PAHO News – April 25, 2002

In this issue:
-HEALTH PROMOTION FORUM IN SANTIAGO, CHILE
-SUMA SYSTEM HELPS AVOID SECOND DISASTERS
-CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: THE FRED L. SOPER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH
LITERATURE
-APRIL 25TH IS AFRICA MALARIA DAY 2002!
-A NEW STANDARD FOR HEALTH AND DISABILITY
-IMPROVING INTERNATIONAL FOOD STANDARDS
-RESOURCES FALL SHORT OF SIGNIFICANT MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS
-WHO TAKES MAJOR STEPS TO MAKE HIV/AIDS TREATMENT ACCESSIBLE
-WE CAN BEAT AIDS, TB AND MALARIA, UN AGENCIES SAY
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HEALTH PROMOTION FORUM IN SANTIAGO, CHILE

The Chile Forum on Health Promotion, “Enabling and Empowering
Partnerships for Health”, will be held October 20-24, 2002, in Santiago.
The main objective is to give the countries of the region an opportunity
to present their progress towards commitments made in the Mexico
Statement, signed as part of the Fifth Global Conference on Health
Promotion in June 2000.  Guidelines for preparing country reports on
achievements in health promotion can be obtained by contacting the
Division of Health Promotion and Protection at [log in to unmask] Country
reports are due June 28, 2002.  Further information about the conference
will be published in upcoming issues of PAHO News.
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SUMA SYSTEM HELPS AVOID SECOND DISASTERS

Humanitarian assistance after disasters can be detrimental when it fails
to respond to the most urgent needs, sometimes even causing a "second
disaster" when countries are flooded with unrequested or unnecessary
supplies. To avoid this, a humanitarian supply management system called
SUMA was created. SUMA, by now a familiar name in the Americas and
worldwide, began as a collective effort of the countries of Latin
America and the Caribbean, under the auspices of the PAHO, to improve
the administration of humanitarian assistance so that it reaches those
most affected adequately and quickly.
http://www.paho.org/English/DPI/100/100feature16.htm
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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: THE FRED L. SOPER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH
LITERATURE

Excellence in medical/public health research and writing is among the
most important factors in promoting health in the countries of the
region. Current information on health situations, trends, diseases,
treatment and delivery systems are critical for use in planning,
executing, and evaluating policies and programs of public health.
In recognizing significant contributions to the health literature in the
Americas, the Fred L. Soper Award promotes the highest standards of
research and emphasizes regional impact.  PAHO is seeking nominations
for this year’s award.  Nominations should be submitted by June 30,
2002.  For more information, visit:
http://www.paho.org/English/PAHEF/soper.htm
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APRIL 25TH IS AFRICA MALARIA DAY 2002!

Africa celebrates Africa Malaria Day on April 25th.  Mobilizing
communities to Roll Back Malaria (RBM) is this year’s theme, with a
particular focus on community members such as health workers, mothers,
shopkeepers, birth attendants and others who often provide the first
point of contact for sick people living in remote, under-served areas.
Roll Back Malaria is a global partnership to halve the world's malaria
burden by 2010. There are an estimated 300 million cases of malaria each
year, resulting in more than a million deaths. Of these deaths, 90%
occur in Africa, south of the Sahara, and most of the victims are
children under five years of age. For more information, visit:
http://mosquito.who.int/amd/abuja2002_first.htm.
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A NEW STANDARD FOR HEALTH AND DISABILITY

On April 17, 2002, 70 countries gathered to discuss how a groundbreaking
system could help countries increase their knowledge and understanding
of measuring disabilities and health conditions. The International
Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health places disability
within the wider concept of health. This new measurement tool will help
health authorities shape public policy and better understand how people
can live a full life in their communities.
http://www.who.int/inf/en/pr-2002-27.html
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IMPROVING INTERNATIONAL FOOD STANDARDS

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health
Organization (WHO) have launched a joint evaluation of the FAO and the
WHO food standards program, including the Codex Alimentarius, to ensure
that the program best serves the concerns of all (both rich and poor)
regarding health, safety and trade in food. This is the first evaluation
of the international food code, Codex Alimentarius, and its
standard-setting mechanisms in 40 years of operation.  The two
organizations are inviting comments from the public to ensure that all
those with a stake in the use of these food standards can make their
views known.
http://www.who.int/inf/en/pr-2002-26.html
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RESOURCES FALL SHORT OF SIGNIFICANT MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS

New World Health Organization (WHO) statistics on the state of mental
health resources in individual countries around the world demonstrate
the huge gap between what is needed and what is available to take care
of the massive burden of mental, neurological and behavioural disorders.
According to the latest estimates, these disorders account for 12.3% of
the total disease burden.  The new information, collected from
government sources, is published by WHO in “Atlas: Country Profiles on
Mental Health Resources”. It is also available on the Internet at
http://mh-atlas.ic.gc.ca/ .  For the full press release, visit:
http://www.who.int/inf/en/pr-2002-30.html
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WHO TAKES MAJOR STEPS TO MAKE HIV/AIDS TREATMENT ACCESSIBLE

In a decisive move to strengthen action against AIDS in developing
countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the first
treatment guidelines for HIV/AIDS in poor settings. WHO has also
endorsed the inclusion of AIDS medicines in its Essential Medicines
List. The action is a breakthrough in a comprehensive "prevention
through care" package that could contribute to dramatically wider access
to treatment over the coming years. WHO estimates that nearly six
million people living with HIV/AIDS need access to care and support,
including antiretrovirals (ARVs). Currently, fewer than five per cent of
those who require treatment in developing countries can access these
medicines. WHO believes that at least three million people needing care
should be able to get medicines by 2005 — a more than ten fold increase.

http://www.who.int/inf/en/pr-2002-28.html
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WE CAN BEAT AIDS, TB AND MALARIA, UN AGENCIES SAY

A new joint report by UNAIDS, UNICEF and the World Health Organization
(WHO) released this week says that, with the right intervention at the
right time, AIDS, TB and Malaria can be prevented and treated. The
agencies report that many of the interventions are not expensive and the
prices of others are falling rapidly. The main challenge is to make
these interventions available globally.  The report was released as the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria met in New York. It takes
stock of what progress has been made in the fight against AIDS, TB and
malaria and the challenges the world now faces in tackling them, drawing
on experiences from a number of countries.  For further information on
the report, visit: http://www.who.int/inf/en/pr-2002-29.html. To read
the report, visit:
http://www.who.int/infectious-disease-news/IDdocs/Coordinates22.pdf (in
PDF format).
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