PAHO News – November 6, 2003

 

In this issue:

- PAHO DEPUTY DIRECTOR PARTICIPATES IN 10TH CANADIAN CONFERENCE ON
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH

- PAHO OFFICIAL SAYS GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE A HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE

- SCIENTISTS REVIEW ADVANCES IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE AMERICA

- CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT INDICATORS IN NORTH AMERICA

- UNICEF REPORT: "CHILD POVERTY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD"

- PAHO AND IOM SEEK HEALTH ADVISOR ON MIGRATION

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PAHO DEPUTY DIRECTOR PARTICIPATES IN 10TH CANADIAN CONFERENCE ON
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH

Dr. Joxel Garcia, the new deputy director of the Pan American Health
Organization, was an opening speaker at the 10th Canadian Conference on
International Health, organized by the Canadian Society for
International Health in Ottawa last week. Dr.Garcia also gave a
presentation “PAHO in the New Millennium” at a PAHO symposium during the
conference.  A presentation on International Funding for Health
Cooperation” was give during the same symposium by Lourdes Flor, from
PAHO’s Area of Strategic Aliances and Partnerships.  Other PAHO
participants at the conference were Annella Auer, Sandy Summers,
Priscilla Solano, Maria Esmeralda Paguaga, Mariela Licha Salomon, and
former PAHO interns Francine Labossiere and Aalim Weljie.

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PAHO OFFICIAL SAYS GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE A HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE

PAHO deputy director Dr. Joxel Garcia said October 29, 2003, that
violence against women is not only a “pernicious” act but also a major
public health problem and a human rights violation. And it causes more
deaths and incapacity among women on a global basis than cancer.

“Violence against women is especially pernicious,” Garcia told a
Congressional briefing. He said it causes women serious and often
permanent physical and mental health problems, affects their children,
their social and family life – “and often goes unpunished.”

He said that PAHO and other major health and public health organizations
increasingly consider “gender-based violence . . . as a major public
health concern and a violation of human rights.” 

The PAHO official was one of the speakers at a Congressional briefing on
Gender-Based Violence and Women's Health.  For the full press release,
visit www.paho.org

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SCIENTISTS REVIEW ADVANCES IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE AMERICA

Scientists from throughout the Americas opened a three-day meeting this
week at PAHO’s Washington headquarters to review the current status of
scientific research in the region.  The 15-member Advisory Committee on
Health Research (ACHR) – which includes eminent scientists from several
hemispheric nations – will review the initiatives and strategies of
technical cooperation by PAHO agencies for the promotion and development
of health research. The task this year has mainly to do with the
management of information and knowledge.

The meeting was officially opened by PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses, who
said that faced with "inequity, urban growth and poverty the likes of
which this continent had never witnessed before (poverty has tripled
since the 1970s), we see knowledge not as something static but as a tool
to change the situation."

For the full press release, visit www.paho.org

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CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT INDICATORS IN NORTH AMERICA

The Commission for Environment Cooperation (CEC) of North America is
developing a North American set of indicators of children's health and
the environment. A feasibility study was completed in late 2002, forming
the basis for a recommendations document identifying a set of core
indicators as well as the implementation strategy. In June 2003, during
their annual meeting, the CEC Council (composed of the environment
ministers or the equivalent) adopted a resolution accepting the
recommendations and instructing the three CEC countries--Canada, Mexico,
and the United States--to provide data on children's health and the
environment indicators for this report. The implementation phase will
include the compiling of these selected indicators by the governments
and the preparation of the first North American indicators report, due
to be released in 2004. The project partners are the CEC, the IJC Health
Professionals Task Force, the Pan American Health Organization and the
World Health Organization. In addition to fulfilling an action called
for in the CEC's Cooperative Agenda for Children's Health and the
Environment in North America, this project represents an important
contribution to commitments made at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development. More information: http://www.cec.org/.

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UNICEF REPORT: "CHILD POVERTY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD"

Launched on 21 October, the UNICEF-commissioned report "Child Poverty in
the Developing World" reveals that over one billion children suffer the
severe effects of poverty. The report draws from the largest, most
accurate survey sample of children ever assembled. Using a pioneering
methodology, the survey measures the extent of child poverty, in terms
not only of income, but of deprivation of basic human rights such as
shelter, food, water, sanitation, health, education and information. The
researchers analyzed survey data on nearly 1.2 million children from 46
countries collected mainly during the late 1990's. The research team
included experts from the Centre for International Poverty Research at
the University of Bristol and the London School of Economics. Download
the report in PDF: http://www.unicef.org/media/files/Child_poverty.pdf

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PAHO AND IOM SEEK HEALTH ADVISOR ON MIGRATION

The Pan American Health Organization and the International Organization
for Migration have an opening for a regional health advisor on migrating
populations, to be stationed in Bogota, Colombia. The selected candidate
will help develop and implement health activities related to displaced
persons, refugees and other vulnerable mobile populations in the
Americas. The post requires nine years of national and international
experience in emergency/disaster situations, preferably with health
programs and very good knowledge of Spanish and English. Applications
must be received by November 9.  View the complete vacancy notice and
apply on line at www.paho.org (click on Job Opportunities in the right
hand column).  Inquiries to PAHO’s Human Resources Department at
[log in to unmask] 

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