The International People's Health University (IPHU) of the People's Health Movement (PHM) and The Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK) are holding a ten-day short course for health activists scheduled in Kisumu, Kenya 19-28 April, 2010. The course will be conducted in English. A limited number of scholarships for travel and accommodation will be available for qualified applicants from sub-Saharan Africa and Kenya. Younger health activists and practitioners working on the issues of health, gender and human rights and particularly including those involved in the People’s Health Movement (PHM). Applications are particularly welcomed from from women and from South Africa, Botswana, Congo, Tanzania, Namibia and Ghana. Applicants should be fluent in English. Priority, with respect to enrolment, will be given to younger people motivated to get involved in PHM, primary health care and public health practitioners, and people with a track record as health activists within the PHM, in particular those who have been actively involved in organisations that are part of the PHM.
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The Symposium is the first of its kind targeting a multi-disciplinary field and audience and will gather researchers, policy-makers, funders and other stakeholders in a three-day conference. Researchers, policy-makers, funders, and other stakeholders representing diverse constituencies will meet from 16–19 November 2010 in Montreux, Switzerland, to share evidence, identify significant knowledge gaps, and set a research agenda that reflects the needs of low and middle-income countries. Themes include: political economy of universal health coverage; health system financing; scaling-up of health services; monitoring and evaluation; knowledge translation; terminology, taxonomies and frameworks; methods for health science research (HSR) and knowledge translation; measures used in HSR; capacity building for HSR; and multidisciplinary approaches.
In just two weeks, nearly half a million people have signed the global petition against Uganda's proposed law to sentence gay people to death and jail their friends. But more is needed. Extremists are escalating their rhetoric, with one pastor showing gay pornography in order to whip up rage. But very few Ugandans know the harsh details of this draconian bill. And no public opinion poll has asked whether the Ugandan people would support such mass execution. The Ugandan movement against the bill hasn't had the resources to inform their fellow citizens about the bill's deadly provisions. If enough people contribute, Avaaz can help launch radio spots, newspaper ads and billboard campaigns that reach millions of Ugandans with the truth and a call to protect human rights. Donate now to fuel the defence of rights in Uganda.
Diplomacy is undergoing profound changes in the 21st century - and global health is one of the areas where this is most apparent. As health moves beyond its purely technical realm to become an ever more critical element in foreign policy, security policy and trade agreements, new skills are needed to negotiate global regimes, international agreements and treaties, and to maintain relations with a wide range of actors.
The summer course will focus on health diplomacy as it relates to health issues that transcend national boundaries and are global in nature, discuss the challenges before it, and how they are being addressed by different groups and at different levels of governance. Deliberations include Intellectual Property Rights, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the International Health Regulations, the creation of new finance mechanisms such as the Global Fund for Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria or UNITAID, and the response to SARS and Avian Flu. The course director is Prof. Dr. Ilona Kickbusch. Tuition for attending the programme is 2,800 Swiss francs, excluding travel costs, accommodation or other living expenses in Geneva.
DL4D (Distance Learning for Development) offers postgraduate training to those working in the field of international development. This site has information on over 140 short courses available to study at a distance. They cover the range of skills and knowledge areas expected of the international development professional, including: essential skills for implementing and managing projects in developing countries; introductions to macro-level economic and policy-making practice; and advanced courses in health, sanitation, agriculture and environmental studies. All courses are available as stand-alone units of study. They may also contribute towards a broader programme of learning, leading to internationally recognised higher-level qualifications. Some courses are only available at certain times of year. Check the details of the courses you are interested in for more information.
The Susie Smith memorial prize of £3000 will be awarded to a single piece of already published writing on HIV and AIDS from sub-Saharan Africa. Any type of piece – (e.g. poetry, fiction, article, chapter of a book) – of up to 10,000 words, in English, and published since January 2006, will be eligible. The judges will focus on two key elements: Quality of the piece itself (writing, analysis, insights); and evidence of impact of the writing in the media and/or with people, governments or other institutions. All submissions must be received by 18th April 2010 and include a cover letter outlining what kind of impact the piece has had and/or what it has achieved sent to Susie Smith Memorial Prize Submission
Oxfam Great Britain Oxfam House John Smith Drive Oxford OX4 2JY.
The European Development Fund is offering grants for its ARIAL programme. The overall objective of the programme is to promote the political recognition and engagement of the local authorities (LAs) as important players and partners of development. The specific objective of the programme is to promote and strengthen the capacity of LAs in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. In particular it seeks to strengthen LA representative institutions from the national level up to the international level so that they will be able to take part in the implementation of development policies, in particular with the European Union, and play a political role as provided for by the Cotonou Agreement. The core target group will be existing national and regional local authority associations, which are still to be identified by the successful candidates. Applicants will explain the methodology with which they plan to select/or have already selected the associations who will receive their support. Any selection process should ensure the effective representation of all ACP regions, and, where possible, all ACP countries. The successful candidate will ensure that existing associations, who most effectively represent local authorities, will receive support.
The 2010 Humanitarian Fund is now accepting applications. The Fund, supported by donations from the BMA and Royal College of Nursing, offers grants of up to £3,000 for projects taking place in developing countries. Projects must offer clear health benefits to the local population, must involve at least one current National Health Service employee and should have a sustainable impact. The grants will cover incidental costs such as travel and accommodation only (not equipment or drugs). For more details on the Fund please contact the BMA’s International Dept at the email address given or complete and return the application form on their website.
World Health Day, 7 April 2010, will focus on urbanisation and health. The theme was selected in recognition of the effect urbanisation has on our collective health globally and for us all individually. Tell the world about what is happening in your city and exchange ideas with people from around the globe. Go to the campaign social media site to join the discussion, upload your videos and photos and nominate your urban health hero. With the campaign 1000 cities, 1000 lives, events will be organised worldwide during the week of 7 – 11 April 2010. The global goals of the campaign are: 1,000 cities – to open up public spaces to health, whether it be activities in parks, town hall meetings, clean-up campaigns, or closing off portions of streets to motorised vehicles – and 1,000 lives – to collect 1,000 stories of urban health champions who have taken action and had a significant impact on health in their cities.
This will be the first time MEDINFO is held in Africa. The Congress aims to boost exposure to grassroots healthcare delivery and the underpinning health information systems, as well as to open the door to new academic partnerships into the future and help to nurture a new breed of health informaticians. The theme for the Congress is ‘Partnerships for effective e-health solutions’, with a particular focus on how innovative collaborations can promote sustainable solutions to health challenges. Information and communication technologies may have enormous potential for improving the health and lives of individuals. Innovative and effective change using such technologies is reliant upon people working together in partnerships to create innovative and effective solutions to problems with particular regard to contextual and environmental factors. To this end, the Congress brings together the health informatics community from across the globe who are seeking to work together and share experiences and knowledge to promote sustainable solutions to global health challenges.