PAHO News -- March 14, 2002

In this edition:
-XV MEETING OF DIRECTORS OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OF LATIN AMERICA
AND THE CARIBBEAN
-U.S. CELEBRATES PAHO CENTENNIAL
-CENTENNIAL TIME CAPSULE - PUBLIC HEALTH IN 2052
-AWARD TO OUTSTANDING CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AMERICAS FOR
IMPROVING PUBLIC SPACES FOR RECREATION AND PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
-PAHO JOB OPPORTUNITY:  EPIDEMIOLOGIST, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
-GLOBAL CONSULTATION ON CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT
-THE BURULI MYSTERIES - UNANSWERED QUESTIONS SURROUND A GROWING EPIDEMIC

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XV MEETING OF DIRECTORS OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OF LATIN AMERICA
AND THE CARIBBEAN

The XV Meeting of Directors of International Cooperation for Latin
America and the Caribbean will be held in Montevideo, Uruguay, from
March 11-13, 2002.  The meeting is organized by the Permanent
Secretariat of the Latin American Economic System (SELA) and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, with the
cooperation of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).
The main theme of this meeting, which will take place at the
headquarters of the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), will
be: "International Cooperation in the 21st Century - New Forms and
Actors".  Participants will pursue this theme in the light of the new
trends and prospects for international cooperation and the importance of
these issues for the region. For further details, visit:
http://www.paho.org/English/AD/uruguay-meeting.htm
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U.S. CELEBRATES PAHO CENTENNIAL

The United States Department of Health and Human Services celebrated the
Centennial of the Pan American Health Organization today with a ceremony
opening an exhibit at the National Library of Medicine in Washington.
The exhibit, "A 100-year quest for health in the Americas 1902-2002,"
consists of 12 panels outlining the history of the Organization,
starting 100 years ago when the First General International Sanitary
Convention of the American Republics met in Washington and created what
became PAHO. The scope of the collaboration between PAHO and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services broadened over subsequent years
to cover water and sanitation, tobacco control, training, border health,
disease eradication, the fight against HIV/AIDS, and many other areas.
For more information about the celebration, visit:
http://www.paho.org/English/DPI/pr020307.htm
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CENTENNIAL TIME CAPSULE - PUBLIC HEALTH IN 2052

What will the world of public health be like in 2052? What will be the
issues of the day?  Submit your predictions for inclusion in the
centennial time capsule.  Keep it short, a maximum of one paragraph, and
keep it simple. Have fun looking into the future!  Send your idea to
[log in to unmask] for inclusion in the centennial time capsule.  The
capsule is open and accepting submissions until April 5, 2002.  It will
be sealed and buried at the Pan American Health Organization
Headquarters in Washington, D.C., during the Walk for Health, which will
take place on April 6, 2002, to commemorate World Health Day.  PAHO
colleagues in 2052 will open it as part of their celebration of PAHO's
150th anniversary.  For more information, visit:
http://www.paho.org/English/DPI/100/capsule.htm
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AWARD TO OUTSTANDING CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AMERICAS FOR
IMPROVING PUBLIC SPACES FOR RECREATION AND PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

In celebration of the World Health Day 2002: "Move for Health!", which
is dedicated to the promotion of Physical Activity, the Pan American
Health Organization (PAHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) are co-sponsoring an award to recognize the outstanding
cities and municipalities in the Region of the Americas for their
efforts in improving public spaces for safe recreation and promoting
physical activity. This activity is part of the global healthy
municipalities and communities movement. Countries in the Latin American
and Caribbean Region are especially encouraged to participate.
An active lifestyle is one of the best investments for individual and
community health.  The most outstanding cities will be honored by the
international community during an award ceremony at the Health Promotion
Forum in the Americas held in Santiago, Chile, on October 20-24, 2002.
Each awarded city will receive a commemorative plaque, recognizing their
outstanding achievement. Monetary prizes will be awarded to the first
and second place winners from the Category One countries (see
"Eligibility" for details), $2500 and $1500 respectively. PAHO and CDC
will also publicize the achievements of the awarded cities in the press
and publications of the regional and local media.  The deadline for
submitting the completed application form and all supporting documents
is APRIL 5, 2002.  Full contest details are available at:
http://www.paho.org/English/hpp/hpn/whd2002-award.htm
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PAHO JOB OPPORTUNITY:  EPIDEMIOLOGIST, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Interested candidates can apply online for a PAHO position in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.  The closing date for applications for the
Epidemiologist post (Vacancy notice 02-008) is April 10, 2002.  The
incumbent is responsible for a variety of duties working under the
general supervision of the Director of the Division of Disease
Prevention and Control (HCP), the technical and administrative
supervision of the Director of PANAFTOSA and the direct technical
supervision of the Chief, Epidemiological Surveillance Unit. To apply or
for a complete job description, visit:
http://pahoapl.paho.org/pahoexternalenglish/ASEPage_JobDetail.ASP
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GLOBAL CONSULTATION ON CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT

The first ever Global Consultation on Child and Adolescent Health and
Development will define workable, effective strategies for protecting
those who have been neglected in the past: newborns and adolescents.
Eleven million children will die this year from diseases that are easily
preventable or treatable.  Hosted by Swedish authorities, the Global
Consultation will take place in Stockholm, 12-13 March, 2002. Government
leaders, health experts, NGOs, and children's advocates will come
together for two days to define the next agenda for children and
adolescent health and development.  The UN Special Session on children,
scheduled for May 2002 will provide the opportunity for countries to
commit to these strategies.
http://www.who.int/consultation-child-adolescent/
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THE BURULI MYSTERIES - UNANSWERED QUESTIONS SURROUND A GROWING EPIDEMIC

Buruli ulcer, which is sweeping across Africa now, is a cruel disease
which silently eats through skin, muscle and bone and, in its worst
form, leaves victims with disfiguring and debilitating craters. But the
list of questions surrounding Buruli is daunting. No one is sure where
the bacterium lives in the environment. It's also a mystery how it
enters the body, although it is clear the bacterium is unable to do so
by itself.  Finding answers to the Buruli mysteries is becoming urgent.
Buruli roams unchecked in more than two dozen countries. In West Africa,
thousands of cases are being reported every year. These mysteries form
the backdrop to a meeting of most of the world's Buruli experts as they
gather next week at a WHO meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, 11-14 March
2002 to sort through the latest research.

With information lacking in so many key areas, WHO's strategy has been
to focus on early intervention. Identification and treatment of small
ulcers and nodules can be done at the local level with relatively little
cost. WHO has launched an effort to raise awareness of the disease and
to encourage those who even suspect they have it to seek medical
treatment quickly. The goal is to prevent the widespread progression and
the disabilities caused by the disease.
Early indications are that some of the mysteries will fall away at this
year's meeting on Buruli.
http://www.who.int/inf/en/pr-2002-16.html
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