PAHO NEWS-- March 7, 2002
In this edition:
-BLOOD SAFETY IN THE AMERICAS: A CHALLENGE FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM
-CONTEST: 2002 CENTENNIAL ESSAY CONTEST
-CONTEST: 2002 CENTENNIAL POSTER CONTEST
-2002 PAHO PUBLICATIONS CATALOG NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
-AGENCIES SEEK MAJOR INVESTMENT IN AFGHAN HEALTH SECTOR
-FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL COMMITMENT NEEDED TO FINALLY ERADICATE
DEVASTATING GUINEA WORM DISEASE
-BANGKOK CONFERENCE MARKS NEW INITIATIVE TO FIGHT CHILD MORTALITY AND
MORBIDITY LINKED TO UNHEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS
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BLOOD SAFETY IN THE AMERICAS: A CHALLENGE FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched a Regional
Blood Safety Initiative, aimed at improving the quality of blood for
transfusion in the Americas, emphasizing the promotion of voluntary
blood donation and complete screening of donated blood. The importance
of blood safety in the Americas has become a central focus of social and
economic interests, since guaranteeing that blood transfusions don't
carry a risk of transmitting disease helps to avert high expenditures on
medical care. The Regional Safe Blood Initiative, launched in 2001 with
the support of a $4.9 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, aims to ensure that by the end of 2003 all units of blood in
all the countries of the Region will be screened for HIV, hepatitis B
and C, syphilis, and Chagas' disease.
For more information, visit:
http://www.paho.org/English/DPI/100/100feature09.htm
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CONTEST: 2002 CENTENNIAL ESSAY CONTEST
The Pan American Health Organization presents the 2002 Centennial Essay
Contest, a hemisphere-wide writing contest for ages 13-18. The theme
for the contest is "Partnerships for Health". The essays should explore
public health partnerships, their history, meaning, importance, and
achievements in terms of the health of people in the Western Hemisphere.
Entries must be received no later than March 15, 2002.
The winner of the National Essay Contest will represent Canada in the
Pan American contest. The winner of the Pan American Essay Award in
Public Health will receive a $500 cash prize, a computer provided by
Discovery Health Latin America, and an official certificate of
recognition. The winning essay will be posted on the PAHO Web site and
could be published in various Centennial publications. Further
information, contest entry forms and guidelines are available on the
PAHO Centennial Web site: www.paho.org/100.
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CONTEST: 2002 CENTENNIAL POSTER CONTEST
The Pan American Health Organization presents the 2002 Centennial Poster
Contest, a hemisphere-wide writing contest for ages 6-12. The Contest
was created to encourage young people throughout the Americas to express
and share their views about health and healthy lifestyles.
The theme of the contest is "A Picture of Health". The posters should
express how the participant understands the concepts of health and being
healthy. Entries must be received no later than March 15, 2002.
The winner of the National Poster Contest will act as Canada’s
representative in the Pan American contest. The winner of the Pan
American Poster Award in Public Health will receive a $500 cash prize, a
computer provided by Discovery Health Latin America, and an official
certificate of recognition. The winning poster will be displayed on the
PAHO Web site and the design could be reproduced in various Centennial
publications. Further information, contest entry forms and guidelines
are available on the PAHO Centennial Web site: www.paho.org/100.
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2002 PAHO PUBLICATIONS CATALOG NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
The 2002 PAHO Publications Catalog is now available in PDF format at the
online bookstore. The new edition includes 11 titles from other
technical programs and the Machine Translation Software from AGS. There
is also a selection of PAHO's most popular Spanish titles in the
catalogue. The printed version will be distributed within the next three
weeks. The catalogue can be found at:
http://publications.paho.org/english/news.cfm?ID=53 (PDF Format)
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AGENCIES SEEK MAJOR INVESTMENT IN AFGHAN HEALTH SECTOR
International agencies, including WHO, UNICEF and NGOs, have issued an
appeal to international donors for $128,901,348 for humanitarian aid and
immediate reconstruction activities for the health sector in Afghanistan
in 2002. This funding request is part of the Immediate and Transitional
Assistance Programme (ITAP) for the Afghan people.
WHO is seeking $60,451,015 to support the Afghan Ministry of Health as
it starts developing a health system for the country after decades of
neglect. The money will also provide for WHO activities in support of
Afghan refugees and local populations in neighbouring countries. This is
the largest funding request ever made by WHO for health activities in
Afghanistan for a single year. The country suffers from one of the
poorest health conditions in the world. Six million Afghans have no
access to medical care. Women are particularly vulnerable, with more
than 16,000 women dying each year from pregnancy-related causes.
One-fourth of Afghan children die before their fifth birthdays, often
from preventable diseases such as measles. WHO believes that improved
health for all Afghans is a key requisite for peace and security in
Afghanistan.
For more information, please see:
http://www.who.int/inf/en/pr-2002-14.html
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FINANCIAL AND POLITICAL COMMITMENT NEEDED TO FINALLY ERADICATE
DEVASTATING GUINEA WORM DISEASE
Armed conflict and wavering commitment are threatening the eradication
of one of the world's most devastating diseases. While the number of
people infected by Guinea worm has dropped by 98% over the past 12
years, war and lack of financial backing in the 12 countries still
plagued with this debilitating disease have led the number of cases to
increase again. Challenges to the eradication of the disease are being
addressed at a Guinea worm meeting in Khartoum, Sudan, March 4-7
involving former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, two other former heads of
state, eight ministers of health and public health leaders from all
countries where Guinea worm exists. WHO's public health experts believe
that making the final push to eradicate Guinea worm disease will free up
resources that can then be redirected to other health problems.
http://www.who.int/inf/en/pr-2002-13.html
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BANGKOK CONFERENCE MARKS NEW INITIATIVE TO FIGHT CHILD MORTALITY AND
MORBIDITY LINKED TO UNHEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS
Inadequate drinking water and sanitation, indoor air pollution, and
accidents, injuries and poisonings: these are just three of the causes
of the approximately 3 million deaths suffered annually by children
under age five due to environmental hazards. The World Health
Organization recognizes that children are particularly vulnerable to the
acute and chronic effects of pollutants in their environments because
they are in a dynamic process of growth. For this reason, WHO created
the Task Force for the Protection of Children’s Environmental Health and
on March 3, 2002 launched the first major event to address this issue:
the International Conference on Environmental Threats to the Health of
Children, in Bangkok, Thailand. The Conference is being opened by Her
Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol of Thailand, who is also a
professor and doctor, and will run until 7 March. More than 300
participants from around the world are expected.
http://www.who.int/inf/en/pr-2002-12.html
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