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.
Jobs and Announcements
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.
With funding support from the Canadian Global Health Research Initiative and its ‘Teasdale-Corti’ Research Program, our project goals are to: a. systematically review recent past experiences of comprehensive primary health care from different regions of the world to determine what we know about how it works, what it needs to work and what it has accomplished; b. train up to 20 early career primary health care researchers in undertaking new or augmenting existing CPHC research studies, in teams with ‘research users’ (health policy or program planners) and research mentors (experienced CPHC researchers); c. provide financial support to these research teams to undertake their proposed studies; d. support the building of regional networks of researchers and research users (including civil society groups) to advance comprehensive primary health care as the basis for health system reform in their own countries; e. create a rigorously sound knowledge base on the role of comprehensive primary health care in improving health equity that can be used in the advocacy work of these regional networks. The project is now seeking applications (‘Expressions of Interest’) from research teams committed to developing important new knowledge and action on comprehensive primary health care. These research teams will come from one of four different areas/regions in which are focusing our overall project work: Region 1: India and South Asia; Region 2: Africa; Region 3: Latin America; Region 4: Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples in Canada and Australia. The deadline for expressions of interest is 31 March 2008.
Women’s Dignity promotes citizen engagement to enable all Tanzanians - particularly marginalised girls and women – to realise their basic right to health. We hold a particular commitment to enhancing the rights of girls and women living with obstetric fistula. We support citizens to access and use information to promote their health rights, and seek to ensure policies, programs and services that promote the dignity and rights of the poor. The current and founding executive director will be stepping down on 30 June 2008. Women’s Dignity is looking for a committed, competent, and creative person to lead the organisation. We seek innovation, bold vision, strong management and keen leadership. The organization is in a strong financial position, permitting the new executive director to focus on providing vision and leadership. This is a senior level position requiring an experienced person. WDP offers competitive remuneration in a setting that promotes learning, social justice, team-work and high ethical standards.