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.
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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.
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.
Evidence is needed to promote equity of access to information and health services, and to strengthen activities and programmes that support local, regional, national and global health communities. There is a critical need to communicate evidence and to provide examples of best practice in the development of effective and efficient solutions to major health challenges. To this end, the World Health Organisation’s Bulletin is calling on authors to contribute papers providing evidence of the impact of e-health methods and tools. Suggested domains include: governance and management of health systems; equity of access to health care; transferable and sustainable economic models; health policy development; information sharing and interoperability to improve the quality, efficiency and continuity of care; information collection and aggregation for public health support; and health workforce development. The Bulletin particularly seek papers that document experiences and lessons learnt in low-resource settings.
Authors involved in original research, innovative projects or novel programmes related to global health are encouraged to submit abstracts for the Global Health Conference 2011 to be held in Canada in November 2011. Abstracts in all areas of global health are welcomed including: the global burden of disease; innovations and interventions to advance global health equity; globalisation, global trade and movement of populations as drivers of health inequity; partnerships and capacity building for education and research in global health; social, economic and environmental determinants of health; and human rights, legal issues, ethics and policy. Abstracts may focus on a new finding, the development of a programme, project or new global health tool, moving from development to implementation, policy or ethical issues, or related topics.
A new journal encompassing all aspects of the design, conduct and reporting of systematic reviews in healthcare, Systematic Reviews, is now accepting submissions.Systematic Reviews encompasses all aspects of the design, conduct and reporting of systematic reviews. The journal aims to publish systematic review products including systematic review protocols, systematic reviews related to a very broad definition of health, rapid reviews, updates of already completed systematic reviews, and methods research related to the science of systematic reviews, such as decision modelling. The journal also aims to ensure that the results of all well-conducted systematic reviews are published, regardless of their outcome.
The Million Message March 2011 is a collaborative communication campaign to mobilise community support and political commitment for the Right to Health and Universal Access. It aims to reach out globally to collect one million messages (by SMS or tweets) from people in need of treatment and care (for HIV, cancer, TB, diabetes, hepatitis and other life-threatening diseases) and their families, care-givers and allies. These ‘Voices’ will be amplified, disseminated and projected along the ‘March’ starting at the World Health Assembly in May, through two UN High Level Meetings (HIV in June and Non-Communicable Diseases NCDs in September), and other major health events. The Million Message March will ‘arrive’ on Human Rights Day, the 10th of December, at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) so that the messages can ‘Speak-Up’ and be heard at the top of the UN and its Member States. The March began at the World Open Health Assembly (WOHA2011), in tandem with the World Health Assembly, 16-18 May 2011, with a global 'chat' live from Asia, Africa, Europe and NYC.
Are you a lawyer in government, civil society or private practice? Do you have an interest in understanding or using the law and human rights in responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic? Or are you a senior manager in government, a health activist, a health journalist or a health care provider with a similar interest? If yes, then consider registering for a certificate course in HIV/AIDS and the law offered by the Mandela Institute (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg) in collaboration with SECTION27. Act fast: the closing date for registration is Friday, 8 July 2011; classes start on Monday, 25 July 2011 at 17h30.
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.
Help stop the global food crisis with Oxfam's new campaign, GROW. Spiraling prices have driven many millions more into poverty already. This crisis threatens to worsen in future. Oxfam calls on governments to act urgently to stabilise the food markets by agreeing on rules for transparency and responsibility, stopping excessive speculation and other abuses, reforming flawed policies turning grain into biofuels, and increasing investment in food security and climate adaptation in developing countries. To sign the petition, visit the link provided.