Also referred to as the Earth Summit or Rio+20 due to the initial conference held in Rio in 1992, the objectives of the Summit are: to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development; to assess progress towards internationally agreed goals on sustainable development and to address new and emerging challenges. The Summit will also focus on two specific themes: a green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development, and an institutional framework for sustainable development.
Jobs and Announcements
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 (Rio+20)
20-22 June 2012: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Call for abstracts: Second Global Symposium: 31 October-3 November 2012: Beijing, China
Deadline: 1 May 2012
Organisers of the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR) are calling on all interested parties to submit abstracts for the Second Global Symposium. Abstracts may be in one of three main themes: Knowledge translation; state-of-the-art health systems research; and health systems research methodologies. There are also three cross-cutting themes: Innovations in health systems research; neglected priorities or populations in health systems research; and financing and capacity building for health systems research. The overall goal of this call is to enhance health policy and management decision-making processes in low- and middle-income countries (particularly for the implementation and scale-up of effective interventions for MDGs 4, 5, and 6) through the identification and testing models of leadership development to strengthen the capacity of decision-makers to demand, access and use research.
Call for abstracts: The East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing 10th Scientific Conference: Port Louis, Mauritius, 5-7 September 2012
Deadline: 30 April 2012
The East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing (ECSACON) is calling for abstracts for the 10th ECSACON Scientific Conference. The theme is “Acceleration towards attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through revitalising primary health care: nurses and midwives sharing high impact interventions”. Sub-themes: Improving maternal and child health: Moving towards achieving the MDGs; Health systems strengthening; Innovations and excellence in nursing and midwifery; Evidence-based primary health care practices/approaches.
From Theory to Practice - Informing Practitioners about Economics and the HIV and AIDS Epidemic, Durban South Africa 14-18 May 2012
Registration closes 30 April 2012
HEARD's first workshop for 2012 offers particpants the opportunity to learn the skills and the contributions that health economics can bring to resource planning, allocation and evaluation in the health care sector. The application of concepts will be directed toward understanding and interpreting the HIV and AIDS epidemic in southern and eastern Africa.
Objectives of the course are to: Give participants an understanding of the conceptual basis of economics; Enable participants to converse in the language of economics; Examine practical examples of the application of key concepts of economics; Give participants an awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of economics; Understand the key organisational impacts of ill health and its amelioration; Equity in health care and economics; Understand the theoretical underpinnings of economic evaluation; Appreciate the value of the techniques of economic evaluation and Examine applications of the various techniques. This workshop is aimed at health service staff who seek to understand how and why economics is applied to health care.
Contact: Louiss@ukzn.ac.za
Health Systems Trust at 20 years
Seminar, Durban 3 May 2012
In April 1992 a group of visionaries – most now leading figures in the country – saw the need for an organisation to support the transformation of South Africa’s health system in the new democracy ushered in by the non race-based elections in 1994. The resultant organisation, Health Systems Trust, has grown from strength to strength over the intervening two decades, with work to strengthen health systems in South Africa and in southern Africa. Extensive health systems research (see the HST website), many innovative implementation programmes (including the early Initiative for Sub-district Support; District Strengthening and Community Development; SA SURE), relevant reporting and analysis (South African Health Review, District Health Barometer) and global collaborations advocating for equity (Global Equity Gauge - GEGA, early editions of Global Health Watch) have been implemented towards a vision of “Health systems supporting Health for All in southern Africa”. In May a 20-year celebration is planned. Developments in the South African health system over the past two decades will be explored in a one-day seminar. Then, acknowledging the involvement of the South African communities in sustaining the organisation, HST staff, some partners and dignitaries, will don overalls and participate in a social responsibility exercise in two clinics. HST steps into the next 20 years with confidence and excitement.
Register for Forum 2012: 24-26 April 2012, Cape Town, South Africa
COHRED and the Global Forum
Forum 2012 will bring together key actors to make research and innovation work for health, equity and development: governments, industry, social enterprise, non-governmental organisations, researchers, media, funders , international organisations and others. Partipcipants will explore who will explore ways to go ‘beyond aid’ by building on the rapidly expanding research and innovation capacity of low- and middle-income countries as basis for development. The Forum has three main themes: improving and increasing investments in research and innovation; networking and partnerships in research, technological innovations, social innovations and delivery of better health care; and improvement of health, equity and development of low-income countries by creating a supportive environment, including priority setting in research for health, fair research contracting, research cooperation and ethics, nanotechnologies, technological and social innovations, and using the web as a tool for planning research.
Contact: info@forum2012.org
Register for the Thirteenth World Congress on Public Health: 23-27 April 2011, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Registration deadline: 14 April 2012
The Ethiopian Public Health Association and the World Federation of Public Health Associations invite public health professionals from around the world to participate in the Thirteen World Congress on Public Health 2012. The theme of the conference is ‘Towards global health equity: Opportunities and threats’. The conference has four main objectives. It is intended to serve as an international forum for the exchange of knowledge and experiences on key public health issues, as well as contribute towards protecting and promoting public health at global, continental and national levels. It is also intended to help create a better understanding of Africa’s major public health challenges within the global public health community and to facilitate and support the formation of the African Federation of Public Health Associations.
Registration open for SEYCOHAIDS 2012
8-10 June 2012: Lilongwe, Malawi
SEYCOHAIDS 2012 is the largest international gathering for young people on HIV and AIDS in the Eastern and Southern Africa region, where young researchers, policy makers, activists, educators and people living with HIV will be able to link with people in other countries and meet to share and learn about HIV prevention methods, treatments, care policies and programmes relating to HIV and AIDS in Africa. The broad objectives for the Conference are to: ensure effective and meaningful youth participation in international AIDS response; identify gaps and challenges in government policies in providing youth-friendly HIV and AIDS services; develop regional and country-level strategic programmes for youth and HIV and AIDS; identify and build the capacity of new and emerging youth leaders for the AIDS response to ensure sustainability of youth initiatives at the national, regional and international levels; sustain adult-youth partnerships and dialogue; develop the Southern and Eastern Africa youth network on HIV and AIDS; develop country specific youth networks on HIV and AIDS; establish funding mechanisms for regional and country youth networks; and monitor government and donor commitments to youth and HIV and AIDS. Applicants must be no older than 35 years old at the time of the application.
Registration open for the People’s Health Assembly: 6-11 July 2012, Cape Town
Deadline: 14 April 2012
Registration is open for participation in the People’s Health Assembly (PHA), organised by the People's Health Movement (PHM). The PHA is a global event bringing together health activists from across the world to share experiences, analyse global health situation, develop civil society positions and to develop strategies which promote health for all. It will look at forms of action to address identified challenges and build capacity among health activists to act. It is an opportunity for PHM as a whole to reflect on the global struggle, to review and reassess, to redirect and re-inspire. PHA3 aims to impact directly in the struggle for social change: for health for all, decent living conditions for all, work in dignity for all, equity and environmental justice.
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 (Rio+20)
20-22 June 2012: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Also referred to as the Earth Summit or Rio+20 due to the initial conference held in Rio in 1992, the objectives of the Summit are: to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development; to assess progress towards internationally agreed goals on sustainable development and to address new and emerging challenges. The Summit will also focus on two specific themes: a green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development, and an institutional framework for sustainable development.