The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for papers for all sections of the Bulletin and encourage authors to consider contributions that address any of the following topics: disease burden assessments in low-income countries, since information in this area is scarce; vaccination implementation and policy, particularly on the cost and public health benefit of vaccination programmes; and the evaluation of nonpharmaceutical public health measures since these are widely described as control measures, but there is less published evidence on their effectiveness than for pharmaceutical interventions (vaccines and medicines). In particular, WHO seeks submission of papers that document experiences from low-resource settings.
Jobs and Announcements
Call for papers for the WHO Bulletin
Deadline For Submissions: 20 October 2011
MSF launches: Revising TRIPS for public health: An ideas contest
Deadline: 19 September 2011
On the occasion of the ten-year anniversary of the Doha Declaration, Medicins sans Frontieres (MSF) is launching an ‘ideas contest’ on how to revise TRIPS so that it genuinely meets global public health needs. Contestants are asked to respond to the following question: Can TRIPS be reformed to meet public health needs? If your answer is YES, describe your idea for how the treaty should be changed. If NO, explain why not, and propose an alternative. Anyone is eligible to submit an entry, either as an individual, a team, and/or on behalf of an institution. The contest seeks to attract ideas from around the world from creative thinkers who may be academics, students, activists, analysts, government officials, journalists, or from the private sector. Submissions from low- and middle-income countries are particularly encouraged. There are two submission options: Option 1: A written essay of 500-1000 words (excluding footnotes and references). Option 2: An audio visual entry: video, audio, slideshow or photofilm of no more than five minutes. Submissions should succinctly describe a proposal to change the TRIPS Agreement so that it is conducive to global public health.
Program Officer’ with OSF's Public Health Program: Access to Essential Medicines Initiative
Application Deadline: August 26, 2011
The Open Society Foundations seek a full-time Program Officer in its New York office to work with the Public Health Program’s Access to Essential Medicines Initiative. The overall goal of the Access to Essential Medicines Initiative (AEMI) is to promote increased access to essential medicines in developing countries and countries in post-socialist transition, especially for poor and marginalized populations for whom this access is likely to be elusive. The AEMI pursues this goal by developing civil society capacity for advocacy and leadership on access to medicines at national, regional, and international level, with a specific focus on global South/Eastern European advocates.
Second Summit of the Movement for Global Mental Health: Cape Town, South Africa: 17 October 2011
Closing date for registration: 31 August 2011
The Second Summit of the Movement for Global Mental Health forms part of the World Congress of the World Federation for Mental Health. The event will provide a shared platform for professionals and persons affected by mental disorders, active participation of delegates in discussions and debates, and the launch of a new Lancet series on Global Mental Health. The Wellcome Trust will also be providing free registration to a limited number of delegates from low- and middle-income countries. In order to receive free registration, please log onto to www.wmhc2011.com and click on the link to register online.
Seventh Public Health Association Of South Africa (PHASA) Conference: 28-30 November 2011: Gauteng, South Africa
Early Registration Deadline: 4 August 2011
With increasing global evidence of the widening international, intergroup and interpersonal inequalities in all dimensions of health and human well-being, the 2011 PHASA conference will focus on scientific debate and discussion on health inequities and the role of public health leadership, education and practice in reducing health equity gaps. The programme includes speakers who are policy-makers, leading local and international academics and representatives of international organisations, such as the World Health Organisation and the World Federation of Public Health Associations. The conference theme, ‘Closing the health equity gap: Public health leadership, education and practice’, forms the basis of a review of the progress that South Africa has made in achieving equity in health status, health care, the social determinants of health and access to resources. The conference will also serve as a country-level build-up to the 2012 conference of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, which will focus on global progress in achieving equity.
United Nations Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases
19-20 September 2011: New York, United States
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly will be holding a UN Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) from 19-20 September 2011. The Summit will focus on the four most prominent non-communicable diseases, namely, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. The aim of the summit is to agree on a global strategy to address NCDs. The UN Summit on NCDs is the second of its kind to focus on a global disease issue. The first UN Summit related to health was the HIV/AIDS meeting in 2001 which led to the creation of the Global Fund. Non-communicable disease indicators are on the agenda for discussion and acceptance of the goals could lead to the future earmarking of overseas development aid to address cancer and other NCDs in developing countries.
Africa Regional Association Of Occupational Health Congress
25–27 August 2011: Johannesburg, South Africa
The Africa Regional Association of Occupational Health (ARAOH) Congress is to be hosted by the South African Society of Occupational Medicine Conference (SASOM) from 25–27 August 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa. To register for the event visit the link provided.
Call for Abstracts: International Research Symposium on Equitable Health systems for People with Disabilities with a Focus on Low and Middle income countries, November 8th, 2011
Deadline for submission of abstracts: Friday July 29th 2011
The World Report on Disability, mandated by the World Health Assembly and jointly published by WHO and the World Bank, will be launched in June 2011. The Report highlights gaps in knowledge and stresses the need for further research and changes towards disability inclusive policy and practice. This one day international symposium hosted by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and WHO seeks to bring together researchers, policy makers, disability advocates, NGOs, health and rehabilitation professionals, and donors to share current research on equity in health care for people with disabilities and promote interdisciplinary action in policy relevant research. Abstracts for presentations and posters should focus primarily on research and evidence in low/middle income settings at the level of the individual, at the level of the system or service, from research to policy. Papers on the above themes that incorporate the following cross-cutting issues are encouraged: Participatory and emancipatory research methods; Methodological issues in the collection of disability-related statistics and examples of where evidence/research has led to change in practice or policy.
Call for abstracts: RuDASA Rural Health Conference 8-10 September, South Africa
Closing date: 16 July 2011
The 2011 Rural Health Conference is titled "Making Primary Health Care Better' and will be focusing on primary health care and its integration into district systems, as well as on the role of the multidisciplinary team in primary health care. There will also be many practical skills sessions, as well as a track for student presentations and rural health advocacy. For the first time, there will be a dedicated rehabilitation and disability track geared towards allied health professionals. All medical and allied health practitioners, as well as students of these disciplines, are invited to submit abstracts for presentations and posters for the RuDASA Rural Health Conference, to be held in September 2011 in South Africa. Presentation topics should relate to rural health and primary health care. Research pertaining to disabilities and rural health is especially welcomed.
Call for papers for the WHO Bulletin
Deadline For Submissions: 20 October 2011
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for papers for all sections of the Bulletin and encourage authors to consider contributions that address any of the following topics: disease burden assessments in low-income countries, since information in this area is scarce; vaccination implementation and policy, particularly on the cost and public health benefit of vaccination programmes; and the evaluation of nonpharmaceutical public health measures since these are widely described as control measures, but there is less published evidence on their effectiveness than for pharmaceutical interventions (vaccines and medicines). In particular, WHO seeks submission of papers that document experiences from low-resource settings.