen to chair a committee comprising Logan Brenzel, Mary Anne Mercer, Rick Yoder, and Michelle Forzley to serve APHA as a whole and our Section membership to provide information to educate us about trade and health issues and debates. The mandate which I have provided them will be posted on the Section’s Web site. The committee is meeting by telephone periodically and is intended to be a small working group that welcomes and encourages input and participation from others, but is kept small to try to ensure that it can really work.
The committee's first set of activities is to produce a set of fact sheets or briefs on trade and health issues that are to be distributed at the trade and health sessions at the Annual Meeting in Philadelphia and posted on the IH Section Web site. The committee has exchanged information that several of its members had generated in previous efforts as a basis for deciding what initial set of topics to cover in the fact sheets/briefs. The committee has met to discuss and nominate topics and begin the work on producing them. You will receive an update of this work at the Section’s business meeting in Philadelphia.
After two tremendously successful years as Program Chair, Betsy Bassan (Chemonics) is ending her term. We thank her for her leadership in developing a stimulating program of scientific panels and other events for which we are proud. Following the change of venue, a few presenters had to pull out, which is to be expected. However, Betsy and her team rose to the occasion to find replacements. I also want to note here the International Health Film Festival ,which Betsy nurtured and has made a visible contribution to the Annual Meeting. I would like this event to be continued in future years.
Although Betsy’s shoes are quite difficult to fill, I think we have done so. I am not prepared at this moment to reveal who will serve as the Program Chair next year, but I have been discussing this appointment for several months, and will be prepared to share the news with you at the Business Meeting.
Also, I am please to announce the speaker for the Section luncheon at the Annual Meeting: USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health Kent Hill
. The working title of his talk is: Public Health Emergencies and Priorities: Avian Flu, Malaria and HIV/AIDS - The USAID Public Health Agenda
. I am sure this event will be very well attended so book your tickets early.
Finally, during the Annual IH Awards evening the Section will honor several deserving professionals:
· Ray Martin, International Health Distinguished Service Award
· Tim Holtz, Mid-Career Award
· Michael Latham, Lifetime Achievement Award
Please come to the event to honor these outstanding professionals, colleagues and friends. The venue for the ceremony will be announced through a broadcast e-mail and in the meeting agenda. I would like to express the Section’s deep gratitude to Chemonics, John Snow, Inc., and Management Sciences for Health for their financial support to ensure this event will be successful.
In conclusion, we must give notice that Allen Jones has stepped down as the Secretary General of the World Federation of Public Health Associations. Allen has been the Section’s closest collaborator and advisor at APHA. His knowledge and experience in international public health made him an invaluable presence in the association. His absence will be sorely missed. APHA has reorganized so that Dr Barbara Hatcher is now the Center Director for Learning, Public and Global health. Also Dr Benjamin has asked Dr. Hatcher to serve as the Interim Secretary General until the World Federation can make a permanent appointment, perhaps next year at the RIO Congress. This arrangement is still being finalized with the Federation leadership. I have notified Dr. Benjamin that the Section would like to participate in the selection process for Allen's successor and Dr. Benjamin has indicated that the section will be involved in hiring a Manager for International Health to work with Dr. Hatcher to support the Federation and to lead the international health efforts.
I very much look forward to seeing you all at the Annual Meeting. The year 2005 has been a marvelous year, marked by much innovation. By working together we can make 2006 even better. However, as this is a membership organization the responsibility for any year's success rests squarely on the shoulders of the membership. I remain committed to aiding you all make this Section exactly would you would like it to be.
--Joe Valadez, PhD, MPH, ScD; E-mail: email@example.com
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FROM THE EDITOR
The IH Section Newsletter is a place for all Section members to share thoughts, creative ideas, and any other information that could be of interest and value to Section members, including significant international work experiences. You are invited and encouraged to submit material for inclusion in the next issues of the Newsletter.
I take this opportunity to thank all members who provided material for this issue of the Newsletter and to Ray Martin who kindly sought submissions for this issue of the Newsletter.
The IH Section Newsletter is published twice a year. The deadline for the Spring Issue is April 15 and for the Fall Issue is July 15. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and should be presented as Font Times Roman 12.
--Josefa Ippolito-Shepherd, PhD, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org
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IH SECTION PROGRAM - APHA 133RD ANNUAL MEETING AND EXPOSITION
The International Health Section presents another remarkable scientific program for the APHA 133rd Annual Meeting and Exposition, to be held Dec. 10-14, 2005 in Philadelphia. We received 358 abstracts that were reviewed by a panel of more than 65 peers. The IH Section program will include 12 invited sessions and more than 185 accepted abstracts for 39 oral sessions, nine poster sessions, and one roundtable session. The program has been endorsed by 16 other Sections ,and we are co-sponsors for more than 20 sessions for many of these same Sections. Please see the complete program on the APHA web site at <www.apha.org/meetings
In keeping with this year’s Annual Meeting theme, Evidence-Based Policy and Practice, the program will feature a five-part series of invited sessions on evidence-based work in relevant IH topics. Kicking off the five-part series with an overview of the many challenges to effective scale-up, the series will also include sessions focused on HIV/AIDS treatment, tuberculosis, malaria, and child health interventions.
The program will also include invited sessions on effective workplace programs in health; responses to conflicts between free market enterprise and public health policy in the pharmaceutical industry; issues related to developing country health worker migration; evidence-based successful outcomes of the Global Fund; and global health career opportunities. Other hot topics include: trade and health, injury-related health issues, and donor innovations in global health. The program will also highlight issues of continuing interest such as HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases, healthcare financing and reform, monitoring and evaluation, water and sanitation, and family planning/reproductive health.
With the success of the Film Festival last year, the IH Section is delighted to once again showcase documentaries on international public health issues. The IH Section will host five film sessions in the Technology Theatre, with topics covering HIV/AIDS, FGM, genetically engineered foods, and water privatization.
In addition to the scientific program, be sure to plan to attend the IH business meetings, awards and social hour, and luncheon. See complete schedule on the APHA Web site at <www.apha.org/meetings
Many thanks to the program committee, with significant contributions and support from Mary Anne Mercer, Marty Makinen, Ray Martin, and Diana Silimperi, and to all who participated in organizing this year’s program – peer reviewers, moderators, co-sponsors, Amy Hill, and of course, APHA staff.
--Betsy Bassan, Program Chair
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APHA FILM FESTIVAL 2005: VISUAL EVIDENCE, GLOBAL ISSUES
--12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Monday 3170.0 APHA Film Festival: International Health Session 1 – The Threat of Water Privatization (Oral)
In this session, the documentary film Thirst
, by Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman (2004; 56 min.), will be screened. This film offers a chilling look at the commodification of water sources globally, and the impact on local communities. Followed by Q&A moderated by the IH Section.
--2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Monday 3259.0 APHA Film Festival: IH Session 2 – AIDS Orphans in Zambia (Oral)
Millions of children in Sub-Saharan Africa have been left orphans as a result of the AIDS epidemic. This session features the film, Their Brothers’ Keepers: Orphaned by AIDS, by Catherine Mullins (2005; 56 min.), which spotlights the plight of several AIDS orphans in Zambia. Followed by Q&A moderated by the IH Section.
--4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Monday 3353.0 APHA Film Festival: International Health Session 3 – Gender-Based Violence and HIV in South Africa (Oral)
In recent years, violence against women has been recognized by the international health community as a significant public health issue. Opening this session is The Man Who Stole My Mother’s Face
, by Cathy Henkel (2003; 58 min.), a devastating exploration of sexual assault in South Africa. Next, a series of short digital videos produced for South Africa’s “Men As Partners” (MAP) program (2005; 20 min.) serve to highlight the connections between gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS. Followed by Q&A with MAP producer.
--8:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Monday 3392.0 APHA Film Festival: International Health Session 4 – GMO Foods and Health (Oral)
Little is known about the long-term health risks posed by the growing use of genetically engineered seeds in the U.S. and internationally. This session features The Future of Food
, by Deborah Koons Garcia (2004; 90 min.), a film that explores the implications of the profusion of genetically engineered crops in the U.S. and Canada.
--8:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Tuesday 4347.0 APHA Film Festival: International Health Session 5 – Harmful Traditional Practices in Kenya (Oral)
In this session, Director Kim Longinotto’s deeply moving and complex examination of female genital cutting in Kenya, The Day I Will Never Forget
(2002; 90 min.), will be screened. The film presents a range of diverse perspectives on a traditional practice which has significant health consequences for girls and women living in the countries where it continues.
--Betsy Bassan, Program Chair
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7TH ANNUAL PRE-APHA WORKSHOP ON COMMUNITY-BASED PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PRACTICAL STEPS TO ACHIEVE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS
As a result of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the APHA Annual Meeting has been changed to Dec. 11-14 in Philadelphia. Consequently, we are also changing the date and venue of our Annual Workshop.
The Working Group on Community-based Primary Health Care (part of the IH Section of APHA) is pleased to announce that it will hold its annual day-long workshop in Philadelphia, Saturday, December 10, 2005, from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., the day before the opening of the APHA Annual Meeting. This is the seventh consecutive workshop that our Working Group has sponsored. We are still working to determine the location. There will be no formal charge, but we will be pleased to accept voluntary contributions. You do not have to be a member of APHA to attend, nor do you have to be registered for the APHA Annual Meeting.
This year, we are pleased to announce that Stanley Foster of Emory University and Warren and Gretchen Berggren, international public health consultants, will be leading our workshop. Both the Berggrens and Foster are recipients of the esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award in International Health given by the IH Section of APHA.
In the morning session, participants will strengthen their skills by using community-generated data to identify health issues and to identify implementation strategies. Data to be used are from a pastoral population in southern Ethiopia collected by the Liben District Team/Save the Children Woman Wise Child Survival Project. Unique features of this project include Bridge to Health Teams working at the community level, the training of birth attendants in life-saving skills, quality improvement of preventive and curative services, and community-based case management. Participants will have the choice of working with one of three sets of data: maternal health, facility services, and community services including community management of childhood illness. In a simulation of district-level planning, the participants will analyze data and discuss their findings within small groups.
Facilitators will include Lynn Sibley, a nurse-midwife and anthropologist from Emory's School of Nursing; Tedbab Degefie, project manager of the Liben WomanWise Project in Ethiopia, and Stanley Foster, professor of global health, Emory's School of Public Health.
In the afternoon session, the Berggrens will provide examples from their recent personal experiences in Mozambique and Haiti. The issues that they will address include:
· Difficulties that facility-based programs have in reaching out into the community;
· The tendency to focus on process rather than impact indicators;
· The tension between facility-based integrated management of childhood illness and the goal of expanding coverage of basic services within an underserved population; an
· The tension between the goal of reaching the poorest of the poor within the population and the goal of generating local income to ensure the long-term sustainability of primary health care programs.
Warren and Gretchen Berggren have had extensive field experience in Africa and Haiti, and they have worked with many international health organizations in leadership roles, most notably at the Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti, Save the Children, and World Relief. They are currently providing technical support to community-based primary health care projects around the world, with a primary focus on Haiti.
Stan Foster is professor of global health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University in Atlanta. He worked for many years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in leadership roles in international health programs, most notably in smallpox eradication and in the strengthening of immunization programs. More recently, he has been involved in the teaching of international health and in providing technical support to community-based primary health care programs throughout the developing world.
We believe this will be an exciting participatory learning opportunity for those of us who are interested in and committed to community-based primary health care. As in the past, this workshop will be, in addition, an opportunity for networking and for nurturing nascent interests in community-based primary health care. Those new to community-based primary health care, including students, are welcome.
We hope you will save the date and make plans to attend. Feel free to share this with anyone you think might be interested. Space is limited to 70, so register now by sending an e-mail to our registrar, Mirlene Italien Perry, at <email@example.com
> and letting her know you plan to attend.
For further information, contact any of the three Workshop Coordinators:
· Paul Freeman at: <firstname.lastname@example.org
· Mirlene Italien Perry at: <email@example.com
· Henry Perry at: <firstname.lastname@example.org
-- Henry Perry, E-mail: email@example.com
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COMMUNITY-BASED FIELD RESEARCH GRANTS TO YOUNG FACULTY AND STUDENTS
The IH Section of APHA, in collaboration with the Colgate- Palmolive Company, is pleased to announce the availability of a small grants program to support young faculty and students in schools of public health to carry out community-based field research in behavioral hygiene. These competitive grants will be awarded for community-based research projects investigating the role of hygiene (especially hand washing with soap) in personal and community health and infection control, including investigations about the knowledge of proper hygiene habits, hygiene motivation and behavior change. The research should focus on mothers, families and children in resource-poor settings. Each award will be in the range of $10,000 - $15,000. A total of $30,000 is available to support this initiative
Three awards will be made, with preference being given to projects to be carried out in the one of the following countries: Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Senegal, Kenya, Mozambique, or the United States. The U.S. investigation would need to focus on migrant or immigrant populations. Awards can be made to schools of public health based in the United States or in another country as long as the field research is carried out in one of the above countries.
Those projects which are funded will be presented and/or recognized at the Annual Meeting of APHA and at the IH Section formal meeting.
APHA, working in collaboration with the Working Group on Community-Based Primary Health Care of the IH Section, will take responsibility for administering the program. The competition was formally announced in September 2005, and the deadline for the first round of competition will be Nov. 15, 2005, with funded projects beginning on Feb. 1, 2006. Additional competitions will be held until the funds are dispersed. A committee of two persons from the Community-Based Primary Health Care Working Group and three technical experts involved in behavioral hygiene research will review the submissions.
For further information, contact Paul Freeman at <firstname.lastname@example.org
> or Henry Perry at <email@example.com
--Henry Perry, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org
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THE FUTURE GENERATIONS MASTERS PROGRAM IN APPLIED COMMUNITY CHANGE AND CONSERVATION
Future Generations is recruiting its second global class of community leaders for its Master of Arts in Applied Community Change and Conservation. Our program provides an exciting educational opportunity for those committed to just and lasting change. If you know of any potential applicants, please feel free to pass this on to them.
Our program strengthens grassroots initiatives that integrate best practices in development, skills in monitoring and evaluation, partnerships linking communities with governments and outside experts, and behavioral change. We use a “blended learning” pedagogy of site-based instruction on three continents, interactive online instruction alongside a faculty of academics and practitioners, on-the-job practicum applications in collaboration with mentors, inter-cultural immersion, and accountability vis-à-vis sending communities and classmates.
While the program lasts two years, our candidates need only leave their communities for a total of four months. The program is part-time, but requires a good 15 hours per week of scholarly work and research. Basic requisites for class members include an undergraduate degree, TOEFL competency of 575 (or agreed-upon preparatory language work) for non-native speakers of English, and a relationship with a community in which just and lasting change and/or conservation is being promoted. Future Generations is authorized by the State of West Virginia to award a Master of Arts degree. We are in the process of securing full accreditation with the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
The next class begins January 2006, and the following class will begin in September 2007. We anticipate an exceptional class of 25 community leaders/scholars from more than a dozen countries. Many of these candidates are mid-career people. Several are mid- to high-level program officers for non-governmental organizations and missions. Others are government officials and tribal leaders. Each candidate will have every opportunity to hone useful skills to strengthen near- and long-term community goals for a brighter future. Besides joining a class of other community leaders, our candidates learn in the company of a Board of Mentors and a faculty with more than 250 years’ field experience in international development and conservation.
Please visit our Web site at <www.future.org
> for more information, application materials, Viewbook, and Course Catalog. Kindly contact Dan Wessner, <email@example.com
>, our director of academic programming, or Henry Perry, <firstname.lastname@example.org
>, Carl Taylor Professor for Equity and Empowerment, if you have further questions. Thank you for considering this exciting applied program and entrusting this information to prospective candidates.
--Henry Perry, E-mail: email@example.com
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APHA IH PHARMACEUTICAL WORK GROUP PRESENTATIONS
The four-paper panel, "Innovative Organizational Responses to Issues in the Pharmaceutical Sector,"
which was proposed as an initiative of the APHA IH section Pharmaceuticals Working Group, was accepted. The complete panel includes abstracts 113125, 113096, 113115, and 113122, and it is currently scheduled for Monday, Dec. 12 from 8:30-10:00 a.m. (Session # 3035).
Brief description of Panel: At the global level, the issues surrounding the pharmaceutical sector spotlight real and potential conflicts between free market enterprise and public health policy. The pharmaceutical industry is a powerful engine in global economic development, and shocks to that industry can send the stock market index down. Industry development strategies are naturally designed to maximize profits in lucrative (and relatively healthy) markets with minimal attention to maximizing health status around the world, and these strategies have attracted increasing sharp criticism from elements of civil society, which see health as a human right and public good. This panel will include presentations on four recently established and innovative organizations who are responding to these basic conflicts in the pharmaceutical sector in different ways.
In addition, the poster, “Cross-border Internet Pharmacies: Issues Implications and Controversy,”
prepared by Pharmaceuticals Working Group member Ilyssa Hollander will be presented during the poster session, “Using Communication Tools to Promote Healthier Lives,” and the paper, "Improving the Use of Pharmaceuticals in Jordan: The Importance of Pharmaceutical care and a Rational Drug Strategy,"
prepared by the Pharmaceuticals Working Group member Dima Qato, will be part of the panel on “Improving Use and Distribution of Pharmaceuticals.” This second panel will have other papers of interest to members of the group.
--Maggie Huff-Rousselle, MA, MBA, PhD, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org
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STRENGTHENING PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE IN THE AMERICAS
Amy Hagopian, an IH Section session strategic planning coordinator, represented APHA at an August meeting of the Pan American Health Organization to discuss “Strengthening the capacity of the public health workforce to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.” The group comprised about 30 individuals from PAHO offices, as well as universities, ministries of health and public health associations in Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Canada, Chile, Jamaica, Cuba and the United States. The meeting was held in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The goals of the meeting were to:
1) build greater knowledge about the human resources for public health (HR) crisis;
2) achieve clarity on functions of public health schools and other stakeholders; and
3) create a strategic plan for joint action between the World Federation of Public Health Associations and to strengthen HR capacity.
There were four themes the organizers hoped to cover:
1) scaling up of HR during the decade 2006-2015.
2) characterizing the public health workforce.
3) recommending tools to establish core competencies.
4) taking multilateral action at regional and international levels.
We were reminded that in Latin America, more than one in four of the 500 million inhabitants have no real access to basic health care, both for reasons of inadequate resources and because of geographical barriers. More than 150 million lack access to potable water.
PAHO has three pillars of work: technical, policy advocacy, and social mobilization. Primary health care, essential public health functions, protection of social and health status, and human resources are all critical. PAHO is the Regional Office of the World Health Organization for the American Region.
There was discussion about two important tasks: adopting a set of common core competencies for the public health workforce and agreeing on an approach for enumerating the public health workforce in each of our countries.
The competencies reviewed included (although there was no final agreement):
1. Have a command of the essential public health sciences.
2. Conduct analysis and assessment (health surveillance), using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
3. Develop policy, plan programs & set priorities.
4. Identify the financial and human resources required and advocate to obtain them.
5. Create partnerships, collaborate & communicate, using global and interdisciplinary approaches.
6. Appreciate and be skillful with socio-cultural diversity (including gender differences and special groups).
7. Understand the social determinants of health and how to organize to eliminate inequalities and other origins of poor health.
8. Employ leadership skills and systems approaches.
9. Understand and apply a code of ethics.
10. Promote healthy behaviors and primary care.
11. Knowledge and handling of legal and normative frameworks.
12. Develop political capacities across sectors: public/private, networks, strategic alliances.
13. Develop citizens, facilitate community development, mobilization of the citizenry.
To enumerate the workforce, there was general agreement that countries should first assemble a minimum data set, to determine how many public health workers in each category are employed in the public sector. Subsequently, a “luxury” data set could be assembled to determine how many public health workers are employed across ALL sectors. Finally, the effort should include an attempt to sample the workforce to characterize public health workers’ education, functions, and needs.
--Amy Hagopian, MHA, PhD, E-mail: email@example.com
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APHA JOINT POLICY COMMITTEE - PROPOSED IH SECTION RESOLUTION
As part of its strategic plan this year, the IH Section proposed two resolutions on international health policy for consideration by the broader APHA organization. One concerned the issue of aggressive, unethical recruitment of health professionals away from impoverished nations of the world. The other opposed the imposition of health and education spending limits as components of structural adjustment policies imposed by lenders (such as the International Monetary Fund) to indebted poor countries.
Perhaps APHA isn’t asked often enough to consider international health issues, as evidenced by the reaction to our proposals. The Joint Policy Committee considers resolutions for acceptance or denial prior to consideration by the Governing Council, and had many questions about our proposals. At the time of this newsletter, the JPC had still not made a decision about whether to recommend the structural adjustment resolution, as it felt the need to conduct some independent research on the topic.
The ethical recruitment resolution was substantially revised in response to JPC questions and recommendations, but even so was slated for a “do not pass” recommendation until we agreed to remove the entire recommended code of ethics from the document. We agreed to do this in protest, to keep the resolution alive, but hope to make amendments from the floor when the December meeting of the Governing Council considers the issue. Watch for the hearing schedule in your Annual Meeting schedule, and plan to attend if you can. You can find both resolutions (and the proposed edits) on the IH Section Web site.
Ironically, the World Federation of Public Health Association adopted the ethical recruitment resolution in its entirety at its 10th Congress in the spring.
--Amy Hagopian, MHA, PhD, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org
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WFPHA - 11TH WORLD CONGRESS ON PUBLIC HEALTH
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, we are very pleased to invite you to attend the 11th World Congress on Public Health and the 8th Brazilian Congress on Collective Health, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from Aug. 21-25 , 2006.
Promoted by the World Federation of Public Health Associations and the Brazilian Association of Collective Health, the congress will be a major scientific event in Latin America, bringing together health professionals, teachers, researchers, managers, national and international Public/Collective Health leaders and all those interested in debating, reflecting, and facing the theoretical and practical challenges of public health.
The scientific program has been developed in a way to showcase the diverse dimensions of the central theme – Public Health in a Globalized World: Breaking Down Social, Economic and Political Barriers.
-Deadline to abstract submission online: Jan. 20, 2006.
-Deadline to abstract submission by post: Jan. 13, 2006.
ThemesA. Global Actions on the Social Determinants of Health.
A.1. Gender Discrimination, War and Terrorism, and Religious Beliefs: challenges for Public Health.
A.2. Over-Consumption, Hunger and Public Health.
A.3. The Freedom to Breathe: Fighting for Clean Air All Over the World.
A.4. How to guarantee decent and safe jobs and employment?
A.5. International Trade of Drugs and Arms: Challenges for Public Health.
A.6. The Public Health Challenges of Injuries and Violence
A.7. Health surveillance as essential technology to promote life.
A.8. Demographic Trends in An Overpopulated World. How Many More on Planet Earth?
A.9. Lifestyle Choices and Overweight/Obesity are Global Public Health ProblemsB. Global Governance, Citizen Participation and the Right to Health.
B.1. Community Participation, Empowerment, and Health Promotion.
B.2. For a Borderless World: Migration and Health.
B.3. No Races, No Ethnic Groups, No Countries: Public Health, a Right for Everyone.
B.4. Integrating Gender into Public Health: Achievements and Challenges.
B.5. Reproductive Health in The 21st Century - Human Rights or Basic Needs?
B.6. Poverty, Development and Health: Are the Millennium Development Goals Enough?
B.7. The Right to Water, Public Health and National Sovereignty.C. Promoting Equitable Healthcare Systems in a Competitive World.
C.1. Diffusion of Innovations in Health: The Competitive Advantages of Universal Public Health Systems.
C.2. Health and Welfare Systems after the Reforms in the 1990s: Success Stories and Failures.
C.3. Markets in Health Services - Public Health Faces Patient Mobility.
C.4. Health Policy and Systems Research: A Neglected Arena.
C.5. The Future of Health Professions Practices in the Face of Technological Development and Greater Volumes of Information.
C.6. Globalization and Health Professionals’ Migration.
C.7. Who Should Regulate the Quantity and Quality of Labor in Health?
C.8. Building Public Health Capacity in a Globalized World.D. New Frontiers in Science and Technology: What Does it Mean for the Public Health?
D.1. Technological Developments and Access to Drugs and Technology.
D.2. Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health: Global Trade and Its Public Health Impact
D.3. Food Supply Versus Transgenic Food/Genetically Modified Organisms: Risk’s for the World’s Public Health?
D.4. Ethical Issues in International Research on Human Health: The Double Standard Controversy.
D.5. Bio-threats and the Public Health Response
D.6. Evaluation Research and Information Systems Improve Public Health Knowledge
D.7. Confronting Global EpidemicsE - Others
There are two alternatives for sending your paper:
· Online: To access the form the person must be registered at the Web site <www.wfphacongress06.com
,> since it is available only in a restricted area.
· By post: to the Congress Secretariat. The abstracts should be sent in a diskette or CD-ROM (RTF or Microsoft Word format), along with 3 (three) printed copies in 8.5”x 11” page format. The printed abstract must be identical of the one in the diskette or CD-ROM.
In case of submitting more than one abstract, each abstract must have a diskette or CD-ROM as well as the copies of the printed version.
The material should be sent to: MÉTODO EVENTOS - Av. Ataulfo de Paiva 1251/ gr.410 - Leblon - Rio de Janeiro 22440-031 - Brazil
Make sure that the file does not contain virus.
* In case that the author decides to send the abstract by email, do not send it by post and vice-versa.
* If sending by post, the registration form of the author must come together with the abstract and the diskette or CD-ROM.
For more information, visit the Web sites: <www.abrasco.org.br
> or <www.wfpha.org
Av. Ataulfo de Paiva, 1251, grupo 410, Leblon, Rio de Janeiro/RJ
Fax: (21) 2274-1941
Tel: (21) 2512-0666
World Federation of Public Health Association
Fax: 202-777-2533 Catherine.Hayes@apha.org
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The APHA International Health Section of would like to announce the departure of Allen Jones, PhD, APHA Staff Liaison to the International Health Section. Many International Health Section members have shown their sadness at the departure of Jones but hope to continue on the successful track he has headed for the past six years.
Jones' work was admired by many due to his commitment, professionalism, and ethics in the field of public health. He established and provided impeccable communication with members and associates. Many admired his active participation and enthusiasm.
APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, released this statement on Jones. “During his six years at APHA, Dr. Jones has made significant contributions to raising the profile of global heath at APHA, as well as through his related responsibilities as Secretary General of the World Federation of Public Health Associations. Among his accomplishments were providing leadership and support to APHA’s IH Section, strengthening ties with other public health associations such as the MOU with our Chinese counterparts, participating in the negotiation sessions that resulted in the passage of WHO’s the global tobacco treaty, and bringing attention to a key, emergent issue in global health – the crisis surrounding human resources for health.”
Jones addressed his service to APHA’s International Health Section as well as his service to the World Federation of Public Health Associations in his departure letter. Jones aid, “It has been a distinct privilege and honor for me to serve APHA and WFPHA over the past six years. I have benefited from your leadership and commitment as well as the dedication and support of other leaders in advancing the cause of public health around the globe. I am proud of the achievements accomplished by WFPHA during my term: giving the organization greater visibility and outreach in global public health, through brokering – as just one example -- MOUs with such partners as the China Preventive Medical Association and other national public health associations; through participating in the negotiations for the global tobacco treaty, the FCTC; by making WFPHA a more recognized and active partner with such agencies as the World Health Organization, and by raising a key, emergent issue in global public health: the crisis in human resources for global public health.”
--Catherine Hayes , Program Coordinator, WFPHA, Tel: (202) 777-2506, e-mail: Catherine.Hayes@apha.org
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REFLECTIONS ON GLOBAL HEALTH AT APHA AND WFPHA 1999-2005
First, thank you for the opportunity to offer some reflections of six years I had the privilege to spend with many of you in the IH Section at APHA.
I was fortunate to be present when the IH Section through revitalized leadership – provided by your own leaders – helped return the Section to a dynamic and active status that compelled APHA leaders and other Sections to sit up and take notice. This was reflected in Section leadership in publishing a booklet recently on the history of APHA and international health. It was also recognized when the Section was selected by association leadership to play a key brokering and facilitation role in helping APHA chart a future course on the important issue of global trade and public health. I hope the Section will continue to provide future leadership for the Association in this and other areas.
My time was also witness to the burgeoning importance of global health worldwide but also to its increasing recognition in the United States: you’ll recall the debate we had over whether the Section should stay with International Health or shift to Global Health in its name. In the past six years we have seen new infectious diseases, most notably West Nile and SARS, and today fears are heightened over the avian flu and the possibility on a new global pandemic. Remember – you in the Section provide key leadership in APHA with your valuable experience, expertise and perspective that can help guide the professional public health community in confronting such challenges in the days ahead.
I also encourage Section members to keep your professional colleagues in other countries in mind and when you have opportunities to travel abroad that you seek them out and encourage them and help forge links with them to strengthen the global network to which you all belong. There are opportunities available for collaboration and professional development through the World Federation of Public Health Associations with its Secretariat at APHA.
I wish you all the best of luck and I will be following developments with keen interest. I hope there will also be opportunities to remain in touch with many of you, and indeed, even to work together. I am presently at Interaction [www.interaction.org
] as Director of Development Policy and Practice, where we work on a broad array of development issues – including public health -- so I’m confident our paths will cross again!
All the best!
--Allen Jones, APHA Director, Education and Global Health Resources, WFPHA Secretary General
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DOES APHA HAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS?
If you are not sure that APHA has your e-mail address on record, send an e-mail to <membership.mail@APHA.org
> identifying yourself and asking to be on the list so we can send you information through APHA’s "broadcast e-mail" facility. You will also receive information about the IH Section Newsletter via e-mail.
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IH SECTION COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND HEALTH
Section Chair Joe Valadez appointed a committee comprising Logan Brenzel, Mary Anne Mercer, Rick Yoder, Michelle Forzley, and Marty Makinen to serve APHA as a whole and the IH Section membership to provide information to educate all interested about trade and health issues and debates (there is a written mandate that Marty Makinen can provide on request —<marty_Makinen@abtassoc.com
>). The committee is meeting by telephone periodically. The committee is intended to be a small working group that welcomes and encourages input and participation from others but is kept small to try to ensure that it can really work.
The committee's first set of activities is to produce a set of fact sheets or briefs on trade and health issues that are to be distributed at the trade and health sessions at the Annual Meeting in Philadelphia and posted on the IH Section Web site. The committee has exchanged information that several of its members had generated in previous efforts as a basis for deciding what initial set of topics to cover in the fact sheets/briefs. The committee met again by telephone on Sept. 29 to discuss nominated topics and begin the work on producing them.
--Marty Makinen, Director Partners for Health Reform plus, Abt Associates Inc., tel. (301) 913-0689, E-mail: email@example.com
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APHA – IH SECTION LEADERSHIP TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALLS
Since January 2005 the IH Section leadership, which includes all elected positions and active volunteers, have been having monthly conference calls to discuss time-sensitive issues in the Section. To be added to the conference call list, please contact Donna Barry at <firstname.lastname@example.org
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D.C. GLOBAL HEALTH DIALOGUES REACHES DECISION MAKERS IN NATION'S CAPITAL
D.C. Global Health Dialogues is an initiative of APHA's International Health section, and offers informal, cafe-style dialogues -- that are open to all global health professionals -- on current issues and trends in global health. Washington, D.C., has a huge population of international health and public health professionals with influence over U.S. engagement in health globally. The Dialogue series both draws on these people to present, and also enlarges their perspective by creating opportunities for cross-sectoral dialogue. Sessions this year, usually held at APHA's headquarters over coffee and pizza, have included the
Peter Bourne, IH member and former Special Assistant for Health Issues in the Carter White House, reminiscing on "U.S. Policy Toward International Health: Roots in the Carter Administration and Lessons Learned;"
Adeline Kimambo, former Chief Medical Officer in Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Programme Manager of Tanzania Public Health Association and currently Director of the Christian Social Services Commission (www.cssc.or.tz
), sharing her perspectives on the topic, "The Health Care Worker Shortage: Impact on the Tanzania Health Care System;"
Peter Hotez, Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at The George Washington University, Principal Scientist of The Human Hookworm Vaccine Initiative, and Co-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, presenting on "The Neglected Tropical
Diseases: Ancient Afflictions of Stigma and Poverty and the Prospects for their Integrated Control."
All APHA IH members in the greater Washington, D.C., area should already receive regular announcements of events. If others wish to join the listserv, they should contact email@example.com
--Ray Martin and Julie Hantman <firstname.lastname@example.org
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2005 INTERNATIONAL HEALTH OFFICER ELECTIONS
Each year, IH Section members have the opportunity to choose fellow section members to serve in IH leadership positions, helping to represent IH Section interests on the APHA-wide Governing Council, develop policy resolutions, and coordinate efforts with other APHA sections and interest groups. This year, two positions are open on the IH Section Council, and three positions are open for the IH Section Governing Councilors.
Section Councilors serve a three-year term, supporting the internal operations of the IH Section and providing direction and leadership for its initiatives. They help set goals and priorities for the section and assist with the development of the annual meeting program.
Governing Councilors serve a two-year term and are elected by the IH Section to represent our interests at the level of APHA governance.
Governing Councilors vote on behalf of the section on policy resolutions and other issues that come before the Governing Council during the APHA annual meeting.
--Lani Marquez, Chair, IH Section Nominations Committee, E-Mail: lmarquez@URC-CHS.COM
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IH SECTION AWARDS
Call for Awards Nominations
Each year, the IH Section recognizes outstanding contributions of APHA members through its Lifetime Achievement Award
for Excellence in International Health and Mid-Career Award
. The Section also occasionally recognizes significant contributions through the Award for Outstanding Service
to the International Health Section and the Special Award of Recognition
. The Section will honor its awardees in Philadelphia at the IH Section Awards Dinner in December. The Section is now seeking nominations for deserving candidates for these awards, to be presented at the IH Section Award Dinner at the 2006 APHA Annual Meeting. We already have a number of excellent nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Award, so we are particularly interested in receiving nominations for the Mid-Career Award. If you have any suggestions or know someone who you would like to nominate, please let us know.
The Mid-Career Award is intended to recognize outstanding mid-career professionals in the Section and was awarded to Kate Macintyre in 2004 and Tim Holtz in 2005. The evaluation criteria for the Mid-Career Award include:
- The individual must have committed herself/himself to the promotion and development of primary health care in a cross-cultural setting over a period of 5-15 years [Primary health care is meant here to encompass a broad array of public health issues, including HIV/AIDS prevention and environmental health];
- The individual must have demonstrated creativity in expanding the concepts pertinent to the practice of public health with an international focus; and
- Membership in APHA (preferably primary affiliation with the International Health Section), a State affiliate, or a national public health association that is a member of the World Federation of Public Health Associations.
- No self-nominations allowed.
- Prior winners of the Mid-Career Award include Sarah Shannon, Adnan Hyder, Stephen Gloyd, Luis Tam, Marty Makinen, Colleen Conroy, Mary Ann Mercer, Irwin Shorr, Walter K. Patrick, and Dory Storms.
The Lifetime Achievement Award
was created by the IH Section to honor the visionaries and leaders in APHA who have shaped the direction of International Health. The evaluation criteria for the Lifetime Achievement Award include:
- Quality/creativity/innovativeness of the individual’s contributions to the field of International Health;
- The individual’s contributions to the development of APHA or the International Health Section;
- Application of the individual’s work to service delivery (as opposed to primarily theoretical value);
- The individual’s contributions as a leader/visionary/role model;
- The volunteerism/sacrifice associated with the individual’s contributions; and
- Membership in APHA (preferably with primary affiliation with the International Health Section), a State affiliate, or a national public health association that is a member of the World Federation of Public Health Associations.
- No self-nominations are allowed.
Prior winners of the IH Lifetime Achievement Award include Clarence Pearson, Stanley Foster, Joe Wray, Carl Taylor, Milton Roemer, Warren and Gretchen Berggren, John Wyon, Derrick Jelliffe, Tim Baker, Cicely Williams, Bud Prince, Veronica Elliott, Moye Freymann, Jeanne Newman, and Jack Bryant.
The Outstanding Service Award
was created to recognize the efforts of those whose service to the IH Section has gone above and beyond the call of duty.
In addition to these three awards for Section members, the IH Section has also bestowed a Special Award of Recognition
to notable figures and organizations whose contributions to international health merit attention. In November 2002, the IH Section presented such an award to Dikembe Mutombo
of the New Jersey Nets for his support of health issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2001, the Section presented the Special Award of Recognition to the Pan American Health Organization
, in honor of the Centennial Anniversary of its founding. The Outstanding Service Award
and the Special Award of Recognition
are occasional awards that are not usually given every year and have no set criteria.
Award nominations should include a letter explaining why the individual nominated should receive the award and the curriculum vitae of the nominee. Nominations should be submitted to the Awards Committee Chair Kate Tulenko, at email@example.com
, by May 2, 2006.
--Kate Tulenko, MD, MPH, Chair, Awards Committee, E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.org
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THE IH SECTION WEB SITE
The IH Section maintains a Web site, <www.apha-ih.org
>. You will find previous Section newsletters and other material on various subjects. The Section is seeking more volunteers to work on improving the Web site and enhancing its utility for members and the public by adding new material. If interested, contact IH Section Chair Joe Valadez at <email@example.com
>. The webmaster is Russell Kingston, phone (pager): (940) 381-7740, E-mail: <Russell@russell2112.com
>. The Section is grateful for his support.
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IH SECTION LEADERSHIP - SECTION OFFICERS, COUNCILORS AND COMMITTEES
(as of May 2005)Section Officers:
Chair: Joe Valadez, PhD, MPH, ScD, (2004-2006), firstname.lastname@example.org
Chair-Elect: Samir N. Banoob, MD, DM, DrPH, PhD (Chair 2006-2008), email@example.com
Immediate Past Chair: Ray Martin, MPH (2006), firstname.lastname@example.org
Secretary: Irshad Shaikh, MD, MPH, PhD, (2004-2006), email@example.com
Secretary-Elect: Elvira Beracochea, MD, MPH (Secretary 2006-2008), firstname.lastname@example.org Section Councilors:
Maggie Huff-Rousselle, MA, MBA, PhD (2005), email@example.com
David Oot, MPH (2005), firstname.lastname@example.org
Katherine Tulenko, MD, MPH (2005), email@example.com
Donna Barry, MPH, MIA, (2006), firstname.lastname@example.org
Juan Antonio Casas, MD, MSM, (2006), email@example.com
Sharon M McDonnell, BSN MD MPH (2007), firstname.lastname@example.org
Bryn Sakagawa, MPH (2007), email@example.comGoverning Councilors:
Eckhard Kleinau, DrPH, MD (2005), EKleinauEF@jsi.com
Mary Anne Mercer, DrPH (2005), firstname.lastname@example.org
Carol Dabbs, MPH, (2005), email@example.com
Adnan Hyder, MD, MPH, PhD (2006), firstname.lastname@example.org
Beth Rivin, MD, MPH (2006), email@example.com
Della J. Dash, MPH, BSN (2006), firstname.lastname@example.org
Dory Storms, ScD, MPH (2006), email@example.comCommittees and Working Groups:APHA Staff Liaison to the IH Section
- Catherine Hayes, Catherine.Hayes@apha.org
(Acting)Action Board Rep.
– Diana Silimperi, MD, firstname.lastname@example.orgScience Board
– Adnan Hyder, MD, MPH, PhD, email@example.comMembership Committee Chair*
- VacantProgram Com. Chair (2004-2005)*
- Betsy Bassan, MA, firstname.lastname@example.orgAwards Committee Chair*
- Kate Tulenko, MD, MPH, email@example.comCommunity-Based Primary Health Care Working Group Chair
– Henry Perry, MD, PHD, MPH, firstname.lastname@example.orgGlobal Trade and Health Working Group Chair*
- Marty Makinen, PhD, Marty_Makinen@abtassoc.comPharmaceuticals Working Group Chair
- Maggie Huff-Rousselle, MA, MBA, PhD (2005), email@example.comInternational Human Rights Committee
– Leonard Rubenstein, firstname.lastname@example.org Publications Board
- Omar Khan, MD, email@example.comNominations Com. Chair*
- Lani Marquez, MHS, firstname.lastname@example.orgStudent & Young Prof. Chair*
- Vacant Newsletter Editor*
- Josefa Ippolito-Shepherd, PhD, email@example.comSection Strategic Planning Coordinators*
– Della Dash, MPH, BSN, firstname.lastname@example.org
and Amy Hagopian, MHA, PhD, email@example.comWeb Site Manager*
- VacantWeb Site Designer*
- Russell Kingston, MPH, Russell@russell2112.com
* Appointed by the Chair
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International Health Newsletter Archives