PAHO NEWS-- February 28, 2002

In this edition:
-SEND YOUR NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2002 PAHO AWARD FOR ADMINISTRATION
-WHO JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIP
-PAHO DIRECTOR CITES IMPORTANCE OF FOOD SAFETY AT COMMISSION MEETING
-HEALTH ASPECTS OF BIOLOGICAL & CHEMICAL WEAPONS
-REPORT SUMMARIZES VIEWS ON ASSESSING HEALTH SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
-NOW ONLINE: DOCUMENTS FOR THE 36th SESSION OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON
PLANNING & PROGRAMMING
-RETURN OF DENGUE TO THE AMERICAS SOUNDS ALERT FOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS
-FLOODS IN BOLIVIA
-PUBLICATION: HEALTH SERVICES ORGANIZATION IN THE EVENT OF DISASTER
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SEND YOUR NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2002 PAHO AWARD FOR ADMINISTRATION

Every year, the Governments of the countries of the Americas, acting
through their representatives in the meetings of the Governing Bodies of
PAHO, confer the PAHO Award for Administration in recognition of an
outstanding contribution in the field of administration within the
framework of national health services.  Past recipients of the PAHO
Award for Administration include: Dr. Carlos Gehlert Mata (Guatemala),
Dr. Roberto Fuentes Garcia (Chile), Dr. Ana Flisser Steinbruch (Mexico)
and Dr. Christine Olive Moody (Jamaica).  This year, the prize consists
of a diploma and a cash prize of $5000 USD.

As PAHO's technical representative in Canada, CSIH will be accepting
nominations for Canadian candidates until Thursday, March 21, 2002.   To
apply or to nominate someone for the award, please contact Hélène
Thibault, PAHO Program Manager, at [log in to unmask] with a 20-line
statement from the nominee, written in the third person, describing why
they are the ideal candidate for the prize and a recent copy of the
nominee's cv including the following information:
-date of birth
-place of birth
-nationality
-place of residence
-academic degrees
-work experience
-present employment
-a list of relevant publications (include title, year, organization)
-list of accomplishments, contributions, prizes, honours, etc...
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WHO JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIP

WHO Journalism fellows will spend two weeks in Geneva researching public
health issues. Fellows may also spend an optional third week in the
field. Health and science reporters who are interested in learning more
about WHO are encouraged to apply. The deadline for application is April
30, 2002.  For more information, or to apply, visit:
http://www.who.int/inf/en/fellowship_programme.html
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PAHO DIRECTOR CITES IMPORTANCE OF FOOD SAFETY AT COMMISSION MEETING

"Food safety is an increasingly important issue in the Americas with
potential for negative impact on economic development and tourism if not
handled properly," PAHO Director Dr. George Alleyne said today at a
meeting of the new Pan American Commission for Food Safety.

"Our great hope is that this commission will lead to wide cooperation
between the health and agriculture sectors, between producers and
consumers of food, all for the benefit of health and well-being of the
people of our Member Countries," Dr. Alleyne added.

The commission, which is holding its 2nd meeting at the Pan American
Health Organization, includes representatives of the health and
agriculture sectors from throughout the Americas and aims to help define
regional policies and programs designed to improve food safety in the
countries of the Americas.

The commission’s purpose is to contribute to improvements in the safety
of food throughout the alimentary chain by promoting good food safety
programs in the Americas, including coordination and integration with
producers and consumers. Its members include representatives of
Ministries of Health, Ministries of Agriculture, food producers and
processors and consumers from throughout the Americas.

For more information, please contact: Daniel Epstein, PAHO Office of
Public Information, telephone (202) 974-3459, [log in to unmask]
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HEALTH ASPECTS OF BIOLOGICAL & CHEMICAL WEAPONS

The World Health Organization has received numerous requests for
information about the deliberate use of biological or chemical agents to
cause harm. In response, WHO has created a web page that groups in one
place all the information published to date: the latest press releases,
updated FAQ about biological and chemical agents, as well as links to
other relevant information from WHO.
http://www.who.int/emc/deliberate_epi.html
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REPORT SUMMARIZES VIEWS ON ASSESSING HEALTH SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

A new PAHO document describes the results of a series of meetings held
in the Region of the Americas to review the approach that the World
Health Organization used in its “World Health Report 2000” to evaluate
the performance of health systems of countries around the world. That
WHO document has generated controversy and debate in a number of
nations.  You can view the documents here:
http://www.paho.org/English/HSP/HSO/infantebook_eng.pdf (pdf format)
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NOW ONLINE: DOCUMENTS FOR THE 36th SESSION OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON
PLANNING & PROGRAMMING

Working papers and working documents for the 36th Session of the
Subcommittee on Planning and Programming of the Executive Committee,
scheduled for March 25-27 in Washington, D.C., are now online.  The
website includes hotel reservation forms, the agenda and more.  Visit:
http://www.paho.org/english/gov/ce/spp/spp36index-e.htm
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RETURN OF DENGUE TO THE AMERICAS SOUNDS ALERT FOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS

If there is one disease that proves the importance of continuous
surveillance of infectious vectors, it is dengue.  In spite of a
temporary success in the eradication of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito
responsible for its transmission, the disease is now ravaging the
Americas with renewed vigor.
http://www.paho.org/English/DPI/100/100feature08.htm
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FLOODS IN BOLIVIA

Torrential rains accompanied by hail struck La Paz, Bolivia, on the
afternoon of 19 February with such intensity that a large portion of the
city was flooded within just 45 minutes. A rainstorm of this intensity
has not struck the region since 1965 and took the population and local
authorities by surprise.
http://www.paho.org/English/PED/floods_Bolivia.htm
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PUBLICATION: HEALTH SERVICES ORGANIZATION IN THE EVENT OF DISASTER

However timely the health sector's response to a disaster may be, its
effect may be nullified if the effort is disorganized or fragmented.
This manual presents parameters for a tiered system of health care and
appropriate techniques for coordinated and rational response. Aimed at
the physician, the paramedic, and the health administrator, this manual
provides general guidelines for the organization of health services and
standards for treating mass casualties in disaster situations.
http://www.helid.desastres.net/
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