International organizations, like the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in association with the Fogarty International Center of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Medical Research Council UK and other parties have initiated a worldwide effort to impulse moral debate around pressing and current issues in the bioethics of biological and biomedical research. This has taken the form, among other expressions, of a series of conferences termed Global Forum on Research Bioethics. The first conference was held in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1999. The second in Bangkok, Thailand, during the year 2000 and the third in The Gambia during November 2001. PAHO will host the Fourth Global Forum in Brasilia, October 2002.
Jobs and Announcements
FOURTH GLOBAL FORUM ON RESEARCH BIOETHICS
Brasilia, Brazil, October 29th-30th, 2002
Global Equity Gauge Alliance
Assistant Coordinator
The Global Equity Gauge Alliance is looking for an Assistant Co-ordinator. The Global Equity Gauge Alliance (GEGA) focuses on fairness in health and access to health care. GEGA's 12 country-based Equity Gauge projects, located in South America, Africa, and Asia, monitor inequalities and injustices in the distribution of health and health care resources, and aim to ensure that countries and communities can use this information to make a difference to those with the poorest health and the greatest need. More information on GEGA can be found at www.gega.org.za. The GEGA Secretariat is housed within The Health Systems Trust, a Non-Government Organisation, which is a key role player in facilitating health systems research and development in South Africa.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29366
International Conference Poverty, Food and Health in Welfare:
current issues, future perspectives
The International Conference Poverty, Food and Health in Welfare: current issues, future perspectives, which will be held in Lisbon, July 1-4, 2003. The PFH2003 Conference will be the forum to emphasise the role of poverty on food security and health in welfare. The Scientific Programme has to face the challenge of dramatic socio-economic transformations while leading experts will analyse the burden of poverty, hunger and disease and the challenges to social policy in welfare. This Conference offers an outstanding opportunity for the discussion and dissemination of research findings, reviews and theory in all areas of common interest to researchers, health professionals, social scientist, policymakers, educators and students through plenary sessions, workshops, poster sessions and social gatherings. submission of abstracts are welcomed.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29354
Zimbabwe AIDS Network now online
For more information about the organisation, its objectives as well as its Zimbabwe AIDS Network is pleased to announce that it is now electronically linked to the world through its new website! For members, upcoming events and publications, please go to http://www.zan.co.zw.
Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative
Hosting the Secretariat
Request for Proposals August 2002
The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) is a recently formed network of interested partners supported by the Global Forum for Health Research. CHNRI is actively working on methodological issues of priority setting on child health, nutrition and development research, and on a life-cycle approach to child health and nutrition research. It aims at increasing the level of communication and discussion among players working on research on child health and nutrition, such as nutritionists, child health specialists and child development specialists. It further stimulates research and supports the expansion of research into priority child health and nutrition problems on a global basis, especially in low and middle income countries. This request for proposals invites institutions, particularly in low or middle income countries, to express their interest in hosting the Secretariat for the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative for an initial period of two years, renewable by the CHNRI Board. The deadline for receipt of proposals is 30 September 2002.
Global Fund Survey for NGOs
Please find below a survey that has been developed to support the southern NGO representatives to the Board of the Global Fund to understand better the involvement of the civil society community in the process of accessing resources. Since its inception, the Global Fund has recognized civil society as a key partner in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Along with governments and the private sector,civil society representatives were involved in the Transitional Working Group (TWG),are on the Board, and are now integral to the Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs). As countries prepare proposals for the Second Round, we would like to learn more about civil society experiences with CCMs in the First Round and in the current Round.
Oneworld Health
The world's first non-profit pharmaceutical firm has been launched. The Institute for OneWorld Health has been set-up to develop drugs for a range of parasitic diseases, including malaria, hookworm and African sleeping sickness. It is collaborating with the WHO and other non-profit organisations, and has received nearly $4.7 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Second International Youth and Students Conference on HIV/AIDS (IYSCA)
Nairobi, Kenya, 9-13 June 2003
Nairobi will be the venue of the Second International Youth and Students Conference on HIV/AIDS (IYSCA 2003). The Conference will bring together youth, students, researchers, and NGOs from different parts of the world to reflect on the pandemic and expand the quality and scope of youth and student-based HIV/AIDS strategies through sharing, identifying; promoting and applying best practices in short -term and long-term risk-reduction strategies and actions.
Invitation for submission of manuscripts on health equity-related issues
Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition (JHPN)
The editorial board of the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition has decided to publish a special issue in March 2003 on Health and Equity. The special issue on health and equity may include original research articles on concepts, measurement and other methodological issues, empirical findings on the situation of health equity, and interventions to reduce health inequity. Reports on global, national, or sub-national pro-equity activities and the experiences gained by way of impact and the process of implementation are also of interest. Potential authors are requested to express their interest to contribute by writing a note with tentative title of the paper to jhpn@icddrb.org by 30 June 2002. The final manuscript should be available by end of September 2002. While preparing the manuscript, please follow the Vancouver Style. Information for Contributors can be seen at or downloaded from the website of the Journal (http://www.icddrb.org/jhpn). The enclosed brochure will provide additional information about the Journal. JHPN is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal and is indexed by the major international indexing systems. The Journal is freely available through the Internet (http://www.icddrb.org/jhpn). For any further information or queries, please do not hesitate to contact our Guest Editor Dr. Abbas Bhuiya (abbas@icddrb.org) for this special issue.
Contact: abbas@icddrb.org
Poverty, Health & Equity: From Global Challenges to Innovative Solutions
October 27- 30th, 2002 in Ottawa, Canada
To provide a forum for practitioners, researchers, educators, policy makers and community mobilizers, interested in health and development issues, to share knowledge, experience and promote innovation and collaborative action. Each day's plenary will focus on a different theme (e.g. Day 1 - Challenges; Day 2 - Research; Day 3 - Innovation and Action). In addition, this year's CCIH will offer three streams running all three days of the conference. The Capacity Building stream will feature workshops and symposia aimed at knowledge and skills transfer (e.g. workshops on participatory evaluation techniques and how to build effective partnerships). The Knowledge Development stream will include a variety of papers and presentations on topics such as research with developing countries, using appropriate and innovative methodologies; and evidence-based decision-making. The Action stream will feature papers, presentations and workshops on innovative programs, projects and policy-related activities with disadvantaged groups in the developed and developing world.