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SYNERGY ONLINE: Bulletins and News Briefs from The Canadian Society for
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World TB Day Statement from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
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Washington, March 24, 1998--"Tuberculosis could become an even more
dangerous public health threat, unless the DOTS control strategy is more
widely and vigorously applied," said Dr. George A.O. Alleyne, Director of
the Pan American Health Organization, who spoke on World Tuberculosis Day,
commemorating the discovery of the TB bacillus by Robert Koch 116 years ago.
In the Region of the Americas, PAHO estimates that over 400,000 persons
became ill with TB in 1996, but only 253,867 were officially reported.
Unreported cases likely receive inadequate or no treatment. Although TB is
curable and preventable, more than 60,000 die from it each year, most of
them in their most productive adult years. Reported TB incidence has
stagnated in the Region. 3-5% of cases are attributed to coinfection with
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).
Tuberculosis, an infectious disease caused by the airborne transmission of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has infected about a third of the world's
population. One in 10 persons will develop the disease once infected. Of
those who fall ill, more than half will die if they do not receive
treatment. A person with active pulmonary TB is likely to infect 10 to 15
others during the course of a year.
With the DOTS strategy (Directly-Observed Treatment, Short-course),
recommended by PAHO and WHO, infectious TB patients are diagnosed using low-
cost sputum smear exams, and they take a combination of drugs for 6 or 8
months with health workers or volunteers observing and documenting that they
take every dose and are cured.
"The DOTS strategy makes a difference. Countries that have applied it are
doing far better in curing cases and in evaluating their work," said Dr.
Alleyne. For the 10 countries and two territories applying DOTS in 1995, 76%
of patients were successfully treated, compared to only 30% in the 13 non-
DOTS countries who reported to PAHO/WHO. In 1995, DOTS countries reported
results for 91% of their patients vs. 41% for non-DOTS countries. Of
patients successfully treated, 89% were lab-confirmed cured in DOTS
countries. In non-DOTS countries, only 40% were confirmed.
In 1991, WHO set TB control targets for the Year 2000: to detect at least
70% of new infectious TB cases, and cure as least 85% of these cases. WHO
has just announced that due to the slow pace of many large, high TB
incidence, countries, the global targets will not be met. "Many of the
countries of the Americas could still meet these targets, but only if we
intensify our actions," said Alleyne.
"Still too many countries have not begun to use the DOTS strategy or are
applying it incompletely. More support is needed for drugs, to train and
supervise health workers, equip labs and motivate the public to help find
and cure patients," said Dr. Alleyne, "In tuberculosis control, every
patient we cure prevents infection of others. Therefore, it is in all of
our best interest to help patients complete their treatment."
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PAHO Vacancy Notices
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Post Title: Health Information Officer; Level: P.4; Post No.: 4.0841; Issue
Date: 16 March 1998; Closing Date: 27 April 1998; Duty Station: Bridgetown,
Barbados; Tenure: Two years, first year probationary period;
Division/Program/Office: Health Systems and Services Development (HSP),
Health Services Information Systems (HSI)
Salary Information: Basic Salary: $49,523 at single rate; Post Adjustment:
$19,562 at single rate; Hardship/Mobility: $2,145 at single rate.
Minimum Requirements: Education: A Bachelor's degree and a postgraduate
degree to at least the Master's level in a combination of two from the
following fields: public health, business or public administration, systems
engineering, statistics, computer science, mathematics or a field in the
health or social sciences incorporating health services information systems
components. Experience: At national level: Seven years of experience in
clinical and administrative health information systems, including the design
and management of health information system components, such as health
records and reporting systems. Of these, at least five years should be
related to public health services information systems. At international
level: Two years of participation in technical cooperation projects and
activities in information management and information technology and design.
Languages: Very good knowledge of English with a working knowledge of
Spanish.
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Post Title: Environmental Health Advisor; Level: P.4; Post Number: .1058;
Issue Date: 18 March 1998; Closing Date: 29 April 1998; Duty Station: Port-
au-Prince, Haiti; Tenure: Two years, first year probationary;
Division/Program/Office: Health and Environment (HEP).
Salary Information: Basic Salary: $49,523 at single rate; Post Adjustment:
$9,063 at single rate; Hardship/Mobility: $10,725 at single rate.
Minimum Requirements: Education: Bachelor of science degree in sanitary,
environmental or civil engineering, or environmental sciences (biology or
ecology), with a master's degree in public health, sanitary or environmental
engineering or environmental sciences (biology or ecology). Experience: At
national level: Seven years of progressively more responsible experience in
positions in public health and/or environmental health, workers' health,
water supply and sanitation, or promotion and protection of environmental
quality. At international level: Two years of participation in technical
cooperation projects and activities for the development, management and/or
evaluation of environmental health programs in developing countries of the
Region. Languages: Very good knowledge of French with a working knowledge
of English and/or Spanish.
For more information on these job vacancies, please contact: Pan American
Health Organization / World Health Organization, 525 Twenty-Third Street,
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037 USA Fax (202)974-3379; Telephone (202)974-3396;
Vacancy Hotline: (202)974-3333 http://www.paho.org
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A Forum on Safe Motherhood to mark World Health Day, April 7, 1998
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You are cordially invited by The Canadian Society for International Health,
The Pan American Health Organization and The Canadian International
Development Agency to attend a forum on Safe Motherhood to mark World Health
Day, April 7, 1998, 10:30 a.m. to noon in Room 237C, Centre Block, Houses of
Parliament, Ottawa Sponsor: Jean Augustine, M.P. Panel members: Dr.
Rebecca Cook, University of Toronto, specialist in international protection
of human rights and in health law and ethics, Dr. Sharon Fonn, a medical
specialist in community health and Deputy Director, Women's Health Project,
South Africa, The Hon. Monique Bégin, Professor Emeritus, University of
Ottawa, and former federal Minister of Health.
If you plan to attend, please leave a message giving your name and title at
(613) 241-5785, Ext. 326, by 5 p.m. on April 3. Thank you.
For more information on World Health Day, please visit the World Health
Organization's Web Site at http://www.who.ch
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Canadian Society for International Health Offers Internships for Youth
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Within the framework of the federal government's Youth Employment
Strategy, the Canadian Society for International Health is offering
international health internships for recent graduates and undergraduates who
are planning a career in health. The Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade and the Canadian International Development Agency
provide funding for these internships.
Contact us if you are a Canadian citizen and have an educational background
in medicine, social sciences, biological sciences, health administration,
dentistry, nursing, health economics or another health discipline and are
interested in acquiring experience abroad.
Fulfilling work experience is available in areas such as health technology,
infectious diseases, HIV, multicultural health, reproductive health, primary
health care, and health economics.
Please check the WEB for a complete list http://www.csih.org/yintern.html
Candidates should apply as soon as possible. Selection for internships will
take place between February 1998 and September 1998. For more information,
contact Helene Thibault, Program Manager, IHYIP, CSIH, One Nicholas St.,
Suite 1105, Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7 Tel: (613) 241-5785 Fax: (613) 241-3845
Email: [log in to unmask]
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World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Seeks to Fill Several Overseas
Positions in its General Program
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WUSC is a non-profit, non-governmental organization involved in
international development. Its General Program recruits Canadians for
overseas positions in Benin, Botswana, Ghana, Laos, Malawi, Peru, Swaziland,
Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe on a continual basis. At present, close to
100 WUSC-recruited Canadians, the majority of whom are development workers
in a variety of disciplines, work on technical assistance projects in
developing countries. These professionals work in education, both formal
(secondary school maths/sciences and technical trainers) and informal. WUSC
also places Canadians in the fields of community development, environmental
and capacity building.
Requirements: A university degree of technical diploma; work experience in
your field of expertise; overseas experience an asset. Candidates must
meet the health standards and personal qualifications required by the
employing agency or ministry and WUSC. Assignments are for 2 years.
For more information, please contact the Recruitment Section at WUSC, P. O.
Box 3000, Station C, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4M8; Fax: (613) 798-0990; Email:
[log in to unmask]; Web page: http://www.wusc.ca
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