PHM is seeking a Community Organiser for six months May-October 2008. This is a temporary post based at the Alternative Information Development Centre (AIDC). The successful applicant will have excellent communication and organisational skills and be an effective team player; have experience of working in/with Civil Society Organisations; computer literacy; own transport; Excellent written and spoken English, Xhosa and/or Afrikaans; a history of involvement in social movement activity in health or a related area will be an advantage. She/he will be responsible for working with communities on the Right to Health campaign. Applicants should e-mail their CV and letter of application together with the names and contact details of two referees to Liz@phmsouthafrica.org. The closing date for applications will be 8 May 2008. Please note that only short listed applicants will be contacted.
Jobs and Announcements
This brief describes the workshops offered at the 4th Public Health Association of South Africa conference, to be held at the Holiday Inn, Strand Street in Cape Town from the 2nd-4th June. Registration details are available at http://phasa2008.mrc.ac.za
As the conference draws near and many deadlines have already passed, we urge those wishing to attend AIDS 2008 - or submit a satellite, exhibition or affiliated event application - to be aware of the limited time left to do so. Please note that all deadlines from now refer to 24h00 in the country you are submitting from on the given date and that no applications and submissions for any part of the conference will be accepted after this time: 31 March 2008: Satellites applications close; 7 May 2008: Registration late surcharge ends (last minute surcharge begins 8 May), Deadline for registration cancellation (with 50% refund); 15 May 2008: Affiliated Events applications close; 20 May 2008: Late Breaker Abstract submissions open; 31 May 2008: Exhibitions applications close; 16 June 2008: Late Breaker Abstract submissions close.
The 2008 Global Ministerial Forum will assess progress over the last 20 years and commitments from earlier conferences. It subsumes the Global Forum's 2008 meeting, Forum 12. Bamako 2008 will look at current challenges and place health research and innovation within the wider context of research for development. While political momentum for strengthening research in and by low- and middle-income countries is growing, much remains to be done. The three key objectives of the Forum are to: Strengthen leadership for health, equity and development; Engage all relevant constituencies in research and innovation for health; and Increase accountability of research systems. The Forum aims to generate specific recommendations and commitments, culminating in an action plan to strengthen research for health, development and equity.
The Ministerial Leadership Initiative (MLI) is soliciting submissions to participate in its program of support. On a competitive basis, MLI will select four or five countries (or States or Provinces in big countries like India) to support with technical assistance and peer learning opportunities over a three year period. The submissions need to show that the country/State is engaging in pro-poor financing reforms and/or in efforts to harmonise and align external assistance. The submissions are short (max 5 pages) and they are due 25 April 2008.
The Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS), University of Zimbabwe with the support of the Biomedical Research and Training Institute’s NIH funded International, Clinical, Operational, and Health Services Research Training Award (ICOHRTA) programme, is delighted to announce a short training course on ‘Communicating Scientific Research on HIV and AIDS to Policy Makers and Practitioners.’ There is no doubt that there is abundant research on HIV and AIDS. The biggest question is whether that research is translated into policy and action capable of improving the condition of those living with the disease. Something needs to be done if researchers must escape the charge of being irrelevant. The course is designed to assist researchers and students to better communicate research on HIV and AIDS to those with the capacity to develop policy and plans that can improve the condition of people affected and infected with HIV and AIDS.
The 2008 Conference marks the thirtieth anniversary of the WHO/UNICEF Conference on Primary Health Care held in Alma Ata, USSR (now Kazakhstan). Primary Health Care remains the strategy of WHO for achieving Health for All and is the philosophy informing South Africa's health policies. There is currently renewed interest globally in Primary Health Care and the potential of this approach to address continuing health and health care challenges, not least in addressing the major problems of HIV, TB and malaria. PHASA is dedicating its 2008 Conference to PHC in recognition of the above and in the hope that research presented and ensuing discussions will assist in defining more precisely the role of Public Health in developing PHC to implement South Africa's bold health policies.
Is the world doing enough to stop AIDS? Take action in your country and show solidarity globally. Join a groundswell of civil society voices from across the world during the week of 18-24 May to demand urgency, accountability and more resources in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The severe impact of the AIDS pandemic on families, communities and economies is commonly acknowledged by scientists, the media and politicians the world over. However, more than 25 years later the losses remain stark: AIDS continues to kill almost 6000 people each day and more than 2 out of 3 HIV positive people still lack access to treatment. While women make up an increasing proportion of those living with HIV and bear a greater burden of care, current AIDS responses do not tackle the violation of women’s rights – a key driver of the pandemic.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa is organising this conference in collaboration with UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS, World Bank, African Development Bank and other development partners. Hosted by the government of Burkina Faso, the conference will be the first of its kind to take place in Africa. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care. The conference will address a number of themes: governance of health systems; equity in access to quality health services; resources (human resources, medicine, technology); health financing; health service delivery; multi-sectoral collaboration; community ownership and participation; and decentralisation.
This call is for people to add voice, experience, views, successes and challenges to the policy dialogue addressing the issue of Health Worker Migration and join the Global Dialogue and discuss: How can we best address the challenges raised by health worker migration? What are our shared responsibilities as individuals, countries and as a global community to support the Code of Practice? Chaired by the Honorable Mary Robinson, the Global Discussion starts on 31 of March 2008, at 15.00 GMT.