PAHO News – September 18, 2003

PAHO News is also available on the Web!
http://www.csih.org/synergy/synergy.html

In this issue:
- NEW PAHO/WHO PUBLICATIONS
- HEALTH SUMMIT MEETING BEGINS MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22
- INTER-AMERICAN WATER DAY OCTOBER 4, 2003
- WORLD HABITAT DAY OCTOBER 6, 2003 - WATER AND SANITATION FOR CITIES
- LET'S PROTECT OUR CHILDREN: LET'S CLEAN THE AIR
- HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN IN CHILE
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NEW PAHO/WHO PUBLICATIONS
Trade in Health Services: Global, Regional and Country Perspectives:
This publication explores issues related to Trade and Health services
and WTO's GATS Agreement. Papers were presented at the Inter-Regional
Meeting on Health and Trade: Towards a Millennium Round, and the book
includes general conclusions and recommendations from the meeting.
Available online at: http://www.paho.org/English/HDP/HDD/trade.htm
WHO website: http://www.who.int/trade/resource/THS/en/

WTO Agreements and Public Health: A joint study by the WHO and the WTO
secretariat. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization and World
Trade Organization 2002. Full text available at:
http://www.who.int/media/homepage/en/who_wto_e.pdf
This comprehensive document deals with the relevant WTO agreements and
the way they may influence health and health policies. In undertaking
this joint study, the WHO and WTO Secretariats seek to examine the
linkages between trade and health policies, to enable both trade and
health officials to better understand and monitor linkage effects.
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HEALTH SUMMIT MEETING BEGINS MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22
Health Ministers from all countries in the Americas gather in Washington
Monday, Sept. 22, for the week-long annual meeting of the Directing
Council, the policy-setting governing body of the Pan American Health
Organization.  The Council meets annually to set health policies and
receive new reports on the state of health in the Americas.  The main
agenda items for the Council include a report on health in the Americas,
sustaining immunization programs and the elimination of Rubella,
preparations for the influenza pandemic, dengue, the impact of violence
on health, integrated management of childhood illness and the Millennium
Development Goals, and other topics.
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INTER-AMERICAN WATER DAY OCTOBER 4, 2003
The eleventh annual Inter-American Water Day will be held on October 4,
2003 with the theme “Water, let’s not take it for granted.”  The
Inter-American Water Day (IAWD) is a "water celebration" in the
Americas, whose principal purpose is to raise public awareness with
regard to the importance of this valuable natural resource -- an
indispensable issue for improving the conservation, preservation and
protection of water resources and drinking water supply.  In addition,
the IAWD promotes efforts to combat water pollution, especially those
related to bacterial disease control and water-borne parasites, such as
cholera. The Initiative sets out to encourage all governments,
international non-governmental organizations, private sector, and
communities in general to participate in the Inter-American Water Day
celebrations and to work together for the improvement of sanitary
conditions, universal access to drinking water and sanitation, and
improvements in service quality for the region. See:
http://www.cepis.ops-oms.org/indexeng.html
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WORLD HABITAT DAY, OCTOBER 6, 2003 - WATER AND SANITATION FOR CITIES
The idea behind World Habitat Day is to remind governments,
municipalities and the public about the urgency of striving to improve
human settlements. This year's World Habitat Day focuses on water and
sanitation for cities, highlighting the world's urban water and
sanitation crisis. The main event will be held on 6 October in Rio de
Janeiro, with additional events including an international water
conference and the launch of the Water for Latin American and Caribbean
Cities programme. The launch of this program will coincide with
Inter-American Water Day, and will increase the awareness of the
importance of water safety and availability.  For more information, see
the UN-Habitat Web site: http://www.unhabitat.org/whd/2003/default.asp.
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LET'S PROTECT OUR CHILDREN: LET'S CLEAN THE AIR “Protejamos a nuestros
ninos.  Limpiemos el aire” [Let’s Protect Our Children: Let's Clean the
Air] was the theme of this year's Inter-American Air Quality Day,
celebrated August 8. According to a background document for the day,
more than 30 million children in Latin America and the Caribbean breathe
unhealthy air. The document states that children are particularly
vulnerable to air pollution for two reasons: children take in more air
in proportion to their bodyweight and lung size, and children's bodies
are developing and are more susceptible to irritations and illnesses. In
commemoration of the Inter-American Air Quality Day, two informative
presentations were prepared on the theme of children's health and air
pollution in Latin America and the Caribbean. To view the presentations
(available in Spanish only), or to read the above cited background
document, please see the Web site of El Centro Panamericano de
Ingenieria Sanitaria y Ciencias del Ambiente (CEPIS):
http://www.cepis.ops-oms.org/bvsci/E/diaaire2003/diaaire2003.html
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HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN IN CHILE
"Constuyendo Ambientes Saludables para los Ninos" (Creating Healthy
Environments for Children) was the name of the national campaign
launched in Chile on April 7, World Health Day 2003. Since the
campaign's initiation, activities include the following: 1) a
competition resulting in the selection, funding, and realization of 12
projects, designed by youth themselves, for improving their home,
school, and community environments; 2) leadership training for youth on
how to help secure healthy environments for children, carried out in
collaboration with Ecoclubes; and 3) an event to mark Inter-American
Water Day (October 4), supported by the Red Municipal de Atencion
Primaria Ambiental. For more information on these activities, please see
http://www.who.int/heca/infomaterials/hecanetesfr/en/index1.html
(Spanish version only) or contact the PAHO/WHO Chile Office at
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